A CARE PARTNER’S ROLE IN THE TREATMENT DECISION

By Corey, Husband, RMS Care Partner

Hi, I’m Corey. In order to properly talk about my role in my wife Rachel’s treatment decision, you’ll need to have a better understanding of who she is.

I believe everyone who meets Rachel automatically realizes the obvious—she is stunningly beautiful, extremely vibrant, astoundingly intelligent, and bounding with joy. She is a lover of life, incredibly positive, and overly generous, sometimes to a fault.

However, what many do not get to see is what really sets her apart—her determination, drive, and strength. Rachel is relentless and undeterred by failure. When she sets her mind on something, she is an unwavering force for good to help strengthen others. Even though as her husband I’m a foot taller than she is, I always look up to her (please don’t tell her I said this).

Before learning about LEMTRADA, Rachel and I had been through a lot of different relapsing MS treatments, and we kept getting frustrated by the lack of results. I was beginning to have serious doubts that her doctors were able to prescribe a treatment that could help her.

But then Rachel started researching LEMTRADA, which is generally prescribed for people who have taken 2 or more medicines for MS because of the risks associated with it. When she first told me, I was completely against it. My initial reaction was to hold and protect her the best I could, and not subject her to the uncertainty of another treatment. I refused to even listen. “Nope, not happening” I said. But, by the time I finished my rant, I saw that look in her eyes. I wouldn’t say Rachel is stubborn, but I know when her mind is made up. And she usually has a good reason to back it up. So, I shut my mouth and listened.

Rachel had done the research. She already had a long conversation with her neurologist and she laid it all out in front of me, explaining how LEMTRADA was believed to work for relapsing MS. Actually, I was really impressed, not only by the amount of research she did, but also by her excitement and hope.

I was done - I melted like molasses. How could I not? HOPE! That changes everything, right? So I caved, even though I was still hesitant. The disappointment from all the previous treatments was still evident on my wife's body, and on my soul. But with Rachel's convincing, I was able to allow myself to have hope, too.

All during Rachel’s treatment, I was a bit scared and somewhat skeptical. However, in the time since her last infusion, I feel much more optimistic, because she’s seen results.

In my opinion, starting LEMTRADA was the best decision for us. Rachel hasn’t had a relapse after taking LEMTRADA. Of course, we are always aware of the serious side effects associated with LEMTRADA, including autoimmune problems. But the monitoring program has helped us look out for that.

So, when asked what my role was in Rachel’s LEMTRADA treatment decision, the answer is, I believed in her.