Andrew C. Carlos Multiple Sclerosis Institute Celebrates Treatment Milestones for Patients
When Teria Smith received her 100th infusion to treat her multiple sclerosis (MS), she was met with celebration. This is no small feat; the 100th monthly infusion represents about eight years of monthly trips to Shepherd Center.
Staff at the Andrew C. Carlos Multiple Sclerosis Institute at Shepherd Center decorated the treatment room for the occasion, congratulating Teria on the milestone. The celebration is a tradition that started with the first patient who reached 100 Tysabriâ infusions. Tysabri is a treatment delivered by infusion to people with relapsing forms of MS.
“When we had our first patient reach 100 doses and was doing so well, Lisa Huthmacher (a nurse in the MS Institute) and I decided this needed to be celebrated and threw a little celebratory party for the patient,” Wanda Bagley, RN, infusion nurse coordinator, says. “Now, the patients look forward to reaching that milestone.”
The MS Institute provides treatment to people with MS, suspected MS or related disorders. The MS Institute uses a wide range of neurological and rehabilitative services to treat thousands of people with MS.
Teria says celebrations like this, and the staff members involved, have made her experience living with MS easier.
“We have the best people working with us,” Teria says. “Even though I wish I didn’t have to get the infusion, they’ve made the experience better.”
Shepherd Center provides world-class clinical care, research, and family support for people experiencing the most complex conditions, including spinal cord and brain injuries, multi-trauma, traumatic amputations, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and pain. An elite center recognized as both Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems, Shepherd Center is ranked by U.S. News as one of the nation’s top hospitals for rehabilitation. Shepherd Center treats thousands of patients annually with unmatched expertise and unwavering compassion to help them begin again.