Meet Rebecca at four years post-transplant and learn from her gracious outlook (Ep. 90)

HSCT Warriors

Warrior: Rebecca Katonica AI: Multiple Sclerosis HSCT: November 2018 Superpower: Grace Do you try to explain away that which might be serious? When was the last time you took a leap of faith? After an explosive headache behind her eyes, Rebecca found herself at the eye doctor who ordered an MRI that evidenced lesions and diagnosed her with multiple sclerosis. Insistent that she could still participate in a social event while wearing an eye patch, she began steroids that helped reset her double vision and vertigo. At this time, there was only one disease-modifying therapy to try, which gave her flu-like symptoms. Over her twenty-year experience with MS before HSCT, Rebecca tried all but one medication and ended up losing countless bodily functions until the point she was basically bedridden. Tune in to learn more about how Rebecca, despite having trouble sitting up in the car, successfully navigated the journey to Clinica Ruiz to undergo HSCT. Be sure to visit our website, HSCTWarriorsPodcast.org where you can find notes from today’s episode, submit ideas or feedback, or connect with HSCT Warriors, Inc. and schedule time to “Talk with a Warrior”, find the latest research and resources, or explore the world map. Special thanks to musical genius Billy Alletzhauser for sharing his superpowers to produce the soundtrack, and engineer the audio to make this podcast possible. You can find us both when you subscribe on SoundCloud, iTunes or wherever you find podcasts. It has been great to connect with Warriors worldwide, so please reach out if you’re interested in sharing your story. We would love to learn how the podcast has helped your journey with autoimmune disease so if you could take a moment, leave us a comment on instagram or share feedback on our website. We hope you’ll tune in next Wednesday for another episode, highlighting another HSCT Warrior. Until then, be a snowflake and embrace your superpowers. Be kind. Be well. _________________________________ Jen Stansbury Koenig and the producers disclaim medical influence and responsibility for any possible adverse effects from the use of information contained herein. If you think you have a medical problem, please contact a licensed physician.