I've always had this tendency to run away from my problems.
FCS has been such an unknown for me. I was told there was never going to be a medication that was going to work for me. I just didn't want to face the scariness of the future.
I was diagnosed with FCS when I was a baby. I had a real limited but safe diet.
We certainly weren't experimenting eaters. My mom found out angel food cake was fat-free, so that's the one I had for every occasion.
When I was in middle school my friends were saying well just have a french fry. And trying it for the first time it's like wow that tastes really good, but I would get a good stomach ache.
The first time that I really suffered is when I was pregnant with my daughter and I got pancreatitis attacks. I was hospitalized multiple times.
I was in a lot of pain. That was a really, really difficult time. But I thought, I've got a daughter now. And I was resolved to double down on all my efforts to be as healthy as I can for somebody else.
As the years progressed, no matter how hard I tried, my triglyceride levels would just rise higher and higher. It was frustrating. I would do all that I could and there was this thing that was happening that was out of my control. The thing that gets me the most is, I really, really want to show up for people.
But I wasn't myself anymore. I stopped making plans. I stopped being reliable. I just kind of wanted to run away.
Fast forward, my doctor told me that there was this promising trial.
I never even had it in my head that that was a possibility.
In the trial, they put me on TRYNGOLZA, which is a prescription medicine for adults with FCS that you take along with your diet to lower your triglycerides. In the clinical trial, for people taking TRYNGOLZA, their triglycerides were lowered by 43%.
My doctor talked to me about the potential side effects of taking TRYNGOLZA.
While I didn't experience any side effects, others may be different. They should talk to their doctor about side effects that may occur with treatment.
I'm thrilled to be able to show up for my people. My family and my friends have all been on this journey with me and they've been so incredibly supportive. It just feels really powerful that I can reliably give back.
I just give myself an injection once a month and now that I have a lower triglyceride level, I don't worry about getting pancreatitis.
I feel like I'm just really running confidently towards my future.
With TRYNGOLZA, I can be in control.
INDICATION
TRYNGOLZA (olezarsen) is a prescription medicine used along with diet to reduce triglycerides (fat in the blood) in the treatment of adults with a condition that keeps the body from breaking down fats called familial chylomicronemia syndrome (FCS). It is not known if TRYNGOLZA is safe and effective in children.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Do not use TRYNGOLZA if you have had a serious allergic reaction to TRYNGOLZA or any of the ingredients in TRYNGOLZA.
Before using TRYNGOLZA, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you: are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, and are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if TRYNGOLZA can harm your unborn baby, or if it passes into your breast milk and if it can harm your baby.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.
What are the possible side effects of TRYNGOLZA?
TRYNGOLZA can cause side effects including allergic reactions that may be serious. Allergic reactions can include redness of the skin, red itchy bumps (hives), swelling of the face, chills or trouble breathing. Stop taking TRYNGOLZA and call your healthcare provider or get emergency help right away if you have any of these symptoms.
The most common side effects of TRYNGOLZA include injection site reactions (such as redness or pain at the injection site), decreased platelet count (blood cells that help to clot blood), and joint pain or stiffness.
These are not all the possible side effects of TRYNGOLZA. Tell your healthcare provider or treatment team about any side effect you may have.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/safety/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see full Prescribing Information and Patient Information for TRYNGOLZA.
