A few months ago I was contacted by DxTerity, a genomics company that’s been working on research to develop an at-home blood test for people living with Multiple Sclerosis. The test in development may someday help physicians closely monitor disease activity in MS patients while also measuring their response to therapy.
According to their website:
“Our goal for the future; those affected by immune-mediated diseases will have the knowledge, treatments and power to live life confidently. We believe that low-cost, from-home, immune monitoring blood tests can empower patients and doctors to gain control of a patient’s condition.” ~DxTerity.com
I’ve been approached by many companies to take part in research studies for the purpose of writing a review. I’ve always said no. When I read what DxTerity was doing and how easy their test would be, I decided this was something I wanted to be a part of.
Last November I wrote about DxTerity’s new study called EMPOWER (Evaluating Multiple Sclerosis Patients ShOWing A GEnomic Signature of Therapy Response) that allowed patients to be part of their innovative study from the comfort of home. You can read my post here. According to the EMPOWER website:
“There are 400,000 Americans living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a chronic condition that affects the central nervous system. MS onset, progression and response to treatment is very individualized and can range widely from person to person. There are numerous MS drugs available, but their degree of benefit to each person may vary. The ability to predict how or if a particular person will respond to a given therapy could help doctors and individuals with MS better manage, and even get ahead of, their disease. In the EMPOWER study (Evaluating Multiple Sclerosis Patients ShOWing A GEnomic Signature of Therapy Response) researchers are developing an at-home blood test that will help doctors monitor Multiple Sclerosis (MS) disease activity and response to treatment at a biological level.” ~EMPOWERStudyMS.com
It was easy to get started. I answered a few short questions on the DxTerity website and my online registration was complete. DxTerity sent an email saying a kit would arrive soon in the mail.
When the box arrived I was excited to begin the process. I found a quiet room to take the test, a flat surface to work on, then emptied the contents onto my desk. They included:
DxTerity’s easy-to-understand instructions explained how to proceed with the test. I was ready to play a part in the future of research.
The entire process was simple. After swiping my middle finger with the alcohol wipe I stuck the tiny lancet into the top of my middle finger. It was painless. I then gently wiped the first drop of blood with the pad and collected several droplets onto the collector sponge. When the sponge was completely submerged I wiped away any remaining blood and wrapped a band-aid around my finger.
Turning the blue collector sponge upside down I screwed it into the white transport tube until I heard a CLICK. I placed the device into the specimen bag and returned it to the original box to be dropped off at any USPS location. Shipping charges were prepaid.
Since I am a visual learner I also found this instructional video by DxTerity to be a great help.
That’s it! I was finished and excited to take part in something that could benefit the entire MS community.
I have to admit I was also excited to be paid $50 for finishing DxTerity’s online survey about my MS and for completing the fingerstick kit.
NOTE: This is a sponsored post. All opinions are, as always, completely my own.
