Starting a new medication

So, yesterday I had my first appointment with my doctor since the allergic reaction nearly two months ago. It was good to see him, of course, and he started me on a medication that was recently approved to treat my condition.

I took the first pill last night, and it’s an extremely low dose. We have to start slowly, so it’s too early to tell, but I hope this will work. I’m not having a reaction yet, though, and hopefully I won’t this time.

I won’t say I’m not nervous because I am. After two bad reactions in a row, it’s a bit terrifying. However, I feel like the answer is out there somewhere. It has to be.

Years ago, my condition would have meant death. But now, we have medications that can treat it, medications that have saved so many lives. Telling people that they don’t need pills and to just eat well and exercise is unrealistic and cruel and irresponsible. Before I was diagnosed, I tried that and I nearly died. Pill-shaming is misguided. Of course, I still feel that shaming of any kind is wrong. But making fun of someone for taking care of their health is beyond stupid.

It’s a lottery, whether you end up with good genes and rarely get sick, or you end up being sick from day one. It’s not anyone’s fault if they get sick (unless you take no measures to prevent it). Some conditions are genetic in nature, and there isn’t anything I could have done. I’m not asking for sympathy, but only the right to live a life and be able to support myself when I can’t work. A system rigged to where you only get what you pay in is skewed in favor of the healthy. If you’re sick and can’t pay in, what are you supposed to do then?

Anyway, I hope this is the right path for me, but even if it is, I have other conditions that prevent me from working. I could end up homeless. I have nowhere to go if I can’t get help, and I’m only going to get $600 a month if I can even get on disability, so that’s obviously not enough. I stress about this every night and can’t sleep.

I’ll keep you updated though. Fingers crossed that a solution presents itself.