By Sydney Kodatsky | Thursday, April 29, 2021 - 7:49am
If you missed the Canadian TTP Community meeting on April 28, it is not too late to help. Complete the 2 action items detailed below. The time is now. Your access depends on you.
Answering TTP Foundation hosted a successful empowering session on April 28 to engage the Canadian TTP community in the province-by-province (territory-by-territory) challenge to gain access to caplacizumab in Canada. The entire Canadian TTP Community and their friends, family, co-workers are needed to act now.
1. TODAY Participate and Share Our Letter Writing Campaign.
Write your provincial Health Minister and local elected provincial representative (MPP or MLA) with a few mouse clicks or phone taps. Click here now.
Share the link with your network – family, friends, co-workers, neighbours. You are the tip of the iceberg in the success of this movement.
2. Discuss the use of caplacizumab with your physician
The very nature of TTP is that it is a true medical emergency. Patients may be admitted to hospital unable to discuss care with their physician due to the severity of disease. The time to talk through treatment scenarios with your TTP treatment team is now.
It may seem intimidating to ask your doctor about caplacizumab. How do you start the conversation? How do you know that they will listen?
Your approach to the discussion at your next appointment, whether it be in the office, or more likely these days over the phone or video call, is important. Follow-up appointments are for checking in and asking questions. Physicians expect questions from their patients, and should be open to discussing treatment scenarios.
Talk through scenarios and be sure to ask “What is the plan for my care if standard therapies aren’t working?” This is when the topic of caplacizumab should come up. If your physician doesn’t mention caplacizumab, you should mention it.
To help you prepare for the conversation, please review the handout here. Note: the handout is not intended to be handed to your physician. It is better that you seed the discussion.
