Acknowledging the Changing Seasons of Health

This summer was a lovely one. My days were filled with friendship, travel, gardening, and delicious cuisine. I had enough work to keep busy, but wasn’t overloaded. We even brought home a new puppy — a gorgeous, white German shepherd that is smart and loyal. I had so many good…

A positive anti-proteinase 3 (PR3) ANCA test, lower serum creatinine levels, and cardiovascular involvement at diagnosis appear to raise the risk of relapse in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a review study reports. When combined, these factors may predict an individual’s risk of relapse within five years after diagnosis,…

Treatment with tofacitinib is well tolerated and effectively induces remission in people with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), while enabling patients to lower their glucocorticoid doses, a small pilot study suggests. These results indicate that tofacitinib may represent a treatment option for active AAV. However, a larger and randomized controlled trial is needed…

I’ve learned countless new words since my diagnosis — phlebotomy, stenosis, biomarker, etiology, hemoptysis, to name a few. There are long strings of syllables for medications and treatment options. And various types of doctors with “-ologist” at the end of their title. Even the name of my disease is a…

A newly launched non-profit institute is seeking to advance research, and the development of new therapies, for people with rare diseases — a patient community with some of the largest therapeutic needs, but one that is often left behind. Named the Institute for Life Changing Medicines, the project was…

Participation in clinical trials exposes rare disease patients to financial, physical, and emotional pressures, according to the results of a patient focus group series. “Rare disease trial participants are running an endurance race they are highly motivated to complete, but these incremental burdens negatively impact their ability or willingness to…

A lower, 100 mg dose of Nucala (mepolizumab) is equally effective at treating eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) as the standard 300 mg dose, and leads to less frequent adverse events, or AEs, a large European study showed. These findings suggest that a lower monthly dose of Nucala…

Today, I woke up hurting. While it wasn’t the pain that someone with fibromyalgia or rheumatoid arthritis might suffer, it caused enough discomfort that I couldn’t ignore it. A dull ache had settled in, from my neck to my knees, making it difficult to get out of bed. The previous…

A first course of rituximab is sufficient to trigger the development of anti-rituximab antibodies in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) but not in those with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a study found. The researchers had thought that rituximab might have similar effects in patients with SLE and AAV…

I’m so tired. That thought threatens to dominate my mindset. It affects everything, including my outlook, motivation, and productivity. Later in the day, it might even tip my appetite levels out of balance. I just want to rest. I close my eyes again, but my brain is already scrolling through…