New Member, NEED HELP!!!

Okay so my name is Alan I'm new to all of this and I am really scared and worried right now and I really need some help. I have a lot to say so if anyone out there will care to read all of this and offer any advice/help that would be amazing.

I'm a 21 year old male college student who just got diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis 7-8 weeks ago. I had just started working a 40+hour a week job at a textile plant and started school full time the following week. I started having liquid diarrhea with blood and it started to be frequent to where I would be going to the bathroom maybe 6-10 times a day, no abdominal pain or physical pain that I noticed. I even had an accident at work that I managed to clean up without anyone noticing lol. I went from around 190-195lbs to about 170in the course of 4 weeks. Granted I was on my feet all day walking around so not all of that is from the colitis, I was defiantly getting exercise. But I lost my appetite, became really dehydrated and just felt miserable for about 4 weeks till I finally decided to go to the doctor. I was able to see a GI the next week and had a endoscopy done on 9/10/15. The results showed I had moderate colitis at least as far as the sigmoid colon but I guess that's as far as they could look until I get my colonoscopy in a few weeks. Long story short I've been on 60mg of prednisone since that day. it worked amazing at first and I started to taper 10mg a week 10 days after being diagnosed and then my symptoms started to come back, not as bad as before but I went back up on the prednisone. My symptoms still kept on for a few days and for the first time I started to feel bad pressure in my rectum like I never felt before. The doc gave me some Canasa suppository's and they really helped with the pressure and swelling. I was on 18 of those till last Monday night. Except the night before while still on the one a night Canasa I noticed the pressure in the rectum starting to come back and it eventually reached it's head two days ago. Earlier in the week I had my follow-up and started 6 400mg tablets of Delzicol so tomorrow will have been my first full week on it. Also been on one Anusol suppository a night since Thursday and am about to pick up a two week supply of Rowasa generic tonight to help the swelling go down. I haven't bled in weeks and have had periods where I feel almost 100% but this is like my second mini flare I've been in. Like I said no bleeding in weeks and the stool has looked pretty good with some muscas but today it was a little more broken up. I guess I'm starting to learn there are periods of ups and downs and when I get my colonoscopy in a few weeks I'll figure exacly what I'm dealing with.

Okay I know that was long but I thought I needed to post my symptoms so everyone has an idea of what I'm going through, I know others have had it way worse. But I'm really scared because I was a pretty poor college student without health insurance who was just starting to earn some money when this hit and I'm not sure how I am supposed to pay for these drugs. I'm doing the 10mg taiper off of prednisone a week and am going to be going down to 40 tomorrow. I cant stay on prednisone forever and need to get off of it and need to give the Delzicol time to kick in but at the same time until I get some insurance and the coverage kicks in on Jan 1st I don't know how I'm gonna pay for these drugs. I've been crying some lately cause I just don't know what to do. My parents only make around 28,000 a year and are trying to get out of debt themselves and without insurance for two months I'm not sure what I'm gonna do. Eventually they are gonna run out of free samples to give me at the hospital lol. I guess ill have to tough out the pain and finally get back to work, the pressure and swollenness in my rectum is what kills me when it acts up, again no bleeding and the stool doesn't go to diarrhea but the constancy isn't as good. But my legs get shaky and weak and hurts to walk around, I've sort of headed it off this time and hopefully the Rowasa generic I get tonight helps bring down the swollenness and ill be okay the next few weeks. I know there are up and down periods with this disease, but if it's something that constantly pops up like this I'm not sure what I'll do. But I'm scared about the future and just need some help and resources. Until insurance kicks in I'm lost...

Are you saying that your parents don't have insurance? Which means you cannot be added onto their policy due to your young age?

Why do you need to wait until Jan 1?

Depending on your meds you might find that some RX meds are less expensive ordered from Canada. Rowasa is not less expensive but Canasa is waaay less expensive and I've ordered them. Many of the oral pills are less expensive. You need a written RX from your doctor to email/fax to them. The Canadian pharmacies can be searched online for prices, not all charge the same.

This disease is hard to handle even with full insurance. We'll all try to help you get to Jan 1.

Some American pharmaceutical companies offer lower prices for uninsured or poorer people, like students. Search the "stickies" at the top of the UC forum.

My parents don't have insurance and neither do I, I know open enrollment starts November 1st but coverage doesn't start till Jan 1st, or at least that one I thought. My biggest problem I've having is the swelling in the rectum, every time I mention it to my doctor he doesn't seem too concerned but when it's swelling the pain is bad. It's not bleeding but just so swollen. I've been trying some Sitz baths but it doesn't reach up far enough into the rectum where the swelling is. Hopefully these enemas I just got help. I've never done an Enema but I never did a suppository those weren't bad to use. I got the Perrgo brand and everyone says their as good as Rowasa. I know the prednisone has been messing with me some but it's just been hard because some weeks have been really good and then it hits again. I know I have to wait till I reach complete remission but it's just been slow and frustrating. I appreciate the info though, I wasn't sure about the "stickies", that's a big help.

And would I need to tell him I'm ordering from Canada or could I just pick up the physical prescription and fax/email it to them? I'm not sure how long it take for some products to ship.


Yes I needed to get the physical RX script to scan/fax/email. I called and asked the nurse to mail them to me (I live an hour away or I would've gone in to pick up-be faster). I doubt they will ask why you want it.

My doctor has no problem with me ordering from Canada but does not discuss it either. Heck in the town where I see my GI there is a Canada RX storefront where people go in just to do that. The nurse asked if I wanted the RX sent there and I said no I was ordering direct.

It took 2-4 weeks to get the RX meds (Vancouver to So Florida) due to customs and US Mail, faster for re-order.