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Hi..so I am waiting now to see how I can afford stelara because I'm on Medicare. I'm having my doubts that I will qualify for assistance so after 33 yrs as a j pouch gal I'm thinking let's just get the ileostomy & start feeling better again. My rectal & anal pain is unbearable.  Now using difenpine ointment 3 x a day which spikes headaches & my cramping & pouchitis is out of control. Ulcers in j pouch won't go away. I'm cipro resistance now..doesn't seem to work. Entyvio after 2 yrs stopped working so that's why dr thinks stelara. Stage 1b ductual carcinoma breast cancer too so being on more biologics scare me. Plus..it just seems like I'm full of toxic meds! I really wish I knew what to do. My bottom pain is so severe I feel like I could pass out while having a bowel movement. Just so extremely exhausted. Sorry just needed to talk. My family have been great. They want the best for me..but I don't show it to them but I'm petrified that the surgery is a tough one that something could go wrong. 13 abdominal surgeries scar tissue galore! I'm sure surgeon will have to remove alot. I'm 62 yrs young!! I'm tough..but scared.

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Hi,

you should be approved for Stelara, I have Medicare and was recently approved for the infusion. I got my infusion through the NYU IBD clinic, they were ones that worked with Medicare to get me approved.
I’ve had my pouch for 41yrs, I’ve worked too hard to ever go back to an illeostomty.

Good luck, hope you get approved and start feeling better

Hi..by any chance is medicare covering the 8 week injections? I was told by medicare that the infusion is medical so it will be covered by after that, stelara injections are considered pharmaceutical drug & and my copay foreach injection would be $4500.00. There is no way I would ever be able to pay every 8 weeks that copay.

I, too, have worked and did so much to keep my j pouch...but not sure how much more fight I have. Thank you for your reply & pray the stelara treatments keep you & your j pouch healthy.

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