Sally, it seems to add up to bad luck, a bad Biogen Rep and a Clinical Liaison who doesn't return phone calls. When I called Biogen the other day and spoke to a case manager, Tara, she told me that my file had been flagged to be expedited as soon as possible. She also said that my neuro's office had been calling on a regular basis. Everything had been documented in my file....but, for some reason nothing was progressing.

She left an urgent e-mail and voice message for the Clinical Liaison, Erin, who is the only one who knows who has received the lab kits and when they were sent out. Tara called me back later that day. She finally reached the Clinical Liaison....who had neglected to call my neuro....and found out what was holding up the entire process. My neuro had completed the Web Ex Training as soon as she originally filled out the packet of forms and sent them back to Biogen. Unfortunately, the packet didn't contain the confidentiality clause and the Biogen Rep and the Clinical Liaison never informed my neuro that it was missing. When I called Biogen 6 weeks ago they sent out a Supervisor who had my neuro sign the confidentiality clause and fax it to Biogen. The Biogen Rep was still not returning my neuro's calls and Biogen has done nothing about it

Apparently the Web Ex Training must be done after ALL of the forms are signed. My neuro did the training before signing the confidentiality clause and no one bothered to tell her that although it is on record that she did the training it doesn't count and she needs to do the Web Ex Training again before the Clinical Liaison will send out the lab kits. I called my neuro and informed her that she need to redo the Web Ex Training.

Now we need to wait and see. I don't know if the Clinical Liaison is too busy or just doesn't want to be bothered but she has never informed anyone...including my neuro...why the lab kits have not be sent out. We...my neuro and I ....have no way of knowing when the Clinical Liaison will go through my neuro's info again. I've been told it may take a month. Once that is done it is up to the Clinical Liaison to send out the lab kits for the blood draw. My neuro has several patients on Ty and her office has called Biogen repeatedly not only for me...because I'm constantly bugging them...but, also for her other patients.

Sally, I have no idea how long this will take now that everything has finally been done in the order Biogen expects it to be done. Biogen and the people working for it has repeatedly dropped the ball. There is a limit to what my neuro and I can do It's very frustrating for my neuro and for me because most of our questions and phone calls to Biogen go unanswered. We were fortunate this time because the case manager, Tara, stayed on top of everything and did not give up until she had spoken to the Clinical Liaison and had an answer for me. When I called Biogen 6 weeks ago everyone I spoke to....the case manager, the supervisor and the team leader....told me they would call me back to check on whether or not there had been any progress. No one ever called. If Tara, the case manager I spoke to the other day, had not kept her promise to find out what was delaying the process we would still be in the dark.

As I've said before.....I love Ty but I hate Biogen

My 38th infusion was yesterday. I've had the "normal" side effects that I have with each infusion. I had a new infusion nurse. She's young but good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They've trained her well and she had no difficulty hitting the vein on the first try She asked me if I needed to have blood drawn and did the medical assistant give me any vials. That is a major improvement because I normally need to beg for a blood draw. I had one last month so it wasn't necessary this month.

I'll keep you posted on my long and drawn out saga with Biogen. Perhaps things will begin to improve now that everything has been done the way Biogen wants it done.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. Thank you for listening to me vent!!!!!!!!!!!!

hugs,
Shayna