Taking The Heat, Coolly @ (NAPSA)—For two months every year, firefighter Bobbie Junge works 16-hour days preparing for the wrathsof the wildfire season. When duty calls, Junge, who has multiple sclerosis (MS), ventures deep into the coarse North American wilderness to face the heat of a thousand-acrefire 350,000 Americans, is often characterized by stable periods interspersed with periodsof attacks. To manage her symptoms, Junge takes an injectable medicine called Betaseron (interferon betalb) for SC injection, as well as daily vitamin supplements combined with a dedicated workout spinal cord, can cause vision and speech problems and impair judgment and motor skills—a challenge for anyone but especially for Junge, whose job is both physically grueling and perilous. But since she was diagnosed in 1993, the 49-year-old wife of a former Air Force member has only moved forward. “At first I was really upset,” she says, “but I soon realized that formulation of Betaseron became available, offering greater convenience to MS patients. The new formulation doesn’t need to be refrigerated, so Junge has more options for transporting and storing the drug when outdoors. “You never know if your assignments are going to take you to the Rockies, the Cascade Mountains, or somewhereeven farther out. It’s real tough when you're living in a tent and have to worry about finding a refrigerator or ice packs to store the Betaseron,” says Junge. “This new version has made a tremendousdifference in improving my mobility. It’s become much easier to take my medication when Tm outin thefield.” Despite having lived with MS ravaging a mountainside. MS, a disease of the brain and this was an opportunity to set new goals for myself. By reaching these goals, I’d be fighting back.” Junge aimed high and moved quickly. In 1994, she earned her pilot’s license. Soon after, she was recruited by a federal wildland firefighting division in Arizona. Today, the multifaceted Jungeis not only a skilled firefighter, but also a radio and aerial communications specialist and search-andrescue dispatcher. That’s not to say Junge doesn’t have occasional setbacks. The disease, which affects an estimated regimen. Recently, a room-temperature for more than 11 years, Junge says she’s never slowed down and neverlooks back. Full prescribing information for Betaseron (interferon beta-1b) for SC injection is available online at www.betaseron.com.
