Thread by @vancan19

INFUSION #42 THREAD: Here's my girl & I waiting for the school 🛎 to ring this morning.

I wouldn't be able to take her to school if not for the miracle drug I consider REMICADE to be.

In 2015, for the better part of 6 months, I spent 3+ hours in the bathroom each morning.

It was HELL. She wasn't in school yet, of course, but reality is that I may not be able to do this by the end of 2020.

That's because I'm being forced to switch to the bioSIMILAR version of my medication (a biologic), which I receive every 4-6 wks to treat my colitis (IBD).

I was diagnosed in 2008 (had symptoms summer '07). I was on at least 3 different meds over 8 years, and on a 🎢 health-wise until a doctor had the sense to finally put me on Remicade.

My disease has been stable/in remission ever since.

Today is my 42nd infusion.

The non-medical switch I mentioned is happening July 1 -- 162 days away.

The AB Gov't says there's an exemption process, but there are still no forms or info on how to apply. Why?

A reported 1-in-400 were approved for exemptions in B.C. Great!

Now of course the AB Gov't claims the biosimilar is safe and that the risk is low/non-existent for patients' health to regress.

🤔🤔🤔

Then why won't a single gastroenterologist endorse this switch?

And why are politicians making medical decisions? 🤷‍♂️🤷🏽‍♂️🤷🏿‍♂️

Why are they moving forward with this switch when @JanssenGlobal has offered to lower its prices?

Back to those physically agonizing & painfully slow mornings of hours on end on the 🚽 in 2015.

My employer lost a ton of productivity out of me. Even when I finally got to the office, I was wiped (excuse the pun).

I couldn't eat, and went from a slim 150ish to 125 in 6 wks.

Back to my family.

They longed for me to get healthy when I was in a flare & suffering. And they suffered too, needing to care for me, or not being able to do things because of/with me.

This province has a lot to lose if patients suffer setbacks by being forced to switch drugs for non-medical reasons.

-Lower mental health/morale
(Anxiety, depression)

-Can't take advantage of services/support the local economy

I'll keep going...

-More time in the hospital or needing to use other health supports

-loss of productivity for a person's employer (which is quite literally anti-economy)

Most crucial to note is this study shared by @getgutsycanada and done by 🇨🇦 Drs which estimates the non-medical switch will be directly liable for 63 to 184 otherwise avoidable surgeries; a study AB's health minister has clearly dismissed as poppycock.

crohnsandcolitis.ca/News-Events/Ne…

This means regardless of what's happened in European countries, or in B.C., Canadian docs believe that not all patients will be okay after this switch.

Which begs the question, why do patients deserve our health to be gambled with in this twisted version of 🇷🇺 Roulette?

Before the switch was announced, my next appt w/ my gastroenterologist was on May 4; less than 2 months before the switch.

I've requested to get in sooner, but they're so backed up with patients rescheduling and whatnot that it's damn near impossible to move me up.

Do I have faith my exemption will be processed in under 2 months? Hell no.

But even if I could get in to see my specialist TODAY, he wouldn't have any idea of how to go about getting me to apply for this exemption, because AGAIN, the Gov't has lazily not put anything out yet.

This whole thing has caused nothing but anxiety and stress for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) patients, which by the way, is also known to be a leading cause of a regression in health away from remission.

And it's not even just IBD, it's arthritis, diabetes etc.

I can't reiterate enough how unwise this Gov't-forced non-medical switch is, which again no AB gastroenterologist will support.

I implore you Honourable Min. @shandro to not move forward w/ this. You are risking the wellbeing of many ppl, and I haven't even covered every angle.

If you, as health minister, are serious about maintaining the good health of all Albertans, which I'm sure is almost word for word part of your job description, you'll realize this switch is unfair and dangerous.

#ableg #RedDeer @DShepYEG (my MLA @AdrianaLaGrange)

Each 📸 in this thread is an example of me being healthy & able to do things w/ my fam. In poor health, I'm otherwise cooped up @ home so to be close to a 🚽, and am a miserable human being. That's how life w/ chronic disease is, which I hope you've strived to understand. 🍻

And allow me to address one more thing:

I'm a journalist who has covered this issue as impartially as possible.

I have included the Gov't in every article I've written, so as to provide fair coverage.

But when MY livelihood is on the line, I will call this issue out.

-30-