Lanreotide injection #2

Here's a shot of the Lanreotide shots.
Kind of intimidating that needle!

Anyway, it's sharp. Take a deep breath and slide away!
It burns a bit when pushing the plunger, but no big deal.

Another shot in December and then we'll see what my blood looks like.

Lanreotide

So I have begun taking Lanreotide injections.

My first shot was October 11th and I felt the results immediately. My forehead felt thinner, much like it did immediately after surgery. Not that it was noticeably bad before, but I did notice a slight change. This stuff works.

Problem?

It's like $1200.00 per shot.

My insurance pays most of it so it only cost me $250.00. I recently got married so I will probably be fully covered with my wife's policy. Nevertheless, $1200.00 is enoromous for a regular person to be able to afford. Some solutions are in order, but this isn't the blog to get into that. I'm just thankful I have this available to me and I'll let you readers know how it goes.

I took a quick overview from the nurse who gave me my first shot. Next time I'll do it myself and walk you through it. Then we'll do a blood test and see where I'm at in December.

Happy Halloween!

End of Summer Follow Up - Injection it is.

Had my meeting with my Endo-Doc and she relayed the numbers to me.

My Calgary lab said I was running an IGF-1 at 486 with a reference range of 115-307
The Mayo Clinic lab sent back a different reading of 286 with a reference range of 71-241

What does this mean?

Well, the Calgary labs are trending everyone upwards. My results have been with the lab for the past few years, so even with a lab problem I still don't like the rising numbers. The fear is that the trace amounts of Growth Hormone cells left over from the surgery are multiplying and dividing and causing my hormone levels to steadily increase.

However...

The Mayo Clinic number and reference range are roughly the same as where I was before the problem with the Calgary labs started. My IGF-1 level is basically normal for someone ten years younger than my 35 years.

I thought long ago that if the numbers were roughly correct, I'd just live with it. Due to the recent uncertainty, however, my Doc wants me to start a drug called Sandostatin. This drug is given once a month via IM injection in the butt cheek.

It costs $1500 bucks per shot, but my insurance will cover most of it, costing me about $300 out of pocket.

I'm going to do it for three months and then we'll take another IGF-1 reading and send it to the Mayo clinic. If the numbers come back way lower and the drug doesn't have any side effects, then we'll know it works and it will be an option in the future.

So...I thought this blog would be a dead reference, but I will be continuing it after all. Watch with wonder as I get my first injection! We'll see what the numbers come back at. More updates and decisions to follow.

Slow and Steady

Hi Everyone!

Well it's been 5 months since the new year began and I thought I'd pop out another post even though there isn't a lot to report.

I did some more blood work and my IGF-1 level came back as 389.

Not what I wanted to hear.

My Doctor wants me to do it again though, because she said that ALL her patients are coming back with higher numbers than normal, so she wants an 'outside the province' lab to investigate. Thus, I'm having my blood sent to the Mayo clinic in order to get a better reading.

I go in for another blood test end of June.

I'll keep updating though!

Have a great June!