A lot of people find comics like these to be disgusting representations of our medical community and big pharm. They use these to prove how "backwards" we are when it comes to health and treatments. They blame the government, doctors, pharmaceutical companies and the like for the high prices of medications without really knowing the billions of dollars that go into creating them.
Oddly, as sad as it is, this illustration represents my life with a chronic disease. Without medications like Humira, Prednisone, etc., I wouldn't be here today. Yes, they are expensive, hell my shots cost $5,000 a month (thank God for insurance, I pay $5), but they are keeping me ALIVE and for that, I am grateful.
Oddly, as sad as it is, this illustration represents my life with a chronic disease. Without medications like Humira, Prednisone, etc., I wouldn't be here today. Yes, they are expensive, hell my shots cost $5,000 a month (thank God for insurance, I pay $5), but they are keeping me ALIVE and for that, I am grateful.
However, with this, I remember my experiences with my medications, most notably, Humira. Most people with severe IBD have been on Humira or its infusion counterpart Remicade at some point in their life, if not for the rest of their life. I was put on Humira last April and was prescribed to utilize it every week, since I was in such a bad state. I was so excited to begin the "Starter Pack" because in my mind this little needle is going to save my life. What I didn't expect was when I did the first of the four shots (first dose is 4 injections), that it would hurt like hell! No one warned me! No one said this will feel like flesh eating acid is being injected into your body! No one said anything...assholes. That was a traumatic day, have to do all 4 after knowing how much it hurts.
I have been on it for almost a year now and have tried all the tricks in the book, ice your leg first, try your stomach, let the pen warm up to room temperature. However, let me tell you, it still hurts like hell. But you know that good pain, that pain you get the day after a good leg day at the gym where you walk like a penguin, its almost a good pain, almost. Partly because I know it is saving my life, the other part is because I know I am a badass who can take it.
We are all a badass in our own right, but those with chronic illnesses do it differently. They do it by finding strength in the worst of times, by injecting themselves with the most painful of needles, by living life in pain but still plugging along, by making the best out of the shit end of the stick they were given.
We are a special kind of badass, literally & figuratively.
Love & Thanks,
Alyssa Alda
xoxox
I have been on it for almost a year now and have tried all the tricks in the book, ice your leg first, try your stomach, let the pen warm up to room temperature. However, let me tell you, it still hurts like hell. But you know that good pain, that pain you get the day after a good leg day at the gym where you walk like a penguin, its almost a good pain, almost. Partly because I know it is saving my life, the other part is because I know I am a badass who can take it.
We are all a badass in our own right, but those with chronic illnesses do it differently. They do it by finding strength in the worst of times, by injecting themselves with the most painful of needles, by living life in pain but still plugging along, by making the best out of the shit end of the stick they were given.
We are a special kind of badass, literally & figuratively.
Love & Thanks,
Alyssa Alda
xoxox
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