June been bery bery busy to me. Can't even *tell* you how many times this month I've thought, "Oh, I gotta blog about that"! Then I don't get around to it and now I'm either sick of it myself or have forgotten why I thought it was worth a blog post to begin with.
The Atlanta Thrashers were sold to a mega-rich consortium of Canadians. Good for the team, bad for us fans because these rich a-holes want to actually have the team IN Canada, the bastards. It's all over the web, google it if you care, I finally stopped crying about it just a couple days ago.
Clarence Clemons, Bruce Springsteen's sax player and BFF for nearly 40 years passed away last weekend. It's all over the web, google it if you care, I'm still to weepy to even want to go there on my blog.
Novartis Pharmaceuticals flew me to Orlando for 2 days of training to become a speaker for Gilenya, their new-to-market MS pill. Made over 20 new friends that weekend and had a rollicking (read: exhausting) good time.
Hubby repainted our deck which means we're going to have to start hosting cookouts and shit. I love seeing our buds in a relaxed environment and all, but man there's a lot of prep (read: cleaning) to do around here first.
So this weekend I have one friend's surprise birthday party, visit to another friend in the hospital then visit a third friend who is currently undergoing radiation therapy for tongue cancer, which leaves him with enough energy to socialize for about two hours a week. Oh yeah, and attend a fundraiser for a local charity. Oh, and work for a few hours Saturday morning. Oh, and do some software upgrades to two electronic devices.
Ha! Let's see how I do...
Rich people are not the cause of a robust economy; rich people are the result of a robust economy. #RebuildTheDream via @TheCloris
June 24, 2011
June 04, 2011
Brave? Me? Not hardly!
So here's what level of Space Cadet I can be. The drug study I've been in for over two years now - and the original reason I began this blog - is OVER. I'm DONE. I've been RELEASED from the cage and returned back to the world of the uninsured.
Interesting things I learned during this include 1) study patients are treated with a whole different level of respect than the average patient, 2) others think you're brave for being a lab rat and 3) human trials are a significant time commitment. Oh. And 4) while I have no regrets I will never do another one.
Regarding lesson #2: You want to know Brave, talk to someone in a Phase One trial. Now that's Brave (notice the first letter capitalization). Phase One and early Phase Two is when they determine if the drug is gonna kill you fast. I was in Phase Three which for this particular drug was done in three iterations. I was in the third iteration of the third phase. At that point I think the pharmaceutical company was just killing time until the FDA would review their request for approval. Not every trial works the same, obviously. I'm just talking about mine which - in case you were wondering - is the first-to-market pill to treat multiple sclerosis - Gilenya. I'd put the trademark thingy after the name if I knew how in hell to do that but it is owned by Novartis.
Does it work? My opinion? OH HELL YES, I haven't had an MS flare-up since I've been on it and I don't have to be stuck with a needle to deliver it and the disease is pretty stable and I'm not dead, so yayfuckingrah.
Interesting things I learned during this include 1) study patients are treated with a whole different level of respect than the average patient, 2) others think you're brave for being a lab rat and 3) human trials are a significant time commitment. Oh. And 4) while I have no regrets I will never do another one.
Regarding lesson #2: You want to know Brave, talk to someone in a Phase One trial. Now that's Brave (notice the first letter capitalization). Phase One and early Phase Two is when they determine if the drug is gonna kill you fast. I was in Phase Three which for this particular drug was done in three iterations. I was in the third iteration of the third phase. At that point I think the pharmaceutical company was just killing time until the FDA would review their request for approval. Not every trial works the same, obviously. I'm just talking about mine which - in case you were wondering - is the first-to-market pill to treat multiple sclerosis - Gilenya. I'd put the trademark thingy after the name if I knew how in hell to do that but it is owned by Novartis.
Does it work? My opinion? OH HELL YES, I haven't had an MS flare-up since I've been on it and I don't have to be stuck with a needle to deliver it and the disease is pretty stable and I'm not dead, so yayfuckingrah.
CAN I GET AN AMEN?!
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