My Medication Is Made From Lizard Spit!

As the nation awaits the outcome of health care "reform" legislation, I would add this to the discussion. As any reader of this blog for some time knows, I was diagnosed with diabetes earlier this year.

My body responded very well to the initial aggressive treatment and after only two months I am off of insulin and on other medications.

I take glucophage twice a day and an injection called Byetta. This medication is derived from a hormone found in the saliva of the gila monster. Yes, twice a day I am injecting myself with gila monster spit! (well, not exactly)

Apparently a hormone in the saliva was found to closely resemble a hormone in our bodies that helps stimulate the pancreas to produce insulin. Our own hormone has very poor stability outside of our body, whereas the lizard spit remains very stable. In addition, it has the added benefit of slowing down gastric emptying and actually causes weight loss in some patients (most other diabetic medications cause weight gain).

I walked around for a number of weeks imagining gila monster farms where handlers milk the spit in a manner similar to the collection of snake venom. I also was troubled by the thought of injecting saliva from one of the world's two poisonous lizards - one that's venom is in it's saliva! I mean, Holy Botox! No wonder it causes all those gastric side effects (some of which are NOT fun!). What I have since discovered is that the drug contains a synthetic version of the hormone so I will not be forced to find a "free range" version of Byetta. It's expensive enough as it is.

Which brings me to my next point. I have mentioned before that I have insurance coverage that is dangerously close to be considered a "Cadillac" health care plan by some in Washington. We do not have any drug coverage with our plan. We are required to see Tier 1 physicians, which are essentially our own docs, only. The hospital provides us with a drug benefit that is essentially we pay the first $5.00 and then a third of the remaining cost. My responsibility for the lizard spit? (drum roll please...) $88.00 a month...this on top of the cost of my other medications.

I'm not certain I will continue on this drug. I will see how my health progresses and decide. I am down about ten pounds - though based on what I am reading this is not due to the Byetta. It is more likely due to getting my sugars under control and some minor tweaking of my diet.

I saw a New York Times piece today that indicated the insurance companies are finally beginning to roll out the big guns to defeat reform--no surprise there, eh? If that link takes you to a page you can't access without being a NY Times registered user, I've also linked the page at Facebook "My Links." Peace.