About Me
My name is Laura Rohe. I’m a nurse from Omaha, Nebraska, working in private practice. I have spent the last 27 years working for Allergy Asthma and Immunology Associates as the immunoglobulin (IG) nurse coordinator for our patients on IG and then for hereditary angioedema (HAE) patients. And I'm personally also a primary immunodeficiency (PI) patient as well and have been on immunoglobulins since 1989.
My Path to Nursing
When I was 14, I was diagnosed with common variable immune deficiency (CVID). I was lucky enough to be diagnosed at an early age and have an immunologist in my area. I was fortunate to start on infusions right away — I worked very closely with nurses in the office and then switched to home infusion.
I really got to know and appreciate my home infusion nurse. And I started really liking the idea of being a nurse. So, when the time came, I went to nursing school and ended up working at my immunologist office. Being diagnosed myself drew me to work in the field of immunology with primary immune deficiency patients.
Infusion nursing has been such a rewarding career because it’s so different than just a regular office practice. I see a lot of patients who – like me – receive chronic care, so I am often administering immunoglobulin infusions for our patients.
The Power of Plasma
Educating my patients on the type of medication they are receiving, and where their medication is very important. I help explain the role of plasma donors and the screening process for donation. I share that constant vigilance and the safety of the plasma product is always of the utmost importance. And I tell my patients they need this medication because it has the proteins their bodies aren’t making or perhaps, they have, but aren’t functioning well. So, they need this replacement therapy which is, which is lifesaving, and they need these IG antibodies to protect them from life threatening infections.
I always encourage anyone who says they are considering donating plasma, because it’s truly lifesaving, and for primary immune deficiency, IG is the standard of care. I tell people that you can't make it in a laboratory – we rely on the thousands and thousands of donors that give us the circulating antibodies to protect us and keep us healthy. Anyone who donates is giving an amazing gift.
Many of my patients are thankful to be on therapy and actually have a diagnosis, whether it is primary immune deficiency or HAE, since for some rare diseases, it’s uncommon to have a diagnosis and/or a treatment, so there is a sense of gratitude.
I just want to thank PPTA and nonprofit organizations also such as the Immune Deficiency Foundation for being wonderful resources for patients and helping to encourage plasma donations. And of course, I want to thank all the plasma donors for giving myself and my patients life by donating plasma on a regular basis.
The Future of Nursing
Nurses are really great, and I’d encourage anyone considering nursing as a career to go for it. Nurses don’t just provide care – they build relationships and act as the liaison between the patient and the provider, the specialty pharmacy, and more. I'm lucky enough to get to work with so many wonderful patients with rare diseases – and I know that I'm kind of the jack of all trades for my patients. They call me with anything, whether it's their physical disease, if they're sick or if they're having a hard time – it's rewarding being a nurse, and it’s a wonderful field to go into. It’s awesome to give back so that patients like me can live normal lives.
