As an avid cyclist with Hemophilia A, Kenny has had his share of uphill struggles.
He counts on the protection* offered by his every-4-day ELOCTATE prophylaxis regimen to keep his body and joints protected from bleeds while he keeps on pedaling.
*ELOCTATE has been proven to help patients prevent bleeding episodes using a prophylaxis regimen.
See TranscriptWe know you’re passionate about riding, tell us about your other passion: your family?
I was put up for adoption as a newborn. My first adoptive family returned me to the orphanage when I was diagnosed with Hemophilia A. My second adoptive family was more accepting, so I grew up in a supportive, loving home. It's made me appreciate my own wife and kids that much more.
How did you hear about ELOCTATE?
I like to get involved and give back to the hemophilia community. I learned about ELOCTATE through my volunteering. Its extended protection from bleeds and joint bleeds seemed promising.
And how is the switch to ELOCTATE working out?
I worked with my doctor to come up with a prophy infusion schedule of every four days. The protection I'm getting gives me comfort to keep biking, hiking, and keeping active any way I can. This is just my experience.
Any words of wisdom?
I tell my kids: "Don't worry about what you can't control, worry about what you can control."
Note: Patient stories reflect the real-life experiences of persons diagnosed with hemophilia A who have been prescribed ELOCTATE. However, individual experiences may vary. Patient stories are not necessarily representative of what another person using ELOCTATE may experience. Talk to your healthcare provider about what's right for you. ELOCTATE Peers™ have been compensated for sharing their stories.
The recommended starting regimen is 50 IU/kg every 4 days as directed by your doctor. In children under 6 years of age, the recommended starting regimen is 50 IU/kg administered twice weekly. The regimen can be adjusted based on your body's individual response
Narrator:
ELOCTATE antihemophilic factor recombinant FC fusion protein. Please stay tuned for important safety information at the end of this video.
Kenny:
When you're on a long climb, you will hit a point that you want to give up — both body and mind. You have to set a goal for yourself just to keep pushing. I mean, and that goal can just be right foot, left foot — just to make sure that you're going to push through that resistance that you're getting. I was actually adopted to a family who found out I had hemophilia at six months old. And they couldn't handle the news. So, they actually took me back to the adoption agency and said that they wanted a more perfect child, I guess. I was then in foster homes until I was the age of four and a half. My current family adopted me. They've given me great care and it's perfect that I ended up with a family that could actually take care of me.
My name's Kenny and I have hemophilia A. I'm a fairly organized person. I get up around 5:40 in the morning, crawl out of the house, work out, come home, try to get the kids up, have a little breakfast, head to the office, and try to get home in time to help out with a little bit of cooking. We usually end the evening with the walk of our dog Ruby.I've had a right ankle fusion. I've had surgery on my left knee I think 12 times at this point — last two to have it replaced — and about two years ago I had to have my left ankle replaced. I want to stay active as long as I possibly can. I first heard about ELOCTATE from my treatment center. They had talked about a product that had a prolonged half-life, and a prolonged half-life is very appealing to me. We discussed a regimen and that we would expand that as needed. My current prophylaxis schedule is every four days. I've had no significant issues at all. This is my personal experience. Your personal experience may vary.
My transition has been seamless. The My ELOCTATE coordinators did all the leg work for me. I've switched insurance carriers three times since I've been on ELOCTATE, and they've taken care of all that. I really didn't have to lift a finger. With my hemophilia, my kids are such a positive for my life. I think it's been good for them to grow up around somebody that has some of the challenges that I have as a whole. I don't think they quite understand exactly how good they've been for me just to watch them grow. I became an ELOCTATE Peer because I wanted to give back. Growing up as a person with hemophilia you have such a support system and people with hemophilia are going to go through times in life where they're scared to tell people they have hemophilia. They're worried about aging. I've gone through those, and I want to talk to them and let them know that you can be active, and you can have a very full life. Hemophilia really should not slow you down.
Do I think about how life would have been different if I had been kept by the first family that adopted me? You know, I ended up with the family that I was supposed to be with. I ended up with the wife I was supposed to be with. They were brought into my life for a reason. I was probably brought into their life for a reason too. Don't worry about what you can't control. Worry about what you can control. You have control over a lot of different things. There's gonna be hills. You're going to be presented with challenges. Keep telling yourself to keep going. you tell yourself that you're almost there. It's that want to not give up. Regardless of whether you're going 1/2 mile an hour and you feel like you're going to fall off. You're going to pick up speed again.
ELOCTATE® [Antihemophilic Factor (Recombinant), Fc Fusion Protein] is an injectable medicine that is used to help control and prevent bleeding in people with Hemophilia A (congenital Factor VIII deficiency). Your healthcare provider may give you ELOCTATE when you have surgery.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION AND INDICATIONS
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IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Do not use ELOCTATE if you have had an allergic reaction to it in the past.
Tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any medical problems, take any medicines, including prescription and non-prescription medicines, supplements, or herbal medicines, have any allergies, are breastfeeding, are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, or have been told you have inhibitors (antibodies) to Factor VIII.
Allergic reactions may occur with ELOCTATE. Call your healthcare provider or get emergency treatment right away if you have any of the following symptoms: difficulty breathing, chest tightness, swelling of the face, rash, or hives.
Your body can also make antibodies called "inhibitors" against ELOCTATE, which may stop ELOCTATE from working properly.
Additional common side effects of ELOCTATE are headache, rash, joint pain, muscle pain and general discomfort.
If you have risk factors for developing abnormal blood clots in your body, such as an indwelling venous catheter, treatment with Factor VIII may increase this risk.
These are not all the possible side effects of ELOCTATE. Talk to your healthcare provider right away about any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away, or if bleeding is not controlled after using ELOCTATE.
INDICATIONS
ELOCTATE® [Antihemophilic Factor (Recombinant), Fc Fusion Protein] is an injectable medicine that is used to help control and prevent bleeding in people with Hemophilia A (congenital Factor VIII deficiency). Your healthcare provider may give you ELOCTATE when you have surgery.
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INDICATIONS
ELOCTATE® [Antihemophilic Factor (Recombinant), Fc Fusion Protein] is an injectable medicine that is used to help control and prevent bleeding in people with Hemophilia A (congenital Factor VIII deficiency). Your healthcare provider may give you ELOCTATE when you have surgery.