Joe!

20 milligrams is a lot of prednisone. I am taking 5 every other day to help with my RA symptoms,but that was cut back from every day. Do not just go off prednisone on your own. Your body will not be able to deal with the loss! The long term side effects are serious and the drug should not be prescribed long term or in big doses unless there is no other choice, as in some cancers or leukemia.

When my asthma is bad, the physician gives me a shot of steroids and the prescription.  I don't know the dose, but it's a dose pack that starts with about eight in one day and every day less until there are no more.  I feel good in many ways while taking it, but it's a last resort fix when it's a choice between breathe or not.  When the pack is gone, my airways are clear for several months.

I know the side effects are terrible, but so is not breathing.

I hear that!  There are times when the side effects are less harmful than the condition. It ts so important to be able to trust your drs.

Abe, isn't your brother on medicare?  That's different than Obamacare.  Medicare does have provisions for assistance with medications - but the choices are too many and often confusing.  My mom refuses to go through the effort and pays an awful price for her prescriptions instead.  She has one prescription that is $100/month that she takes less of just to keep the price down - which I am afraid many seniors do.

The complexity of the universal medical care in the U.S. is bad enough for someone accustomed to electronics and multiple choices and comparisons.  There are people however that are supposed to help.  AARP may be able to refer your brother to some assistance too.  Many communities have an AARP chapter.

In the last year, I've had three primary doctors leave my plan.  Presently, I need a script and the third just left and I need to seek a replacement.  I think they are leaving because I live in such a rich area many physicians don't even take medical insurance.  People with excessive wealth just pay for what they need without consideration of the costs.  The wealthy here are not your run of the mill wealthy.

One of the hospitals looks like a hotel.  The rooms are all singe occupancy and equipped like a hotel room except for the fancy bed and the accessible bathroom.  The nurse stations look like concierge desks.  And that's for the ordinary patient.  I can imagine the rooms for those with wealth.

When my ex had back surgery a while ago, he had a suite with a sitting room for his guests, and a gourmet menu to choose from. The ACA had to forego curing such wrongs to get passed at all.  The changes needed will be a while getting fixed, I'm afraid. Such changes cannot be made overnight. My thi king lately is that the six year insistence that we push for extreme change has done more harm than good. We have to accept reality and look for a more central solution if we are going to get anywhere.   Extreme lert positions are not helpful right now. I have an Amazon prime video of An Inconvenient Truth, and I see it in a different light today. We have to deal with current reality. The Clinton's have a better grasp on that than the extreme left.  Not all conservative thinking is evil.

Just me.

3/15

                  He gave me the drug for my COPD , I use prevacid once a day, I only took it once,
so it didn't really take effect. I have to ask him what kind of inhaler I need I don't like the 
powders I've had those, gets in my throat...My hospital I heard is turning all patients rooms
into private rooms ! I wonder why ? More money ? Ummmmmm

                                                                Cheers..Joe

3/28

                     I finally heard from my Dr.'s nurse yesterday, she told me they put in a 
     refferal for a Pumologist for me and made an appointment for May then they also
     put in for the nuclear shot test for my upper aarteries, veins and valves, I have to
     wait till she calls me with the appointment, we shall see and this all shall pass...


                                                        Cheers........Joe

I will pray about you Joe.

3/28

                   Alice..

                                    " Thank You !."

                                       Love Joe

Take care, Joe!

3/29

                    Now if I can only get Shelagh as my nurse, oh boy I would get
                    well faster.....It'll all turn out okay....

                                                                  Cheers...Joe