Top 20 Patient Profiles

Over the past 20 years, IG Living magazine has featured 120 individuals' stories in our Let's Talk column. While we think all of these profiles deserve to be highlighted, we have selected one from each year to help mark our 20th anniversary. The links to the profiles on the IG Living website are provided so you can read the ones that intrigue you the most; maybe that will be all of them!…  full article (pdf)

Chronic Illness Lifestyle: Creating Routines That Support Your Health

If you have been diagnosed with a chronic illness, you are likely well aware that healthy habits are an important part of your disease management plan. You may take prescription medication or receive a specialty therapeutic to address your condition, but your body needs more than medicines to help you be as healthy as you can be. Nutritious food, movement, sleep and social support, for example, all contribute to a healthier you. In fact, clinicians recommend incorporating healthy routines into your daily life to support better health overall because they can help you manage your condition and prevent further complications. "As clinicians, we want you to find ways to make routines that support better health," said Cheryl Beutell, APRN, a psychiatric nurse practitioner at Northwestern Medicine. "Having a routine is how you build habits. When we practice good habits, that can help us maintain positive relationships, good hygiene and our best health."…  full article (pdf)

From Fatigue to Focus: Practical Tips for Living Well with Chronic Immune Conditions

It can be exhausting just trying to keep up with chronic immune globulin (IG) disorders. Between doctor visits, treatments and managing daily symptoms, it's easy to feel like your health is running the show. The truth is, you're doing way more than most people realize, and that's something to be proud of! But managing it all is still a lot of work. Here are some practical tips for making it a little bit easier… full article (pdf)

Pharmacy Benefit vs. Medical Benefit: What’s the Difference?

If you've ever looked at your itemized hospital bill and wondered why a medication prescribed in the hospital costs so much more there than a similar medication purchased at your pharmacy, you're not alone. To make matters even more confusing for patients, medication costs can even differ greatly if patients receive them in a hospital outpatient setting instead of a physician's office or at home. For patients with health insurance with high deductibles or high out-of-pocket maximums, such differences in cost can have a huge impact on the family budget… full article (pdf)

Treating Autoimmune Cytopenias in PI Patients

Autoimmune Cytopenias (AICs) are among the most frequent autoimmune complications observed in individuals with primary immune deficiency (PI). They represent a paradox in which an immune system is both underactive in fighting infections and overactive against the body's own cells. In AICs, the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy blood cells, platelets, red blood cells or neutrophils, resulting in conditions such as immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA), autoimmune neutropenia (AIN) or a combination such as Evans syndrome… full article (pdf)