[Intro music fades in, then fades softly into background]
[Onscreen: Randy standing in front of a fruit tree and touching the leaves]
[Onscreen text: TerSera Therapeutics logo | XERMELO logo | Randy C., Florida]
Introduction
RANDY:
Well, my name is Randy. I'm originally from Nashville, Tennessee and live down here in Southwest Florida now with my wife Ellen. Been married 42 years. Half of the family is in Tennessee, half down here. We came down here to stay warm, to be honest with you. I retired from the airline business after 30 years and enjoying retirement down here. The biggest thing that I like to do while I'm here, and my whole life really, is I'm a big bicycle rider. I love to ride bikes and I enjoy that.
[Onscreen: Randy walking along the water]
[Onscreen text: Randy’s diagnosis of NETs | NETs=NeuroEndocrine Tumors]
Diagnosis
RANDY:
I was first diagnosed with the cancer in August of 2014. I had never had any medical problems in my whole life, and I started having acid reflux a couple of days earlier and then on the 10th of the month, it's very distinct in my mind because when you get that sick that quick, you don't forget, I told my wife, I said, "We need to get to the ER. Something is not right." Because I was throwing up and I had diarrhea and my stomach was killing me, and none of that was normal for me. So we took off to the closest ER and they got me in and scanned me and all, and they said, "You have a carcinoid tumor about the size of a golf ball, and it's completely closed off your small intestine." They said, "It's got to come out now." So being foreign to me, I said, "Just get on with it. Do it as quick as you can." So the next morning, I had the surgery. I was in the hospital for seven days. Nothing to eat for seven days, which is not easy but it's part of the plan to recover. They did what they call a resection. They cut a foot of my small intestine out and put it back together. They took approximately 25 lymph nodes out and they were pretty sure they'd gotten it all.
[Onscreen: Randy sitting on a lawn chair]
[Onscreen text: Randy’s life after surgery]
After Surgery
RANDY:
After my surgery, I returned home pretty normal. I thought getting all this done, everything would be just absolutely perfect, but I started noticing pretty severe diarrhea, and sometimes I would have maybe 40 seconds from the time I felt it in my body to get across the room to get to a bathroom in time. It was that bad. Most days, I could not leave home until at least noon because I never knew when it was going to hit me. I have such a short notice. If I did go somewhere before noon, as soon as I walk in the door to a store, I start scouting around and looking for the nearest bathroom because I know it's going to happen, just a matter of when, and if I can get there on time. I went to my oncologist and they diagnosed me because of the cancer with carcinoid syndrome diarrhea, CSD.
[Onscreen: Randy walking on the dock towards a boat]
[Onscreen text: Randy’s treatment recommendation following his diagnosis of Carcinoid Syndrome Diarrhea]
Initial Treatment
RANDY:
When I saw my oncologist, they did a scan and they thought they'd gotten all of the cancer out of me, but they found another tumor that was still in there. So, he recommended a monthly injection of somatostatin analog, or SSA.
[Onscreen: Randy walking back from the boat towards the camera]
[Onscreen text: Randy’s experience with taking a monthly somatostatin analog injection]
Living with SSA Injections
RANDY:
The impact of the shot, to start with, getting it once a month, it would last three quarters of the month. I'd have three weeks of what I considered to be normal for my body. The fourth week, everything started coming back again. I would have 10, 12 trips to the bathroom before lunch every day, couldn't get out, couldn't do anything. And then the next month would roll around, I'd get my next injection. I'd have another three weeks of normal for me, feeling great. The fourth week, here it comes again. I took the injection for seven years, dealing with it like that every month.
[Onscreen: Randy picking fruit off a tree]
[Onscreen voice-over text: XERMELO is a prescription pill, used along with somatostatin analog (SSA) therapy, for Carcinoid Syndrome diarrhea in adults who are not adequately controlled by SSA therapy. Do not take XERMELO if you have a history of hypersensitivity to telotristat or any of the ingredients in XERMELO.]
[Onscreen: Randy looking off into the distance]
[Onscreen text: Adding XERMELO or telotristat ethyl to Randy’s treatment plan]
Adding XERMELO
RANDY:
When I moved to Florida, I got a new oncologist and went to him and explained my CSD, and they recommended XERMELO. And from there, I worked with TerSera to get the medication and to get in the TerSera NurseSupport program.
[Onscreen: Randy taking off his jacket]
[Onscreen voice-over text: XERMELO may cause constipation which can be serious. You should stop taking XERMELO if severe constipation or severe, persistent, or worsening abdominal pain develops. Talk to your doctor if you have these symptoms.]
[Onscreen text: Impact of taking XERMELO plus an SSA injection on Randy]
Impact of XERMELO
RANDY:
After about a week of taking the XERMELO pills three times a day plus the monthly SSA injection, my CSD symptoms were improved.
[Onscreen text: Individual results may vary.]
[Onscreen: Randy watering his plants]
[Onscreen voice-over text: The most common side effects of XERMELO include nausea, headache, increase in liver enzymes, depression, flatulence, decreased appetite, swelling of your hands and feet, fever, abdominal pain, and constipation. Talk to your doctor about all medications you are taking as some may interact with XERMELO. XERMELO is not recommended if you have moderate or severe liver impairment.]
[Onscreen: Randy sitting in lawn chair putting on sunglasses]
[Onscreen text: Randy’s reason for sharing his story]
Why I Shared My Story
RANDY:
My intention is to help someone else who's like me. The way XERMELO helped my CSD, hopefully it can help someone else out also.
[Onscreen text: Randy C. | Florida]
[Onscreen: Randy sitting at table reading newspaper]
[Onscreen voice-over text: XERMELO may not work for everyone. Ask your doctor if XERMELO is right for you.]
[Onscreen text: XERMELO logo]
[Soft music fades out]