Want a kicker? Price anti-rejection meds. One (1) month of my meds is $1066.05. AND that is through the least expensive LIGIT pharmacy I could locate. My insurance picks up 80% after I've met a 1000 deductable, and after I pay out another 1000 in co-pay 20% at a time. Then insurance pays all. But that cycles annually. Too, my insurance just for me is $450/mo. Those totals do not include the required monthly labs, annual trip to the Transplant Doctors, close to $400 for a 10 minute office visit, or general female maintainence.
Here's the saddest part, in most cases having insurance is one of the factors, when the powers that be decide if a patient is placed on the transplant list or not. YEP, there is a financial coordinator as one member of a transplant team. Do NOT take this wrong, I am so HAPPY to be ALIVE to pay these bills it's AMAZING!
OH Fosamax,I don't take it, but was told to take 3 TUMS daily for the calcium. In spite of my meds potential to damaging my bones, my bone density was better at 1 yr post TX than they were at 6mo post TX. AT 48 last yr when I had the last BD test, my RN coordinator said I had the bones of a 20 year old. & I could skip a yr of the test, so I'll have another BD test in Nov of 08. My 81 y/o MIL has taken Tums for years ever since I've known her 30 yrs. Her bones are showing no sign of detereation. Defenitly cheaper that fosimax.