Meet

real real real

RINVOQ patients

Inspiring stories, real results

Deanna has active ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and still experienced symptoms on a TNF blocker. Hear how RINVOQ helped her find relief and get back to doing what she loves.

Watch Deanna’s AS journey:

Music track throughout.

DEANNA: I started to have pain in my hips. And then at the same time, I had pain in like my elbow and some pain in my hand, and I couldn’t explain it. And so then I was referred out to a rheumatologist.

So she did a whole bunch of testing and it was the ankylosing spondylitis. I was started on HUMIRA. And I was on that six months, and then I was on maybe three or four other medicines in that time to try to figure out what was working, but none of them actually worked. There was some of that where maybe this is just how my life is, you know.

I would always go into my rheumatologist’s office feeling like I needed to plead my case. So like, all the symptoms I was having and that, and she would be able to kind of read that right away.

She was very helpful with that and never accepting that this was kind of the life that I was going to live.

So getting on RINVOQ, I was able to see like, Oh! This is what I’m supposed to be feeling. And then the back pain also became less and less.

So things I had embraced doing that I hadn’t done in a long time would be like walking the dogs. That was something I didn’t have the energy to do before, and now I’m able to walk the dog most days. Spending more time out in the yard, going out on the boat, doing things like that with the family. And I’ve been on it since then.

It is so important to advocate for your own health, because you are the only one that knows your body. Nobody else knows it we’re the only ones that can speak for it, so it’s really, really important to advocate for it.

ANNOUNCER VOICE-OVER (AVO):

SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS

RINVOQ may cause serious side effects, including:

  • Serious infections. RINVOQ can lower ability to fight infections. Serious infections, some fatal, occurred, including tuberculosis (TB) and infections caused by bacteria, fungi, or viruses.
  • Increased risk of death in people age 50+ with at least 1 heart disease risk factor.
  • Cancer and immune system problems. Increased risk of some cancers, including lymphoma and skin. Current or past smokers have higher risk for lymphoma and lung cancer.
  • Increased risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death in people 50+ with at least 1 heart disease risk factor, especially in current or past smokers.
  • Blood clots, some fatal, in veins of the legs or lungs and arteries. This occurred more often in people 50+ with at least 1 heart disease risk factor.
  • Serious allergic reactions. Do not take if allergic to RINVOQ or its ingredients.
  • Tears in the stomach or intestines; changes in certain laboratory test results.

Please see additional Important Safety Information on this webpage.

Don’t Wait, Advocate

Deanna knew it was important to speak honestly with her rheumatologist about how she was feeling. Learn how she advocated for herself and successfully partnered with her rheumatologist to build an AS treatment plan.

Music track throughout.

DEANNA: I’ve always enjoyed doing different things. Landscaping, like lots of DIY stuff. Paddle-boarding, kayaking, or just spending time in the water, at the beach, just always doing something that’s active.

As the time went on, those things just kind of disappeared. So when I was at that low point, I felt the pain the most in my back and in my hips. And then it comes and goes as almost like a sharp like knife-type pain.

And the pain would really affect my sleep. I would just be really tired and in pain.

When I was at my worst, I couldn’t do anything that I really enjoyed. I was just existing, and that was really, really tough mentally and physically, because I’m a really physically active person. I could’ve worked out in the yard for most of the day doing weeding and just general planting and moving landscaping things around and building beds and things like that.

After like experiencing this diagnosis, I couldn’t. I either could only spend a couple of hours or if I did spend more time, I was essentially in bed for the next day.

It really felt like a collaborative event or an experience with the rheumatologist is that when I went to see her, I always felt hopeful, I always felt like there’s something else we can try. I was started on HUMIRA. And I was on that six months, and then I was on maybe three or four other medicines in that time to try to figure out what was working but none of them actually worked.

After I started taking RINVOQ, I noticed that the back pain was not as bad, it wasn’t 100% better but then as I continued to take it for longer, I really reached a level that was just the best I’ve felt in years. I can walk the dogs, work all day out in the yard. Like being present more, I would say.

ANNOUNCER VOICE-OVER (AVO):

SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS

  • RINVOQ may cause serious side effects, including:
    Serious infections.
    RINVOQ can lower ability to fight infections. Serious infections, some fatal, occurred, including tuberculosis (TB) and infections caused by bacteria, fungi, or viruses.
  • Increased risk of death in people age 50+ with at least 1 heart disease risk factor.
  • Cancer and immune system problems. Increased risk of some cancers, including lymphoma and skin. Current or past smokers have higher risk for lymphoma and lung cancer.
  • Increased risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death in people 50+ with at least 1 heart disease risk factor, especially in current or past smokers.
  • Blood clots, some fatal, in veins of the legs or lungs and arteries. This occurred more often in people 50+ with at least 1 heart disease risk factor.
  • Serious allergic reactions. Do not take if allergic to RINVOQ or its ingredients.
  • Tears in the stomach or intestines; changes in certain laboratory test results.

Please see additional Important Safety Information on this webpage.

Making the Switch

Deciding to change your treatment is never easy, but neither is living with AS symptoms. See how Deanna made the switch and learn what RINVOQ can do >

Thinking About Goals

Don’t let AS symptoms stand in the way of achieving your goals. Discover how Deanna partnered with her rheumatologist to create an AS treatment plan that supports her lifestyle.

Music track throughout.

DEANNA: With ankylosing spondylitis, like my pain is always in my hips and it is always in my back, so it’s always there.

People don’t really understand what’s going on, you know? This is like a silent disease, right? And so people just don’t get it. Even people that love you don’t really get it.

As a mom, I felt like I was in survival mode during that time, so obviously I would meet their basic needs, right? Like they were fed, took them to school, like that kind of thing. But then when it was beyond that, spending more time out in the yard, going out in the boat, doing things like that with the, with the family, and just active, like being present more.

Like I just didn’t feel like the energy was there, nor did I feel like, pain-wise, able to do those things. So kind of existing. Like I was existing, so I was there, but not, not like I wanted to be.

I think the goal, well I know the goal for me was to not be in pain and not be fatigued.

I was started on HUMIRA. And I was on that six months, and then I was on maybe three or four other medicines in that time to try to figure out what was working, but none of them actually worked.

After I started taking RINVOQ, I noticed that the back pain was not as bad, it wasn’t 100% better but then as I continued to take it for longer, I really reached a level that was just the best I’ve felt in years.

In the past it was like always on my mind, I actually catch myself thinking, it doesn’t hurt and I don’t—I’m not thinking about it. So that’s kind of cool.

ANNOUNCER VOICE-OVER (AVO):

SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS

RINVOQ may cause serious side effects, including:

  • Serious infections. RINVOQ can lower ability to fight infections. Serious infections, some fatal, occurred, including tuberculosis (TB) and infections caused by bacteria, fungi, or viruses.
  • Increased risk of death in people age 50+ with at least 1 heart disease risk factor.
  • Cancer and immune system problems. Increased risk of some cancers, including lymphoma and skin. Current or past smokers have higher risk for lymphoma and lung cancer.
  • Increased risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack, stroke, or death in people 50+ with at least 1 heart disease risk factor, especially in current or past smokers.
  • Blood clots, some fatal, in veins of the legs or lungs and arteries. This occurred more often in people 50+ with at least 1 heart disease risk factor.
  • Serious allergic reactions. Do not take if allergic to RINVOQ or its ingredients.
  • Tears in the stomach or intestines; changes in certain laboratory test results.

Please see additional Important Safety Information on this webpage.

Share your RINVOQ story

Share your experience with RINVOQ to help inform and inspire others. To participate, please email us at info@SPEAKnetwork.net or call 877-861-6180.

Expect more from your AS treatment plan

You have a right to feel better. If you don’t believe your current treatment is working, partner with your rheumatologist to help find an AS treatment option that’s right for you.

NEXT PAGE