Personalized treatment

DuBois first visited her local doctor who referred her to an allergy specialist to check for environmental allergies. The allergy specialist ordered blood work, and her antinuclear antibodies (ANA) test came back positive. Because a positive ANA test can signify that the body is attacking itself and potentially leading toward an autoimmune disease, she was referred to a local rheumatologist.

“My rheumatologist then referred me to the University of Michigan because my scleroderma was rapid-acting, and the treatment plan I was currently on was unable to slow the disease,” she says. “The disease was taking my happiness from me.”

After meeting Dinesh Khanna, M.D., professor of rheumatology and director of the University of Michigan Scleroderma Program, DuBois felt as though he understood her symptoms and how to help her better manage her disease.

“The positive environment at the U-M Scleroderma Program has been a life-changer for me,” DuBois says. “When I was referred to Dr. Khanna and his team, it truly helped me find my silver lining within this disease. I also witnessed the fight they had for me personally.”

In July 2017, DuBois underwent a stem cell transplant to help with her skin and management of scleroderma.

MORE FROM MICHIGAN: Sign up for our weekly newsletter

“I had the transplant to see if that would reboot my immune system,” she says. She also takes an immune suppressant medication and anti-viral medication to help with the stem cell transplant, as well as medications to help with heartburn and high blood pressure.

DuBois says her personalized treatment plan already appears to be helping.

“I’ve had improvements already and am continuing to see improvements,” she says. “But it will take up to two full years to soften my skin.”