What will my Copaxone delivery look like?

Hi all,

A newbie here…

Diagnosed in February, 2 weeks before my 24th birthday, after 2 episodes (facial numbness/pain May 2012, followed by full right side paralysis February 2013). I took the bull by the horns to begin with, but the positive mental attitude is beginning to wear a little thin…I will find it again though, I know it is the only way I will be able to tackle this properly. I have a lot of support around me, despite splitting up with my boyfriend last month, but this disease isn’t half lonely is it! Forums (shift.ms and MS Trust facebook group) have really helped - I only found this one today whilst googling what my delivery may look like!

Anyway, my question being what will the copaxone delivery look like? Does anyone remember their first ever batch? I am presuming it may be quite large due to the first one having a sharps bin etc included? (Well I hope it does!). I am really nervous - it is arriving to my work place and although some people know about my MS, it is not something I have shouted about from the roof tops. I am nervous that a massive parcel is going to arrive for me in reception on Monday with big flashy lights and sirens attached; "THIS GIRL NEEDS MEDICINES, LOOK HERE, NEEDLES. WOOO’. You know, that sort of thing…

Anyone that can reassure me that this isn’t the case would be appreciated!

Thanks,

Shulla

dont beat yourself up Shulla

from what i can remember when i first recieved my stuff it was not a big package. the vans that deliver my copaxone are just plain chiller vans and people wont know what they are up to

Hi

Got my regular delivery yesterday at work, they have been delivering to my work for 10 years.

The van & driver are anonymous with no signage on them. You will need to sign for it.

It will be bigger with a sharps bin but the packaging is anonymous too.

You need to keep the medicine refridgerated if possible so my package is next to colleagues sarnies in the fridge. It doesn’t scream MS but is clear that it is medication from the sharps packaging. You could avoid using a fridge if you can keep them cool.

Please don’t worry to much.

A PMA is the way to go in my opinion and this will come back. Everyone is here for you.

take care

Neil

Hi Shulla, I got my 1st delivery in January and it arrived in two plain boxes, one small one which goes in the fridge and the other was a big box which had two sharps bins (one small one for holidays), a backpack and a small pouch. All this was in plain packaging so don’t worry about anything no one will know what it is unless you tell them. Good luck Claire

sorry don’t know why that post is all over the place

Hi Shulla,

From what I can remember my medication came separately from the sharps bin. If you are just expecting your pre filled syringes they come in a smallish box less than A4 size. That box is in a plastic sealed bag with your name and delivery address on it. It will say on it keep refridgerated but don’t worry about that at work if you don’t have a fridge just keep it cool in a drawer maybe until you get home.

If you mean the other stuff the company sends-this is what I got - a backpack rucksack, a zipped holder for the auto inject(abit like a pencil case) a pouch type insulated holder for the syringes,a large sharps bin,a travel sharps bin,2 small ice packs, a diary and an info booklet/cd-eveything can fit in the rucksack which is plain blue no writing on it so no one would know there was medical stuff in it.

Hope this helps I don’t think any one would know what it was for. Do you have a car at work cos maybe once you have signed for it you could put it in your car boot till you get home-providing we don’t get a heatwave which is abit unlikely at the mo.

Cathy

Don’t worry. If I remember rightly when I was on Copaxone all the sharps and\ nd meds were in like a light blueplastic package with no markings on. Just looks like a parcel delivery. The delivery people were very nice too.

Good luck with it.

Shazzie xxx

Hi Shulla,

Like everyone else has said, it’s all pretty straightforward and unassuming. I had my first delivery back in Feb to work and have had 2 more since. The first one was 2 boxes, a smaller box with the syringes in and a bigger box with the sharps bin, and all the other “stuff” (rucksack, info, gel packs, travel pack, travel sharps bin, diary etc). The syringes need to go in the fridge if possible, but can be kept out at room temperature for up to about 30 days I think, so don’t worry if you don’t want people to see the medication in the fridge.

Sarah

Thank you everyone - feeling much better about it now!

There should be some room in the fridge here, but if not I think the guy said it would come in a cool box/pack type thing anyway. That’s why I was worried about it being so large.

Seems like I should stop worrying and will be fine though…phew. And get excited about using my super stylish rucksack eh?

Now to tackle the learning how to inject part…eek!

Thanks for all the replies - there is nothing better than hearing it from the horses mouth xxx

Hi I had my first delivery in Feb the box it came in was a bit smaller than a crisp box but it wasn’t full up maybe that’s the only box they had at the time but it was just plain white with rucksack injector pen two sharpes bins small one for holidays and bigger one for home,diary, booklets and syringes filled with copaxone in a small box also wrapped in a white plain plastic bag this just needs to be put in the fridge the rest you can just leave packaged up until you get home, the van they come in is white so nothing to tell anyone what’s arriving, my neighbours are very nosey and keep trying to find out what’s arriving they even asked the driver if he was lost and they are still puzzled as they got no information, hope this helps Jane x

It sure does, Jane.

Thank you :slight_smile: xxx

Hi again just to say injecting dosent bother me to much but I let my kids who are 13 and 14 inject me or my husband I just find it easier as I then don’t have to worry about it and the kids think its great not sure if that’s because they can get their own back if I’ve told them off for something or if they feel that by injecting me they are playing their part in helping to keep me well Jane x

So…It arrived to work this morning.

I specifically asked Healthcare at Home how large the package would be, as I don’t drive to work so will need to carry it home for upwards of 30 minutes. ‘Easy to carry, not a problem’ the guy on the phone said…what a liar.

Two boxes; one is carryable, the other is huge, awkward and not suitable for the 35 minute walk home at all. It would be awkward on its own, let alone with the second box. They’d be piled over my head!

It’s so cumbersome sitting by my desk that 5 people have already asked me what it is. And my Dad is not free tonight to pick me up from work tonight. I will have to ask somebody from work if they could drive me home; not the end of the world but I would have planned with my Dad to get this all sorted if the Healthcare at Home had been honest about the size.

Just unnecessary stress on a day which was always going to bring the reality of being ‘sick’ home. Grrr!

I am tempted to open the packages and see if they can fit in the rucksack which a few of you have said is inside? But is says ‘insulated shipping service’ all over it, so I am worried about running the insulation properties by opening the boxes?

Shulla xxx

The only one that matters is the little package with the actual Copaxone in it. The awkward bit is the large sharps bin. You don’t have to take that home today - most of the stuff will go into the insulated rucksack, seee if you can borrow an ordinary plastic bag for the rest,
If you inject before work, use the small “travel” sharps bin. Then bring the big bin home next time.

I was asked by the Copaxone nurse if I had had a folding box (about A4 x 4 inches) in my kit (no, did not get one, so she gave me a spare that she had. It holds two pouches (this week and next week), small sharps bin, and diary. If you don’t get one, find something that size.

Remember - you can keep Copaxone at room temp for up to a month, but you must not put it back into the fridge. You need it at room/body temp before injecting, so you will have up to two weeks in the two pouches.

It’s Monday, so I must go and fill last week’s pouch.

Geoff

My wife does not want to know, my teen age sons are not interested, my 12 year old daughter was fascinated to watch me do one injection then that was it! I did say it was a good way to get back at me but they just said ‘we have other means’!

Been on Copaxone over a year now and it is just part of the evening routine (and gets me out of doing the dishes!)

My 10 year old just says “poor mom” whenever she sees me injecting but it doesn’t actually bother her.

OP, I’d say that most of the stuff in the big box is able to fit into the bag provided. The small box is most likely the meds.

The biggest bit will be the sharps bin which is quite bulky (and obvious - it’s a luminous yellow) so you might want a carrier bag for that but everything else should be fine to put into the rucksack.