New treatment at BVRMC keeps MS patient on the move

The Reinert family during a visit to Disney World. A new treatment at BVRMC allows MS sufferer Angie to live a more active lifestyle with her family.

It was during a jog with her husband where he kept telling her to pick up her right foot that she realized something wasn't right. She had felt many strange symptoms individually over a six month time period - double vision, ear infection, tingling in her legs - but it wasn't until she listed them all in the same sentence that she realized something was happening to her body. Her family doctor ordered a spinal tap and MRI, which came back positive for multiple sclerosis.

Two years ago, even walking had become very difficult for the woman who had always led an active lifestyle, and a neurologist suggested she may need a cane. Angie said, "I'm too young for a cane. I'm not giving up!"

She had heard about a new treatment, TYSABRI, during a MS support group meeting. One member had found great success with improving mobility and reducing fatigue.

TYSABRI is a treatment for relapsing forms of MS. It has been proven to reduce MS flare-ups and slow physical disability progression. There are side effects, including a severe brain infection. Patients must be seen by a neurologist who then can refer a patient to an infusion center that is specially certified to administer the TYSABRI to the patient. The patient is closely monitored and questioned about their physical condition before their monthly infusion.

After weighing the risks and benefits, Angie contacted BVRMC to see if she could receive the treatment in Storm Lake as driving to Des Moines once a month would not be possible with all her commitments. BVRMC Pharmacist Jon McKenna and Oncology/Infusion Center Manager Robin Koster worked together to apply and meet the standards to administer the TYSABRI drug. The Storm Lake facility is one of only a few hospitals in Northwest Iowa to offer the cutting-edge treatment.

Angie knows the risks and feels the rewards are worth it. She carries a notebook with her so she can constantly write down symptoms and questions between appointments. "You really have to become your own advocate," Angie advises.

The treatment is also different than previous steroid treatments, which had made Angie feel severe energy boosts where she would find it difficult to sleep and was over stimulated at random times.

Angie was able to start treatments at BVRMC in October 2012 and her family noticed a difference in her walking about a month after her first treatment.

While Angie cannot run a 5K, the TYSABRI treatment helps her to stay involved in her kids' outings and not feel fatigued all the time.

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New treatment at BVRMC keeps MS patient on the move