another medical update

I went to my out of town Rheumatology Dr this week--he is not happy with my progress and now wants me to get Remicade. It's an infusion. To simplify what the Dr told me, basically here goes: The white blood cells job is to fight infections. To fight infection they send out TNF info the body to fight the germs/infection. Well, when you have an auto-immune condition, the white blood cells can't tell the difference between my body and foreign matter(infection). So the body sends out way too much TNF and basically attack itself and that is what is causing my symptoms. He says those with MS have too much TNF in their brain. Those with Rheumtoid arthritis have too much TNF in their hands. Lupus is too much TNF all over the body. Crones is too much in the gut. Mine is in my breast.  The Remicade will collect all the extra TNF and get it out of my body.
I'll get the infusion every 6 weeks--basically indefinitely. He's hoping that because I have Sarcoidosis that it might go into a "remission" of sorts, but I get the feeling that the Remicade might be for a few years at the least. Hooray! :( I can't wait.

I know this is the right thing to do, I just feel like I need to make it ok in my heart first. The Dr says I will probably start in a couple weeks. They have to get pre approval from the insurance company first. It costs $30,000 a year to get remicade so the insurance companies want confirmation that this is the appropriate next step. Thankfully that's the Dr's office job, not mine. I will get the infusions here in town and will go back to see him in 6 months.