Will I Ever Be Able to Work Again? -- Multiple Sclerosis

2/18/2014

After the mono episode in September my journey has taken a better course, I’ve changed my diet and my outlook has brightened. I was gone from work for about four months, September through January, the longest time in my life that I wasn’t working. Over that time I got my body back into shape and really started the assault on my MS. My goal was to get back to work and continue on with my life.

Being in the education business, more specifically the special education business I had to make sure that my energy level was going to sustain me throughout what is generally a strenuous day. I didn’t want to go back to work unless I could do a great job, there’s no such thing as an easy day and I had to be sure I could do it.

The last few weeks before I returned to work I really hit the exercise bike hard doing 30 minutes a day to regain some stamina and strength in my legs. Yoga was also a big key for me; now that I’m back to work I’m really missing my adaptive yoga courses. Yoga helped with my mind body balance and I try to implement controlled breathing throughout my day, “relax your shoulders and breath in deep.”

Now that I’m back to work I’ve been doing great, I pack a huge lunch with a few pieces of fruit and a massive salad each day. It hasn’t been easy by any means, and I’m tested nearly every day, being one of the only male teachers in my school I get a cupcake almost every day! I work on stretching whenever I get a chance and drinking water while I snack on some veggies.

It’s been a long hard struggle to get back to where I am but I’m feeling great about myself and I’m looking forward to continued recovery.

Be a Warrior Today,

Donn

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Important Safety Information

Before beginning treatment, you should discuss the potential benefits and risks associated with Rebif with your healthcare provider.

Rebif can cause serious side effects. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the symptoms listed below while taking Rebif.

Behavioral health problems, including depression and suicidal thoughts. You may have mood problems including depression (feeling hopeless or feeling bad about yourself), and thoughts of hurting yourself or suicide
Liver problems or worsening of liver problems, including liver failure. Symptoms may include nausea, loss of appetite, tiredness, dark colored urine and pale stools, yellowing of your skin or the white part of your eye, bleeding more easily than normal, confusion, and sleepiness. During your treatment with Rebif you will need to see your healthcare provider regularly and have regular blood tests to check for side effects
Serious allergic and skin reactions. Symptoms may include itching, swelling of your face, eyes, lips, tongue or throat, trouble breathing, anxiousness, feeling faint, skin rash, hives, sores in your mouth, or skin blisters and peels
Injection site problems. Symptoms at the injection site may include redness, pain, swelling, color changes (blue or black), and drainage of fluid
Blood problems. Rebif can affect your bone marrow and cause low red and white blood cell and platelet counts. In some people, these blood cell counts may fall to dangerously low levels. If your blood cell counts become very low, you can get infections and problems with bleeding and bruising. Your healthcare provider may ask you to have regular blood tests to check for blood problems
Seizures. Some people have had seizures while taking Rebif

Rebif will not cure your MS but may decrease the number of flare-ups of the disease and slow the occurrence of some of the physical disability that is common in people with MS.

Do not take Rebif if you are allergic to interferon beta, human albumin, or any of the ingredients in Rebif.

Before you take Rebif, tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any of the following conditions:

mental illness, including depression and suicidal behavior
liver problems, bleeding problems or blood clots, low blood cell counts, seizures (epilepsy), or thyroid problems
you drink alcohol
you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if Rebif will harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant during your treatment with Rebif
you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Rebif passes into your breast milk. You and your healthcare provider should decide if you will use Rebif or breastfeed. You should not do both

Tell your healthcare provider about all medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements.

The most common side effects of Rebif include:

flu-like symptoms. You may have flu-like symptoms when you first start taking Rebif. You may be able to manage these flu-like symptoms by taking over-the-counter pain and fever reducers. For many people, these symptoms lessen or go away over time. Symptoms may include muscle aches, fever, tiredness, and chills
stomach pain
change in liver blood tests

Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

These are not all the possible side effects of Rebif. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Indication

Rebif is used to treat relapsing forms of MS to decrease the frequency of relapses and delay the occurrence of some of the physical disability that is common in people with MS.

US-INF-0814-0017A
RBU680907-01

Will I Ever Be Able to Work Again? -- Multiple Sclerosis

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