"I like only having to use one product and being able to make it through my workweek without getting bleeds.”
Being a woman with hemophilia
Throughout my childhood, I had a gut feeling that I was more than just a carrier because of how easily I bruised. For a long time, my family and doctors didn’t take me seriously when I was injured and told them I wasn’t healing properly. I basically raised myself to think proactively like a hemophiliac, but if I expressed my suspicions that I, too, had hemophilia, the notion was quickly dismissed because "women are only carriers"—or at least that’s what they thought. There were times growing up when I didn’t even say anything because I knew it wouldn’t be taken seriously, but in those moments, my symptoms did the screaming. I tried for years to get a hemophilia diagnosis without success, until I made an appointment with a hematologist who is also a woman with hemophilia.
Getting treatment that works for me
After being diagnosed, my prophylaxis regimen wasn’t working for me, so I switched from infusing factor twice weekly to doing subcutaneous injections twice monthly, supplementing with factor for breakthrough bleeds—and I had muscle bleeds in my legs regularly. I knew it was time to switch again when, at age 39, I needed a knee replacement. My hematologist told me about ALTUVIIIO, which my brother Chris I was also taking for hemophilia A. After talking with my doctor about it, I made the switch. It was a simple transition for me.
Life with ALTUVIIIO
The ease of once-weekly treatment with ALTUVIIIO is very different than infusing factor 2 to 3 times weekly. It gives me more freedom to focus on the things I enjoy doing, like nature walks, hiking, yoga, and working with the hemophilia community. My hope is that with each conversation and presentation, we take a step toward a world where women with hemophilia, and all people with hemophilia, are diagnosed quickly and given the treatment they need.
This testimonial reflects one patient’s experience and has not been clinically evaluated. It is not intended to imply typical outcomes or substitute for clinical evidence. Chrissy is a promotional speaker compensated by Sanofi.
