Thinking...is there any famous person with WG?

[RCOSSIO]

Knowing that WG is a rare illness I could not help but think of who is wordly popular that has wegs. We always here about those with other illness but never Wegs. Anyway...just thinking!!!!! :unsure:

[Sangye]

I've wondered that, too. Not that I want anyone else to get this icky disease, but it sure would help us raise awareness and research money if a famous person had Wegs.

[pberggren1]

Hello!!!! I'm right here!!!! Batman!!!! Is that famous enough for you?

[charli]

Believe Janet Leigh-Actress died with WG!

[renidrag]

Wikipedia says she died of cardiac arrest and also suffered vasculitis and peripheral neuropathy.

[RCOSSIO]

Interesting...I agree no one should have this illness, but the fact is that I can't believe someone does not. Anyway

[Brooke]

Thats funny, I have wondered that myself.

[NicShaf]

I have wondered thsi many times. You see it all the time with Cancer and other diseases, someone famous gets it and there is all kinds of fundraisers and support that follows...they almost make it cool, for lack of a better word. Not that I would wish WG on anyone either.
Funny, I googled "Wegener's Granulomatosis Famous People", and this thread came up first.

[Sangye]

Funny, I googled "Wegener's Granulomatosis Famous People", and this thread came up first.
I guess that makes US famous??? :laugh:

[drz]

I guess that makes US famous??? :laugh:

Yep, that's us -- a legend in our own minds!:wink1:

[NicShaf]

Well there's a solution, one of us needs to become famous! Anyone have a talent we can exploit for Wegs research and awareness? :)

[drz]

Well there's a solution, one of us needs to become famous! Anyone have a talent we can exploit for Wegs research and awareness? :)

How about a winner on American Idol? They can become rich and famous and donate millions to
Weg research too.

[pberggren1]

I think Marta can still whistle through her ears.:lol:

[freakyschizogirl]

I can whistle through my nose if that helps? :thumbup:

[LisaMarie]

I think if we could get one of us on extreme home make over....it would make a big difference.....someone would get a diseaze proper home and Wegener.s would get awareness and maybe funding for research...any body know someone with a need like that?

[NicShaf]

Nose...ears...we can get a little group together:)

[pberggren1]

We are sort of in that boat but we are in Canada.

[LisaMarie]

Phil
they may do Canada..we could try

[pberggren1]

Ya, we have a leaky basement, bad windows and roof, and poorly insulated walls. Wiring and plumbing are somewhat of an issue as well. But we could have it a lot worse. We are blessed to have such a good home as we do even though it needs some work.

[vdub]

leaky basement, bad windows and roof, and poorly insulated walls. Wiring and plumbing
Sounds like a "Holmes on Homes" thing -- he's Canadian.....

[DEE]

I can whistle through my nose if that helps? :thumbup: I do too we could be the chorus line :thumbsup:

[freakyschizogirl]

I do too we could be the chorus line :thumbsup:

Ah, but which song Dee??

[DEE]

Open to suggestions :smile1:

[delorisdoe]

Patience by guns and roses opens with a lovely whistling verse

[Sangye]

LOL--That's perfect, Leigh! hahaha

[DEE]

I cant get no satisfaction by rolling stone For when we have to wait for doctor to ring back !!

[pberggren1]

I love Mike Holmes' shows.

[delorisdoe]

I love Mike Holmes' shows.

Not gonna lie, I'm more than a bit confused...:unsure::huh::unsure::huh::kittyscared: :confused:

[pberggren1]

Holmes on Homes is a show that comes on HGTV and is run by a contractor guy named Mike Holmes. He is ultra professional and goes into homes where people have had work done that is shoddy or incomplete and he fixes it and goes beyond the call of duty. And if the people can not afford it he does not charge. Look him up on the net. I think he has a new show in the states as well and another one called Holmes Ispection.

[Lightwarrior]

We do get Holmes on Homes. I like HGTV also, I like the designer shows where they take old broken down spaces and make them beautiful.

[delorisdoe]

Holmes on Homes is a show that comes on HGTV and is run by a contractor guy Mike Holmes. He is ultra professional and goes into homes where people have had work done that is shoddy or incomplete and he fixes it and goes beyond the call of duty. And if the people can not afford it he does not charge. Look him up on the net. I think he has a new show in the states as well and another one called Holmes Ispection.

I was so busy figuring out what songs we were going to have the ladies whistle that I forgot how it all started...our quest to be famous. I do know who he is. He did a home in my home:cool1:town.

[pberggren1]

Wow, did you get to meet Mike delorisdoe?

[delorisdoe]

Wow, did you get to meet Mike delorisdoe?

yes, he and some of his crew came in for coffee...was not much of a meeting but heh. also, donald sutherland came in and sat for an hour reading the paper.

[pberggren1]

That must have been awesome delorisdoe! I would love to meet Mike and Don.

[Lightwarrior]

My closest brush with fame is Robert Redford. I didn't see him or even talk to him, but.....he said my name. I was in a documentary about the transportation of nuclear waste in New Mexico and he narrated the documentary. I still watch it sometimes just to hear him say my name. Ah......:love:

[Sangye]

ROTFL... Lightwarrrior, too funny.

[RCOSSIO]

Lightwarrior...u have been certfied by the Weg's Association in this forum of LOCO's as the only famous weggie I KNOW. Robert Redford...Dis he sign your copy of the "The Way we Were?????"

BTW here's a pic for you.

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSGG7JyFUKoIfVSCeEl0ZCBz6Yepe7zJ fNKPpiqVbEwnCZY9h8a5w&t=1

[Lightwarrior]

[QUOTE=RCOSSIO;38179]Lightwarrior...u have been certfied by the Weg's Association in this forum of LOCO's as the only famous weggie I KNOW. Robert Redford...Dis he sign your copy of the "The Way we Were?????"

Oh be still my heart :love::love::love: No signed picture, just the memory of him saying my name. :biggrin:

[wolfewispr]

[QUOTE=RCOSSIO;38179]Lightwarrior...u have been certfied by the Weg's Association in this forum of LOCO's as the only famous weggie I KNOW. Robert Redford...Dis he sign your copy of the "The Way we Were?????"

Oh be still my heart :love::love::love: No signed picture, just the memory of him saying my name. :biggrin:


wegeners first presented february of 2010 with pulmonary embolism. it took them 15 months and finally going to a 5th doctor to even get a Doctor who would test for anything but the usual stuff.

My lungs are affected difficulty in breathing and lung pain, my kidneys are affected, not processing fluids properly, my gall bladder is done for now and needs to come out. my joints swell severely.

We seriously need some studies done on wegeners. I'm 41 with two children. I'd love to be here for them in the future.

After filing for disability over a year ago i'm still fighting for it. there's no medical support without insurance which i don't have. I've had two pulmonary embolisms, and a blood clot in my spine. at times the joints swell and i can't button my shirt. and there are others out there like me.... There has to be something that can be done to help wegeners patients.

[Lightwarrior]

[QUOTE=Lightwarrior;38183]


wegeners first presented february of 2010 with pulmonary embolism. it took them 15 months and finally going to a 5th doctor to even get a Doctor who would test for anything but the usual stuff.

My lungs are affected difficulty in breathing and lung pain, my kidneys are affected, not processing fluids properly, my gall bladder is done for now and needs to come out. my joints swell severely.

We seriously need some studies done on wegeners. I'm 41 with two children. I'd love to be here for them in the future.

After filing for disability over a year ago i'm still fighting for it. there's no medical support without insurance which i don't have. I've had two pulmonary embolisms, and a blood clot in my spine. at times the joints swell and i can't button my shirt. and there are others out there like me.... There has to be something that can be done to help wegeners patients.

Are you close to any center that may have a Wegs specialist? Go to this site and you may be able to find a doctor close to you. Here is the link: Vasculitis Foundation | The Vasculitis Foundation supports and empowers patients through education, awareness and research. (http://www.vasculitisfoundation.org/)

[wolfewispr]

[QUOTE=wolfewispr;61752]

Are you close to any center that may have a Wegs specialist? Go to this site and you may be able to find a doctor close to you. Here is the link: Vasculitis Foundation | The Vasculitis Foundation supports and empowers patients through education, awareness and research. (http://www.vasculitisfoundation.org/)

There are wegeners specialists here in my town... but none of them work for free. It's rough going from making 3k a month to making nothing. I tried working for 11 months but i was in the emergency room twice a week with breathing difficulty and severe joint pain. Ended up with the company threatening to terminate me for missing so much work. and i understand their point, they need employee's who can be there. but there is no assistance for wegeners patients who are 41 with no insurance. I have to wait til disability happens which iam told can take up to 2 years. currently iam on blood thinners to help the blood flow through the inflamed blood vessels and pain meds and furosemide to help my kidneys. I need proper treatment...but our gov't (U.S.) just doesn't offer help. and with not being able to work.....well that leaves it to being impossible to afford proper healthcare... I wonder how many wg patients die due to lack of proper medical care?

[elephant]

Wolfewispr, once your wegeners is in better control your joint pain will subside. I hope you can see a wegeners specialist soon. I know this is a very hard time for you and your children.

[Lightwarrior]

[QUOTE=Lightwarrior;61754]

There are wegeners specialists here in my town... but none of them work for free. It's rough going from making 3k a month to making nothing. I tried working for 11 months but i was in the emergency room twice a week with breathing difficulty and severe joint pain. Ended up with the company threatening to terminate me for missing so much work. and i understand their point, they need employee's who can be there. but there is no assistance for wegeners patients who are 41 with no insurance. I have to wait til disability happens which iam told can take up to 2 years. currently iam on blood thinners to help the blood flow through the inflamed blood vessels and pain meds and furosemide to help my kidneys. I need proper treatment...but our gov't (U.S.) just doesn't offer help. and with not being able to work.....well that leaves it to being impossible to afford proper healthcare... I wonder how many wg patients die due to lack of proper medical care?

Are there any low income community clinics in your area?? They may be able to offer some assistance. I will try to think of some solutions, I understand how frustrated and afraid you must feel.

[wolfewispr]

[QUOTE=wolfewispr;61755]

Are there any low income community clinics in your area?? They may be able to offer some assistance. I will try to think of some solutions, I understand how frustrated and afraid you must feel.

Yes i go to a low income clinic, (sliding scale) but it's $25.00 per office visit, plus $15.00 per xray (they usually take two), plus 15.00 for the urine test to keep an eye on my kidneys. plus $10.00 to check my blood each time i go. i'm supposed to go every two weeks but i don't have an income..(waiting for disability)I've been selling everything i can for two years now just to pay for the visits at least once a month. Running out of things to sell. The Social Security office expects you to go to the doctor and pay your bills while you are waiting for them to approve you..even though you have no income....... there's no way i can afford the $80.00 per visit cost with no income.

It's enough to drive you nuts.... 2 years and 6 months since the pulmonary embolisms and hanging on by a thread. i was diagnosed july 2011. kidneys are getting worse and that's not damage that can be repaired. the lungs hurt and i just can't get enough air into them.

Certainly going from an active person who raced atv's to someone who now has to stay in the house because the heat, pollen, and even if it gets too cold causes the lungs to throw fits.

So many sites you read and it says that patients usually last 2 years without proper treatment. it weighs on me...I lost my dad when he was 47. I just don't want my kids to go through that.

At the current rate if Disability doesn't happen soon they wont need to pay Disability benefits.
The Doctor wrote a dire need letter to the social security admin. telling them i needed treatment yesterday to live..but they are unfazed....

I just don't want to be a memory yet.

[BrianR]

So...are you on any meds other than what you have mentioned? Specifically are you or have you been on prednisone and/or cyclophosphamide?

[wolfewispr]

So...are you on any meds other than what you have mentioned? Specifically are you or have you been on prednisone and/or cyclophosphamide?

I haven't been on cyclo, or rituxan. or even methotrexate. I can barely afford the blood thinners and furosemide and albuterol inhalers and suspension liquid for the nebulizer. i go without the inhalers at times..(45.00 each)

I have been on celebrex and prednisone. but they had little effect.... i was on prednisone for 3 months and celebrex for almost a year... I can't afford cyclo or metho or rituxan.. and at this point i can't afford prednisone or celebrex.



methotrexate is toxic, cyclophosphamide has been proven to cause cancer at alarming rates. and they recently found out rituxan destroys parts of your brain. I know eventually when i can afford it i'll have to try one or possibly all three. but right now the medication iam on is a temporary bandage that should have been replaced a long time ago. but there is just no help out there. I checked with the makers of rituxan... they have a program to help people get rituxan free... but only if you have insurance of some type. It's sad but there's just not any help for people like me to get proper medical care. I'm a 41 year old male. I don't fit in any status that allows me toget medicaid or medicare without having disability first.

And i have worked 25 years and paid in taxes. never been on welfare... I just don't understand, if a portion of my taxes (fica) goes to medicaid and disability...why can't i get it being that i paid it in for 25 years, now that i really need it?

[annekat]

This is terrible. It seems like there should be some sort of public assistance available until you can get disability and/or Medicaid. You should at least be able to get food stamps, which would cut your living costs. There would be nothing wrong with being on welfare, if nothing else is currently available to you. It is a pathetic state of affairs that this should be happening to you in "the greatest country in the world".

As for what you read about people "lasting 2 years" without proper treatment, DON'T pay attention to that. Sure, someone could get a severe case and die within that time, but many of us here on the forum have "lasted" quite a bit longer than that before diagnosis, with symptoms coming and going over the years presenting themselves as sinus infections and whatnot. However, you DO need to get on a regimen of one of the immunosuppressant drugs you mentioned, along with prednisone, ASAP! You can't wait until you can afford them, you need to find some help somewhere. And despite all the negatives, they are necessary evils. Most of us haven't gotten cancer from cytoxan, BTW.

I wish Al were here to give you advice! :sad: We just lost him. But you'll hear from Sangye and other articulate and knowledgeable people.

[wolfewispr]

This is terrible. It seems like there should be some sort of public assistance available until you can get disability and/or Medicaid. You should at least be able to get food stamps, which would cut your living costs. There would be nothing wrong with being on welfare, if nothing else is currently available to you. It is a pathetic state of affairs that this should be happening to you in "the greatest country in the world".

As for what you read about people "lasting 2 years" without proper treatment, DON'T pay attention to that. Sure, someone could get a severe case and die within that time, but many of us here on the forum have "lasted" quite a bit longer than that before diagnosis, with symptoms coming and going over the years presenting themselves as sinus infections and whatnot. However, you DO need to get on a regimen of one of the immunosuppressant drugs you mentioned, along with prednisone, ASAP! You can't wait until you can afford them, you need to find some help somewhere. And despite all the negatives, they are necessary evils. Most of us haven't gotten cancer from cytoxan, BTW.

I wish Al were here to give you advice! :sad: We just lost him. But you'll hear from Sangye and other articulate and knowledgeable people.


2 years and 6 months i've been trying to find some help. there's just no help. I keep getting the same response "your status dictates you are not eligible" upon asking what "my status" is, i get "you are a 41 (39 year old male at first, then 40 year old male..) year old male" as a reply. until i get disability and medicaid i'm on my own.
I don't have family that can afford to help. Fund raisers can be held, but i have no one to hold them. I've spoken to every clinic and hospital in the area, there's nothing.

After two pulmonary embolisms which almost did me in, a blood clot in the spine which left me with pain, kidneys that are only getting worse without treatment. I worry that by the time i get disability it will be too late and a kidney transplant will be necessary, or i may die before getting disability.

To the social security admin. it's all about money...to me it's all about living.

I'd take the meds if i could get them......but that's just not possible at this point.

[annekat]

I assume you were definitely diagnosed with Wegeners, although if you said so I missed it. If you tell us your location, maybe someone familiar with the area can think of a way to get you the treatment you need. I thought hospitals were obligated to treat people regardless of ability to pay? Is that a myth? If it got that bad, that is.... better to get the right treatment before it gets that bad. And better to run up a hospital bill you can't pay than to die.

Maybe contact the Vasculitis Foundation and tell them your situation. Maybe they will know where to look for a solution. Also, try starting your own thread on this subject, with an introduction and background, so more people will see it. You could use the New Member Introductions forum, and indicate your dire situation in the subject line, and I think you'd get more responses. People may be skipping over this thread on Famous People with Wegs.

I'm very sorry for what you are going through and wish I could help. There are people on here who know more than I do about resources available to people with Wegeners.

[wolfewispr]

I assume you were definitely diagnosed with Wegeners, although if you said so I missed it. If you tell us your location, maybe someone familiar with the area can think of a way to get you the treatment you need. I thought hospitals were obligated to treat people regardless of ability to pay? Is that a myth? If it got that bad, that is.... better to get the right treatment before it gets that bad. And better to run up a hospital bill you can't pay than to die.

Maybe contact the Vasculitis Foundation and tell them your situation. Maybe they will know where to look for a solution. Also, try starting your own thread on this subject, with an introduction and background, so more people will see it. You could use the New Member Introductions forum, and indicate your dire situation in the subject line, and I think you'd get more responses. People may be skipping over this thread on Famous People with Wegs.

I'm very sorry for what you are going through and wish I could help. There are people on here who know more than I do about resources available to people with Wegeners.


Yes i have been properly diagnosed with wegeners, I live in Rossville Ga. Hospitals are required to treat you if you come in the emergency room in basically an emergency situation. If you aren't dying in front of them immediately then they will send you home. I've wrestled with the local hospitals....No luck there.

Sorry didn't mean to jack the thread, and it wasn't my intention to post this far. just one of those deals where you started posting and out of frustration you took up a little more space than intended.

I've made calls everywhere in the last 2 and a half years. it is what it is. I've pretty much resigned myself to the situation. There's no help, and social Security is just going to drag their feet....I don't like it...but i'm just an average Joe with wegeners. nothing i can do about it.

[annekat]

Oh, I've jacked the thread just as much with my long replies. I was just thinking you'd get more response with a separate thread and someone more savvy than I am might respond.

I just hope your Wegs stays about the same and doesn't get worse before you can get proper treatment. Of course, if you have a crisis, you will go to the ER. For me, it was thinking I had pneumonia; after years of ear and sinus stuff and some joint pain, my lungs suddenly got involved quickly and severely. I didn't go to the ER but my doc put me in the hospital overnight for tests. I had cheap state sponsored health insurance for low income people. I now have SS disability and just started on Medicare. It only took me 6 months to get disability and I got a lot of retroactive benefits. My age of 58 probably helped. I wish it was that easy for you; I don't know if one's location and the different staff there can make a difference.

I know there are other low income or unemployed people on the forum and some have been without health insurance, but I've never heard of someone having this much trouble getting basic treatment for Wegeners. At least prednisone is a very cheap drug, so I'd encourage you to try to keep taking that until something else works out. And you do have a doctor; it seems he could be helping you more. He's the one who should be giving you the best advice, not me, and maybe he himself could find a way, other than his letter to SS, to get you the treatment you desperately need.

I might seem naive, but I've just never heard of a case this bad of failure of the "system". My thoughts are with you, and good luck.


Yes i have been properly diagnosed with wegeners, I live in Rossville Ga. Hospitals are required to treat you if you come in the emergency room in basically an emergency situation. If you aren't dying in front of them immediately then they will send you home. I've wrestled with the local hospitals....No luck there.

Sorry didn't mean to jack the thread, and it wasn't my intention to post this far. just one of those deals where you started posting and out of frustration you took up a little more space than intended.

I've made calls everywhere in the last 2 and a half years. it is what it is. I've pretty much resigned myself to the situation. There's no help, and social Security is just going to drag their feet....I don't like it...but i'm just an average Joe with wegeners. nothing i can do about it.

[wolfewispr]

Oh, I've jacked the thread just as much with my long replies. I was just thinking you'd get more response with a separate thread and someone more savvy than I am might respond.

I just hope your Wegs stays about the same and doesn't get worse before you can get proper treatment. Of course, if you have a crisis, you will go to the ER. For me, it was thinking I had pneumonia; after years of ear and sinus stuff and some joint pain, my lungs suddenly got involved quickly and severely. I didn't go to the ER but my doc put me in the hospital overnight for tests. I had cheap state sponsored health insurance for low income people. I now have SS disability and just started on Medicare. It only took me 6 months to get disability and I got a lot of retroactive benefits. My age of 58 probably helped. I wish it was that easy for you; I don't know if one's location and the different staff there can make a difference.

I know there are other low income or unemployed people on the forum and some have been without health insurance, but I've never heard of someone having this much trouble getting basic treatment for Wegeners. At least prednisone is a very cheap drug, so I'd encourage you to try to keep taking that until something else works out. And you do have a doctor; it seems he could be helping you more. He's the one who should be giving you the best advice, not me, and maybe he himself could find a way, other than his letter to SS, to get you the treatment you desperately need.

I might seem naive, but I've just never heard of a case this bad of failure of the "system". My thoughts are with you, and good luck.


The Doctors hands are tied... no money... as for prednisone.. i simply can't afford the extra medication. here it is a waiting period of two years iam told to get disability. but in rare cases they approve earlier...however they aren't consider my case a necessity. found out if i want to continue pain meds i'll have to go to pain management which there's absolutely no way i can afford that... here it's 150.00-200.00 for the visit at pain management and any testing they want to do is extra. I can barely afford to do my regular visits. it's been 2 months since they checked my blood because i can't afford to pay for it. I have to find a way as well to pay for the prescriptions. here in georgia it's a 2 year waiting period from the time you file for disability as well to get medicaid or medicare. so being i filed 1 year and 2 months ago if i were approved today for disability i would still have to wait 10 months for medicare or medicaid. but at least i would have an income to help pay for medical treatment and meds til i got medical coverage. Speaking with my attorney he tells me that the on the record he got from the judge lists my age as a factor in disability. seems 41 is just too young for most judges to consider disability. Funny how wegeners isn't too picky when it shows up but disability is picky at what age they pay. I don't know what to do at this point but pray.

[KathyB]

I'm heartbroken reading your predicament, wolfewispr, and can't understand how there isn't public assistance for you. Admittedly, I don't know a lot about this subject but find it frustrating to hear you cannot get the treatment you so desperately need. To think people turn you down or turn you away -- it's heartless. Where do you go from here?!

KB

[wolfewispr]

[QUOTE=KathyB;61815]I'm heartbroken reading your predicament, wolfewispr, and can't understand how there isn't public assistance for you. Admittedly, I don't know a lot about this subject but find it frustrating to hear you cannot get the treatment you so desperately need. To think people turn you down or turn you away -- it's heartless. Where do you go from here?!

KB[/QUOTE

Where i go from here?...The only place people understand how wegeners can be..HERE. and of course prayer. I woke up early to a rough morning of kidney pain and not being able to breathe well. 2 years and 6 months. The Social Security office sure has a way of Making you feel unnecessary.

[annekat]

I find it hard to understand, too, but can't argue with what you say you've been through in trying to get help. SS Disability is a Federal program, so I shouldn't think what state you are in should make a big difference; however, I guess a lot could depend on the staff that works in your location and maybe on the caseload, too. In my case, I felt they bent over backwards to make sure I was helped as soon as possible. Normally, once you are approved, you need to wait 2 years before you can then get Medicare, but in my case, since I got retroactive benefits back to a year and a half before I applied, I only had to wait 6 months to get Medicare. So that could happen to you, too, if you haven't been working for quite awhile due to your illness and would depend also on your date of diagnosis I guess, but in my case it went back way before that since I hadn't been making enough for them to consider it "work" and my docs convinced them I'd had Wegs all that time. There was a limit to how far they could go back, according to their regulations. But I am happy with how it worked out and can only hope that it will happen faster for you than you think. As for Medicaid, I have the definite feeling that is handled by the individual states so it could be very different from one place to the other. It is indeed hard to understand how they think they are helping people by making them wait so long to where the help they need has snowballed out of control. I will pray for you, too. I hope we will hear some good news in the near future, and please keep us posted.

[wolfewispr]

I find it hard to understand, too, but can't argue with what you say you've been through in trying to get help. SS Disability is a Federal program, so I shouldn't think what state you are in should make a big difference; however, I guess a lot could depend on the staff that works in your location and maybe on the caseload, too. In my case, I felt they bent over backwards to make sure I was helped as soon as possible. Normally, once you are approved, you need to wait 2 years before you can then get Medicare, but in my case, since I got retroactive benefits back to a year and a half before I applied, I only had to wait 6 months to get Medicare. So that could happen to you, too, if you haven't been working for quite awhile due to your illness and would depend also on your date of diagnosis I guess, but in my case it went back way before that since I hadn't been making enough for them to consider it "work" and my docs convinced them I'd had Wegs all that time. There was a limit to how far they could go back, according to their regulations. But I am happy with how it worked out and can only hope that it will happen faster for you than you think. As for Medicaid, I have the definite feeling that is handled by the individual states so it could be very different from one place to the other. It is indeed hard to understand how they think they are helping people by making them wait so long to where the help they need has snowballed out of control. I will pray for you, too. I hope we will hear some good news in the near future, and please keep us posted.


I did start a post of my own, asking if anyone knew of any help...

It's been a hard lesson learned. My doctor does believe that i have had wegeners from an early age. at age 7 i was hospitalized when my kidneys stopped working...but wegeners really wasn't much more than a footnote in the medical journals back then. so they were able to get my kidneys
working but never understood why they stopped.

and i remember it well...dialisys isn't something you forget.....(i'm sure i misspelled dialysis)

Through my teen years, i was in and out of the emergency room for sudden chest pains that hit hard and at times brought me to my knee's and then disappeared.. they never could be explained. of course at that time they weren't doing mri's or ctscans...just xrays and go home. and wegeners still wasn't on the radar.

Of course i've never been one who liked going to hospitals......My healthcare plan was "don't get sick"
I raced atv's and motocross, and was gearing up for the Southern offroad championship series in 2010 when the pulmonary embolisms hit february of that year.
It's strange how one minute you are fine and the next you can't move because of pain in your lung from an embolism.
I had been hurting since the preceeding monday of that week but being i was training for Sorcs i just chalked it up to being sore from training hard. the pain was mild, more like an ache. there was no breathing difficulty.. on february 27th 2010 it was a nice Saturday. I felt fine when i woke up and went to pick up my atv from the shop, drove home and went to step out of the van to unload it and suddenly the pain was excruciating.
I couldn't move because the pain was incredible. After a lot of teeth gritting i managed to get into the car and was driven to the emergency room. it took them four hours to realize that it wasn't kidney stones but a pulmonary embolism. they admitted me to the hospital. 3 days later i went home.
A week and a half later i went back to the hospital with a swollen left leg (full of clots) and when i awoke the next morning in the hospital i experienced the same excrucitaing pain but this time it was in my left lung. (second pulmonary embolism)

5 days later i went home.

For three months my lungs hurt and my pulmonologist kept telling me it was pleurisy and to take tylenol. at the end of the three months i received a call from my pulmonologist explaining that he had looked over my previous xrays and mri and had found a clot in my spine. of course the pulmonologist said he had done all he could for me and i should just see the clinic i was going to for monitoring the blood thinners.......


So i kept going to the local clinic to monitor my blood. we still didn't have a diagnosis at this point. eventually I went back to work even though i was still in pain. I was scheduled to come off the blood thinners in march of 2011. Thank God the clinic hired a new Doctor who looked a little farther than the others. He kept me on the warfarin permanently. by july 1st of 2011 my joints had swelled to the point that i couldn't button my own shirt... So i went back to see Doctor Ballinger.

He drew blood to send off to test for rheumatoid arthritis. an "ana" test. but when it got to the lab they misread it and ran an "anca" test (granuloma anca) it came back positive and Doctor Ballinger immediately set up a biopsy to be sure it was Wegeners.

Right after that my job gave me the choice of quit or be fired for missed days at work, and Doctor Ballinger had already suggested i file for disability. Since then it's been a holding pattern trying to make it til disability is approved so i can afford proper treatment.

I was in business management for years, and I know that no company is going to hire someone who has to miss numerous days due to a previous illness. They need people who can show up for work. I would love to be able to work. I enjoy working. but if i returned to work i would have to be on pain meds to do it. and i know that it's a great liability for a company to have employee's working while on prescription pain medications. Not to mention i had tried working for 11 months and was in the emergency room at least twice a week. Today iam staying with my aunt. who is on fixed income. I thank God that she was able to put a roof over my head. otherwise i would have ended up living in my truck.

Life sometimes throws us a curve. with me it threw me a u-turn.....but I am happy to still be alive.
even though it's been uphill all the way.

[annekat]

Wow. It's so hard to believe that the powers that be don't think you qualify for immediate help. What is wrong with this country? Not to get too political, but I think we all know profit takes precedence over caring for people who are sick through no fault of their own, and bureaucracy continues to loom over us. Anyway, I'm glad you started your own thread, and I will look for it. There are some people on here who know way more about the ins and outs of all this than I do.

[wolfewispr]

anything at this point...right now the race is on...either social security will win and i die before they have to pay disability or i stay around long enough and i win.

[Sangye]

Hi wolfewispr, I'm just catching up on this thread. I'm so sorry for what you're going through. It just breaks my heart. One of my daily prayers is that all people have unimpeded access to excellent health care.

I'm trying to get a few facts straight. Forgive me if you've already answered....

1) Are you currently working?
2) Have you applied for Medicaid?
3) Which Vasculitis centers are you near? I know Johns Hopkins accepts Medicaid
4) How long have you been uninsured?


Info:
There is no reason why you should be denied SSDI. They have a very high denial rate, counting on most people to be too worn down to appeal. You must appeal. Get good letters from your doctors.

If you get SSDI you won't get Medicare until 2 years after your effective date.

[wolfewispr]

Hi wolfewispr, I'm just catching up on this thread. I'm so sorry for what you're going through. It just breaks my heart. One of my daily prayers is that all people have unimpeded access to excellent health care.

I'm trying to get a few facts straight. Forgive me if you've already answered....

1) Are you currently working?
2) Have you applied for Medicaid?
3) Which Vasculitis centers are you near? I know Johns Hopkins accepts Medicaid
4) How long have you been uninsured?


Info:
There is no reason why you should be denied SSDI. They have a very high denial rate, counting on most people to be too worn down to appeal. You must appeal. Get good letters from your doctors.

If you get SSDI you won't get Medicare until 2 years after your effective date.

thanks for your reply Sangye,

1)I haven't worked since july 8th of 2011
2)I have applied for medicaid three times all denied
3)not sure of vasculitis centers. i have contacted erlanger hospital here in my area which has wegeners specialists.
4)insured? Until wegeners happened my idea of healthcare was "don't get sick" i think i was insured for a couple years long ago.. but no insurance otherwise. I just couldn't afford the high cost. 80.00 per month with a 10,000 deductible was the cheapest rate i could find. and with obamacare happening health insurance will most likely go even higher.

My attorney is handling the appeals process on ssdi. but Social Security is dragging their feet. it takes them 6 months to think about replying and another 6 months to do anything else.
My attorney told about the wait for medicare after getting disability. i was hoping having the disability income i could pay for a little better care until i could get on medicare. at this point it's anything and everything i can do.

[Sangye]

If you're not working I don't understand why you wouldn't qualify for Medicaid.

What state do you live in?

Since you've been uninsured for at least 6 months you qualify for Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plans under ObamaCare. Here's a link with info to see plans available for your state and premiums. Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) | HealthCare.gov (http://www.healthcare.gov/law/features/choices/pre-existing-condition-insurance-plan/index.html)

I've never heard of Erlanger hospital-- not sure if there are Wegs specialists there. Check with Vasculitis Foundation to be certain.

[wolfewispr]

If you're not working I don't understand why you wouldn't qualify for Medicaid.

What state do you live in?

Since you've been uninsured for at least 6 months you qualify for Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plans under ObamaCare. Here's a link with info to see plans available for your state and premiums. Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) | HealthCare.gov (http://www.healthcare.gov/law/features/choices/pre-existing-condition-insurance-plan/index.html)

I've never heard of Erlanger hospital-- not sure if there are Wegs specialists there. Check with Vasculitis Foundation to be certain.

I called to see how much insurance was... that was the $80.00 per month with a $10,000 deductible quote i got. and that was the cheapest. of course i have no income...so i couldn't pay for it if it was affordable.

each time i applied to medicaid i was told my status dictates that iam not eligible for medicaid. I have tried in Georgia, and my home state Tennessee.

I live in georgia now with my aunt who has graciously taken me in. i was living in Tennessee before that.

I've been at my aunts home for a year and was a Tennessee resident for years.

I have asked what my status was when they told me i was ineligible. and the official response was that i was a 41 year old male and i wasn't a minority. Of course i mentioned that iam native american (Cherokee) and irish but i was told that Native American isn't considered a minority. So it wasn't a help.

I don't understand it myself... I've always worked before i got sick and always paid in Fica taxes which are supposed to pay for medicaid/medicare and social security. I'd figured 25 years of working and paying taxes should count for something...but they keep denying me for benefits.

So at this point i have no idea what my taxes were used for.... In all my life i have never been on welfare so the taxes couldn't have been paid to me previously. I just don't know....

[wolfewispr]

I called to see how much insurance was... that was the $80.00 per month with a $10,000 deductible quote i got. and that was the cheapest. of course i have no income...so i couldn't pay for it if it was affordable.

each time i applied to medicaid i was told my status dictates that iam not eligible for medicaid. I have tried in Georgia, and my home state Tennessee.

I live in georgia now with my aunt who has graciously taken me in. i was living in Tennessee before that.

I've been at my aunts home for a year and was a Tennessee resident for years.

I have asked what my status was when they told me i was ineligible. and the official response was that i was a 41 year old male and i wasn't a minority. Of course i mentioned that iam native american (Cherokee) and irish but i was told that Native American isn't considered a minority. So it wasn't a help.

I don't understand it myself... I've always worked before i got sick and always paid in Fica taxes which are supposed to pay for medicaid/medicare and social security. I'd figured 25 years of working and paying taxes should count for something...but they keep denying me for benefits.

So at this point i have no idea what my taxes were used for.... In all my life i have never been on welfare so the taxes couldn't have been paid to me previously. I just don't know....

Erlanger is a teaching hospital with Wegeners specialist' on staff.

[Sangye]

Was the quote you got from an PCIP plan or a private insurer? Here's the info for Georgia: Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan: Georgia | HealthCare.gov (http://www.healthcare.gov/law/features/choices/pre-existing-condition-insurance-plan/ga.html)

I'm not sure who told you that about Medicaid, but gender, race and ethnicity are not factors in determining eligibility. Here is the page to Georgia's Medicaid program eligibility requirements. Eligibility | Georgia Department of Community Health (http://dch.georgia.gov/eligibility) You need to ask them what they require as proof of disability. If it's SSDI, then you're caught in that loop until Social Security approves you.

You're in the same situation with millions of Americans. 50 million and counting. Working people (or people who have worked) who don't qualify for Medicaid and can't afford insurance on their own. It's sickening. I sure hope one of the above options helps.

[wolfewispr]

Was the quote you got from an PCIP plan or a private insurer? Here's the info for Georgia: Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan: Georgia | HealthCare.gov (http://www.healthcare.gov/law/features/choices/pre-existing-condition-insurance-plan/ga.html)

I'm not sure who told you that about Medicaid, but gender, race and ethnicity are not factors in determining eligibility. Here is the page to Georgia's Medicaid program eligibility requirements. Eligibility | Georgia Department of Community Health (http://dch.georgia.gov/eligibility) You need to ask them what they require as proof of disability. If it's SSDI, then you're caught in that loop until Social Security approves you.

You're in the same situation with millions of Americans. 50 million and counting. Working people (or people who have worked) who don't qualify for Medicaid and can't afford insurance on their own. It's sickening. I sure hope one of the above options helps.

I actually do not agree with obamacare. and i cannot in good conscience use it for any reason. I wont be a hypocrite. even if it means i don't get good healthcare, even if it means i die... But morally, for me obamacare is not an option. I have made arrangements to move to florida once disability is established because they have opted out of obamacare.

and yes.... race does play a role in medicaid... I've seen it firsthand in my area. I am not a racist. I don't hate anyone, but both times that i filed in georgia and the one time i filed in Tennessee I spoke to people in the waiting room. asked them their age... and if they were here to get medicaid, just in passing conversation. they were of other races and some were the exact same age and they were there to get medicaid and some were there to renew their medicaid benefits. none of them were disabled.... and that's why i asked the case workers there what my status was....all of them were hesitant to admit it but they did all eventually say it was because i wasn't a minority. two different states and three denied applications, three different case workers.

So there definately is an issue there. what is it iam to conclude being that three different case workers all said it was because of my status and when asked what my status was... they all three said "41 year old male and you are not a minority" Of course i'm sure the state documents aren't going to include that....that would legally be discrimination. but this is what i have faced. based on the facts given to me by the case workers, and the people there to renew their benefits...you have to realize that there is a bias in the system.

[Sangye]

I'm white (non-minority) and female without children and didn't have trouble getting Medicaid approved when I needed it. I don't "look" disabled.

Wegs is a killer and you have severe disease activity. When it isn't treated under those conditions it is 100% fatal. It can kill you quickly or it can drag it out, doing damage as it goes-- much or all of that permanent. So if you change your mind later you're stuck with that. I've seen people on here go through some pretty horrible things. I've never seen anyone turn down the opportunity to have it treated because of a political view. I don't believe for one second that if Wegs kills you that your kids and loved ones will say "I'm glad he stuck to his political views. It was worth it." No way.

I do hope you find help.

[wolfewispr]

it's not a political view...it's a moral view. and it's deeper than that. and yes i want my children to have a good role model who will stick to his values rather than fold up. what kind of father would i be if i taught them to go along with something that was wrong???? I'd rather my children know that it's important to stick to what you know is right. I wont debate obamacare here. this is the wegeners forum. if you wish to debate it we can do that through email or facebook or something.

[annekat]

I'm also a white non-minority female without children. I also don't look sick. The only reason I didn't qualify for Medicaid at the time I applied was because I had too much money in my checking account because of having borrowed a few thousand dollars from a relative out of desperation. Another possible reason to be denied would be owning property, such as real estate, which is separate from your home and could be sold, or other assets beyond normal ones such as a decent running vehicle and household possessions; it's possible these assets are evaluated differently in different states, I really don't know...

I agree with you, Sangye, about political views not being a good reason not to get help... however, it sounded like he could not even afford any premium at all including the ones listed under Obamacare's pre-existing conditions coverage. But I thought that Obamacare had provisions for people who simply could not afford any insurance. If that provision amounts to Medicaid, then that's what he should be able to get, if he hasn't too many assets to qualify. One of the links you sent had a FAQ section which implied there was at least some kind of emergency help available for those who have no income but don't automatically qualify for Medicaid. It sounds to me like, from the reasons he's been given for not qualifying, there are very inept people, and like he says, very biased ones, staffing the Social Security offices in his location, and he needs to go higher up, over their heads, to get the truth of how it all works, and to correct the errors that are being made. i should think his doctor and lawyer could be a big help in doing this, and if they cannot, I really don't understand.

Sangye, I'm very glad you responded, I was waiting for you to, as you are better than anyone at sorting this stuff out, and have the personal experience and knowledge to back it up. I really want wolfewispr to get the help he needs, and soon.

[wolfewispr]

I'm also a white non-minority female without children. I also don't look sick. The only reason I didn't qualify for Medicaid at the time I applied was because I had too much money in my checking account because of having borrowed a few thousand dollars from a relative out of desperation. Another possible reason to be denied would be owning property, such as real estate, which is separate from your home and could be sold, or other assets beyond normal ones such as a decent running vehicle and household possessions; it's possible these assets are evaluated differently in different states, I really don't know...

I agree with you, Sangye, about political views not being a good reason not to get help... however, it sounded like he could not even afford any premium at all including the ones listed under Obamacare's pre-existing conditions coverage. But I thought that Obamacare had provisions for people who simply could not afford any insurance. If that provision amounts to Medicaid, then that's what he should be able to get, if he hasn't too many assets to qualify. One of the links you sent had a FAQ section which implied there was at least some kind of emergency help available for those who have no income but don't automatically qualify for Medicaid. It sounds to me like, from the reasons he's been given for not qualifying, there are very inept people, and like he says, very biased ones, staffing the Social Security offices in his location, and he needs to go higher up, over their heads, to get the truth of how it all works, and to correct the errors that are being made. i should think his doctor and lawyer could be a big help in doing this, and if they cannot, I really don't understand.

Sangye, I'm very glad you responded, I was waiting for you to, as you are better than anyone at sorting this stuff out, and have the personal experience and knowledge to back it up. I really want wolfewispr to get the help he needs, and soon.

I have no income..haven't had an income since i filed. i lost my home waiting for approval for disability. i have no other real estate. Personally i don't feel obamacare is right.... i have the right to feel that way. just like others have the right to accept it as ok.
Even if i didn't have wegeners i would die eventually anyway... in the end i want my children to be taught to stand up for what is right. If i become a hypocrite and accept obamacare knowing that it is wrong, then iam telling them it's ok to do the wrong thing and it's ok to give in and abandon your moral values.. I cannot in good conscience do that. I am a parent... I have a responsibility to leave my children with a good moral compass. if i fail at wegeners it is what it has to be...I refuse to fail at being a good parent. it's about what i leave behind for my children.

[annekat]

Forget Obamacare. We are talking about Medicaid, which you apparently have no moral objection to. If what you say is true regarding your lack of income and assets, you should qualify for it. If you are being told it has to do with not being a minority, you are being told wrong. I applied online and by phone for benefits and they never even saw me, nor do I remember ever being asked what race I am or whether I am a minority! If you look at the online web pages of Social Security regarding Medicaid, there is nothing on there about minorities qualifying over non-minorities. None of us can answer why your local caseworkers are telling you the wrong thing and wrongly denying you benefits! It sounds like there is corruption and wrongdoing in your local office, and the rules are not being followed, if what you say is true. It is your job and that of your doctor and lawyer to get this corrected. That is all I have to say about this.

[wolfewispr]

It's absolutely the truth. but being filed for disability iam not elligible now for medicaid anyway. according to the attorney until after the 2 year waiting period if i understand correctly. maybe i'll try filing online anyway see what happens. that would definately take the local aspect out of it. all three times i went to them locally. but if being filed for disability makes me ineligible then it's a waste of time. but i'll try. medicaid is what my taxes have paid for. of course it's not been available and for the reasons i described. I don't throw in the towel without finding out why. So being told i was not eligible due to my status you can bet I'm going to ask questions. The process to me i thought,.. should have been simple... i worked and paid taxes and a portion of those taxes were supposed to go to medicaid and disability if ever needed. So this whole process has been an eye opener. realizing that the taxes paid in obviously weren't going to be given back in benefits they were supposed to go for. It certainly frustrates the situation.

[annekat]

It's absolutely the truth. but being filed for disability iam not elligible now for medicaid anyway. according to the attorney until after the 2 year waiting period if i understand correctly. maybe i'll try filing online anyway see what happens. that would definately take the local aspect out of it. all three times i went to them locally. but if being filed for disability makes me ineligible then it's a waste of time. but i'll try. medicaid is what my taxes have paid for. of course it's not been available and for the reasons i described. I don't throw in the towel without finding out why. So being told i was not eligible due to my status you can bet I'm going to ask questions. The process to me i thought,.. should have been simple... i worked and paid taxes and a portion of those taxes were supposed to go to medicaid and disability if ever needed. So this whole process has been an eye opener. realizing that the taxes paid in obviously weren't going to be given back in benefits they were supposed to go for. It certainly frustrates the situation. A couple of corrections, as I understand it: You CAN apply for Medicaid and Disability at the same time (I did) and applying for one does not make you ineligible for the other. I think you are thinking of Medicare, not the same as Medicaid; true, you must wait 2 years after getting disability to get Medicare, unless you are 65 or over. (Retroactive benefits will shorten the waiting time.) Medicaid is available to people who have not paid taxes, SS Disability is not. True, since you have paid taxes you can feel more deserving of Medicaid than someone who has worked very little, but if they have the medical need and no income or assets, they can get it. Not so with Disability, you can only get it if you've paid into it, and you get it regardless of your assets. I'm not sure about Medicare in that respect, for senior citizens, whether they can get it without paying into it. I am no expert by any means. I assume your lawyer specializes in Social Security, Disability, Medicare, and Medicaid and knows all the distinctions between them.

Even if you apply online, which is an exhausting process, you will still have to have a conversation/interview with your locals in person or on the phone, under warning of penalty for perjury. Then they send you a transcript of what you said and you have a chance to call in and correct anything they got wrong. I did not find that part to work well, as they didn't return my calls. It all worked out in the end, though it took me a long time, being sick, to actually get the online part done. They processed me for Medicaid and Disability at the same time and then told me I had too many assets for Medicaid but that I qualified for Disability. And then they sent me a big packet of more questions to answer in writing, which I wasn't expecting. My benefits began retroactively to July 2010, so I got Medicare on July 1, 2012, even though I'd only been approved for Disability since Dec. 2011. It was a convoluted and sometimes annoying process, but I'm grateful, as I know that not everyone who applies or even everyone who has Wegener's is successful. Again, good luck.

[annekat]

Something I should have clarified: A person can get BOTH Medicaid and Disability/Medicare benefits. They may have paid into disability but still be in a financial hardship situation with no insurance and little or no income or assets. And their Disability benefit may be pretty small. So if they get both, it's not like they get twice the amount, but it's somehow averaged together and divided up between the two. I know someone who has both. I think the advantage there is that Medicare does cost money in premiums, copays, deductibles, etc., and Medicaid helps pick up some of that extra cost for low income people. Also, the Medicaid should kick in before the two years waiting for Medicare. So you should continue to pursue Medicaid even though your application for Disability is in. Having both might put you in a better position in the long run. Again, since I'm no expert, anyone can correct me, but I think that's how it was explained to me.

[wolfewispr]

[QUOTE=wolfewispr;61752]

Are you close to any center that may have a Wegs specialist? Go to this site and you may be able to find a doctor close to you. Here is the link: Vasculitis Foundation | The Vasculitis Foundation supports and empowers patients through education, awareness and research. (http://www.vasculitisfoundation.org/)

UPDATE!!!!!!

I got a letter yesterday telling me that I won my disability case!!! they aren't going to back date the medical...so it will be october of 2013 before i can get medicare or medicaid..(still don't know which is which) but at least i'll have an income to help pay for medical care til then. i can use the backpay to help maybe. I still don't know what medical cost will be. but finally...after waiting a year and two months for disability the disability judge came through.

My attorney went to the judge and presented my health issues and the immediate need for life saving medicine and the judge approved me without me having to go to court. SO finally some good news....I can't do it in real life....but in my mind i'm doing the happy dance!!!!

[BrianR]

[QUOTE=Lightwarrior;61754]

UPDATE!!!!!!

I got a letter yesterday telling me that I won my disability case!!! they aren't going to back date the medical...so it will be october of 2013 before i can get medicare or medicaid..(still don't know which is which) but at least i'll have an income to help pay for medical care til then. i can use the backpay to help maybe. I still don't know what medical cost will be. but finally...after waiting a year and two months for disability the disability judge came through.

My attorney went to the judge and presented my health issues and the immediate need for life saving medicine and the judge approved me without me having to go to court. SO finally some good news....I can't do it in real life....but in my mind i'm doing the happy dance!!!!

Great news! You need to get a good specialist on your case and get the proper treatment started immediately. You will improve quickly once proper treatment is administered but you cannot wait.

[wolfewispr]

[QUOTE=wolfewispr;61927]

Great news! You need to get a good specialist on your case and get the proper treatment started immediately. You will improve quickly once proper treatment is administered but you cannot wait.

Well i don't know what i'll be able to afford til i get on medicaid.. but i'm certainly going to do all i can!

[KathyB]

Outstanding!! It's really great hearing your upbeat comments! A positive attitude goes a long way! Congrats again!

KB

[annekat]

Seems to me the most important thing is getting some proper Wegs meds into your system. If you can just get a prescription for Cytoxan and Prednisone and Bactrim DS, and pay for them somehow, you'd be on the road to recovery. The generic cyclophosphamide is pretty expensive, but the other two aren't at all. Pred is the cheapest prescription drug I've ever heard of. Methotrexate is quite a bit cheaper than Cytoxan, but with your lung involvement, and any kidney involvement, they'd go with CTX, I think. RTX is way expensive and harder to get approved, but you never know. I would try to start the prednisone right away, if at all possible, since it is so cheap. Of course, I am not a doctor and have only known anything about any of this since April 2011.

Good luck!

[drz]

[QUOTE=BrianR;61928]

Well i don't know what i'll be able to afford til i get on medicaid.. but i'm certainly going to do all i can!

Congrats on the appeal. That should help you sort things out.

[beeinformed]

Hi!

I just wanted to say that the pharmaceutical companies who manufacture cytoxan, bactrim and prednisone (and other medication you might need) have a program for patients who have financial difficulty in paying for the medications. I would suggest you contact these companies to see what they can do for you as you can get 12 months of free medication from them. You might want to use the google search engine to look for example, the manufacturers of cytoxan and see if there a patient assistance program (there usually is) that is available.

I hope this info is helpful for you! :smile1:

[jimix]

Heinrich Hertz - the physicist who discovered the electromagnetic waves:


[A historic case of Wegener's granulomatosis: the physicist who dis... - PubMed - NCBI (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15940574)

[annekat]

Heinrich Hertz - the physicist who discovered the electromagnetic waves:


[A historic case of Wegener's granulomatosis: the physicist who dis... - PubMed - NCBI (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15940574) Very interesting, thanks for sharing. Makes me grateful for modern medicine, despite whatever shortcomings may have been discussed on here.

[greenjeep]

Harold Ramis? Vasculitis of some sort, but I never heard it called GPA.
Venus Williams has Sjogren's Syndrome.... Close.


Sent from my iPhone while driving on the freeway, eating salt, and drinking a 78oz soda.