Brent is a Beast

Since Brent's official diagnosis a few weeks ago, we have been in a bit of a whirlwind.  We had to deal with all the emotions of his diagnosis and had to figure out, mainly financially, how to take the next steps.  Hearing that Brent has MS is a lot like being told he had the tumor and that it was inoperable.  We don't know how he is going to feel day to day, and we don't know what the future will hold, but we can only do our best! For anyone with a chronic illness, finances can be difficult.  We are SO thankful that we have health insurance, even though it may not be ideal.  Did you know that, for someone without insurance, medication for MS costs over $4,000 a MONTH.  Our pharmacy benefit on our insurance will only cover up to $2,000 a YEAR.  Luckily, there are special programs to help you with cost and help you get the medication you need.  After a couple weeks of delay, Brent finally got his Copaxone shots this week.  The nurse from Shared Solutions came during my lunch break on Thursday, and she taught us how to do the injections.  Brent will have to give himself a shot every day from now on.  He needed 7 sites on his body to rotate between.  I know it comes as a shock, but Brent is a little on the thin side, so this was a tough task! There is an auto-inject he can use in some areas, but I will have to give him a manual shot a few times a week--lucky I did all that injection training in optometry school!
Brent did SUCH an amazing job learning how to do everything and I am just amazed at his positive attitude and optimism.  For those who don't know a lot about MS, the medication Brent is starting will hopefully reduce the number of new brain/spine lesions on MRI, and the number of relapses.  Only time will tell if he will respond well to it.  Please keep Brent in your thoughts and prayers as he starts this medicine.  Pray that he has minimal side effects, and that he can tolerate the daily shots.   I promise the next update will be about the house, as we have still managed to get a few things done here and there!