The little things | Boehringer Ingelheim

Nothing has ever been the same again for Anna Végh since she learned in 2009 that she suffers from scleroderma, a rare autoimmune disease. But Anna did not give up — and has found her way to have a happy life despite her condition.

Anna is sitting with her mother in a hospital waiting room. This petite young woman with auburn hair is nervous and anxious about what might lie ahead for her. She has been experiencing severe pain for some weeks now. She suffers particularly painful sensations in her stomach and hands as well as when breathing. It is worst in the mornings and evenings. No one knows what causes this or can explain why Anna’s skin changes and suddenly feels so different; rough and thicker. Her doctor is unable to account for this, her family is frightened and this Hungarian woman living in the small town of Szombathely simply wants to know what is happening with her. Everyone she knows senses that she is seriously ill. That is why she is now sitting here in the hospital, waiting. As the minutes slowly pass, a poster catches Anna’s eye. Its heading is “Scleroderma” and displays facts about the disease as well as images of people suffering from it. Anna is shocked. She leans over to her mother. “How awful must it be to have that disease?” she asks. Some time later, Anna’s doctor tells her that she is suffering from scleroderma.

Anna long looked for a stud farm that keeps horses in paddocks. The huge amount of space the horses enjoy also gives her a sense of freedom when she rides across the paddocks.

I would like to make it clear to them that they are not alone.

When she feels down, Anna turns to her special antidote — her horses. They help her to come to terms with the disease.

The horses sense my mood without me having to say anything.

In the meantime, Anna has become happy once again, and maybe even happier than she was before her diagnosis: “Today I’m much more grateful for the little things.” She does not think about the future all that much. Whenever she feels afraid, she tells herself: “I’ve already been through the worst – what else can happen to me?” While she is naturally aware of the disease every day, it does not dominate her life. “I really only think about it when I take my medicines or have a hospital appointment.” And that despite her lung capacity now being just 65 per cent. Breathing exercises and medicines help, but many things are simply no longer possible.

Luckily, that does not include riding, which is like a therapy for Anna. Several times a week, she spends time at a riding school outside Szombathely. She rides there regularly – it is one of the few sports which she can still engage in. “The horses sense my mood without me having to say anything. That really comforts me on days when I don’t feel so good.”

On the days she spends in the sun with the horses she often forgets her illness. “The place means absolute relaxation for me.” The worst thing for Anna would be if she could no longer ride. For this eventuality, she nevertheless plans to continue to visit the horses. “Just being with them would be enough of a reason for me to go.”

Anna has decided to go public with her story in order to encourage other sufferers. “I would like to make it clear to them that they are not alone.” She has not forgotten that poster in the waiting room. “Seeing those horror scenarios makes it only worse – instead, we should be hearing more about people who live happy lives in spite of the disease.” People like Anna.

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MORE THAN SCLERODERMA

Scleroderma, or systemic sclerosis (SSc), is a rare, so far incurable disease. It is characterised by hardening of the skin and connective tissue. It affects around two million people worldwide¹ and three times more women than men, mainly in mid-life. Lung diseases are a common manifestation of systemic sclerosis. This is particularly serious as most patients develop pulmonary fibrosis to some extent. Boehringer Ingelheim – a leader in respiratory medicine – has been conducting active research into the potential fatal consequences of fibrotic lung diseases for years. With its global initiative “More than Scleroderma: The Inside Story”, Boehringer Ingelheim is pursuing the goal of educating society as a whole and providing information about the disease to those interested.

To this end, the company collects inspiring stories from patients all over the world and publishes brief portraits of their lives on the website More than Scleroderma. These portraits may be video interviews or photo series. Sufferers can read about how other patients cope with the disease. At the same time, they learn about the progression of the disease and its in part serious effects. But the initiative is not seeking to scare people – on the contrary: the goal is to show patients that the disease will not determine their lives and that each of them can find their own way of coping with it. Eight portraits of patients from seven countries are currently featured on the website.

¹ University of Michigan, Scleroderma Program: www.med.umich.edu/scleroderma/patients/scleroderma.htm