@uncledrew Hi Tracy - sorry it took awhile to get back to you. We posted our questions over a year ago and you are the first to respond. It took a while to find the password and remember how all of this works.
To update you on our daughter's situation, during the summer of 2023 we switched neuro-immunologist, to have continuous medical help for our daughter while her first neuro-immunologist changed practices. The second neuro-immunologist and her team were able to work some pretty incredible magic and secure both her Rituxan and IVIG (Gammagard) through our daughter's insurance. While the Rituxan was bringing her some relief, the Gammagard has been life changing. She had her first loader doses the week of 9/11/23 and even before the five doses were complete we could already see improvement. The insurance continues to approve her medication in six month increments and currently she is approved through August 2024. We have retained both neuro-immunologists to continue to treat our daughter. The second one is now the lead, since she is working with the insurance company to continue the treatments. However, we saw the first neuro-immunologist a week ago and she felt that it might take as much as another year to see a complete recovery. Fingers-crossed the insurance company will continue to approve her treatments. Also to note, our daughter was having symptoms for many months before a proper diagnosis was made. Her health had greatly deteriorated. the diagnosis was made almost immediately when we secured an appointment with her first neuro-immunologist after a regular neurologist had said she needed more specialized care than he could provide. The correct diagnosis was made via a blood test performed at the Mayo. She has never actually been under the care of the Mayo clinic, both of her doctors are in the greater metro area where we reside.
Questions for you. How long did you have symptoms before receiving a diagnosis? Are you receiving a similar treatment plan to our daughter? Same medications or different?
We think it is worth noting here, even if the diagnosis isn't Ant-Dppx Autoimmune Encephalopathy, but a different autoimmune encephalopathy, many of the symptoms are similar, as are the treatments. We are very aware that insurance companies hide behind terms like "investigational" or "experimental", even though these are becoming very proven treatment plans. We hope you are not experiencing problems receiving treatment.
We look forward to hearing from you. You are the only person we have ever spoken to with this very rare diagnosis. Best Wishes.
Thank you so much for getting back to me. I will give you a little back ground. I passed out at home in 2021. Spent a month at Banner hospital, had a rough time, delusional, hallucinating, they released me with a diagnosis of hashimoto. It was a year before I was diagnosed from Mayo. I couldn’t walk, was in a wheelchair for about a year. I am under the care at Mayo, I live in Phoenix. I have had 6 months of steroid infusions, plasma transfers, and 2 years of Rituxan, 3 more years to go. My neurologist is starting me on a medication they give to people for MS. I will have to look it up and let you know what it is. I am so thankful I have connected with you, it’s been a long journey. I still have balance and gait issues as well as memory problems. I am 61 years old, how old is your daughter. I am very fortunate that I have my husband, my mom and dad, my son and daughter in law and grandchildren. My insurance has been very good so far. I would love to talk to your daughter if she is up to it. This disease has really changed the person I used to be,
Looking forward to hearing from you.