That's great Chris! I hope you'll do well on Tysabri. It's working pretty good for me too!

She's ONLY a PRINCESS. I AM the QUEEN!

Thank you Wiz. Earlier this evening, I was reading some of your posts on the Tysabri thread. I'll be going to an MS Centre, so I anticipate a good experience. I'll let you know.

I am happy for you, Chris. I hope it does wonders for you..

You can always adopt..

Chris,

Glad to hear that you finally got good news!

I understand the feelings you are going through. I went through the whole deal when they took Tysabri off the market in February of 2005.

I was scheduled for my first infusion two weeks after they took it away. I went on Copaxone while I waited. Then when it was returned to market in 2006, my neuro had moved.

I had to find a new neuro, get insurance approval, MSAS wasn't up to snuff yet, people were confused as to what they had to do, it kept getting delayed and some poor girl called a month after I was approved to welcome me and I blew up on her and asked WTH was going on and why was she calling to welcome me instead of to tell me I was actually SCHEDULED???

The next day they called and gave me my date and time for infusion. I had another appt with my neuro and he asked me how I felt. I laughed and told him the David Bowie song "Grounds Control to Major Tom" was playing when I came in the waiting area and I thought that about summed it up. After all the waiting, the time I put into working for return to market, the waiting and then more waiting, I was terrified that something else would go wrong!!!

It did. The first infusion appointment, they mixed the Tysabri with the wrong infusion solution. They had to order another vial and I had to come back the next day. I had family members and friends with me for the infusion celebration and everyone left and I just sat there and cried. I'd just come off a steroid treatment for another flare and I was just DONE!

The next day went smoothly. It was the infusion center's first Tysabri experience too and they were more nervous than I was!! We are all much better now after what will be 16 infusions next week! May 25, 2007 to now and I have not had a single relapse!!!!

Good Luck! Let us know when you start and we'll be pulling for ya!

I can feel your excitement Chris, so I'm very pleased for you!

About the baby thing.....do they actually say no babies, not ever? Is there a possibility that they may change their minds later, and are you OK with that if they don't?

Sorry to be such a nosey Koala!

Hi Chris

Good luck with starting the Ty. If you've been reading the board then you've probably seen that I just started it. I had my first infusion on Monday. I can understand your ambivalence. I was very apprehensive before I had the infusion -- with the approval and waiting for a spot in the infusion room in the clinic it took a month. So I sat around feeling hesitant for the whole month. I had been on copaxone a few months ago and when I went off the drug I just felt so much better. So I was worried about going back on a drug again. I had no side effects from the Ty. as far as I can tell except maybe some fatigue. Then again, it has been almost 100 degrees every day here this week and so it could be the heat. I think it's really kicking my butt!

I will confess that I'm still slightly nervous about being on Ty, even after having that first infusion. I worry about these risks of melanoma etc. but what made me feel better was discovering tonight that there are risks for PML and other infections on many other immunosuppresant drugs. For example, I just found out that 17 people have gotten PML on the drug Cellcept. That drug is being prescribed off label for MS. It is being used in a drug study at my MS clinic too. So Ty. isn't looking so bad compared to Cellcept and others.

Come post on the Ty. board and join the Ty. club!

Natalie

Chris I am happy for you - great news!

Great news, Chris! I know several people here on this board have had a wonderful experience with Ty. I hope you do, too.

I can understand your ambivalence. I was going to begin Ty this spring, but it felt so good being off Copax, that I decided to just wait and see.

I hadn't realized they didn't want you to get pregnant once you had been on Ty. No wonder it's been such a difficult decision for you. Starfish is right -- we need to take care of ourselves first.

Best of luck to you, Chris!