Hemophilia and Me – a Column by Jennifer Lynne

Jennifer is an entrepreneur specializing in digital marketing, a self-professed computer nerd, and a nationally competitive Scrabble player. Jennifer has strong ties to the bleeding disorder community; she was diagnosed in 1975 with hemophilia B and Von Willebrand’s disease at age 10.

She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Madison with a BA in marketing and journalism, and MIT’s Birthing of Giants Fellowship Program. A native of Brookfield, Wisconsin, she now resides in sunny Punta Gorda, Florida. Jennifer hopes that her column will raise awareness for hemophilia and other bleeding disorders, especially among women.

Hemophilia May Be a Man’s World, but It’s Full of Superheroes

As a woman living with hemophilia, I’ve always understood that hemophilia is a man’s world. But I’ve also discovered that the men inhabiting this world are kind, compassionate superheroes with massive struggles of their own. My first National Hemophilia Foundation conference was in 2018 in Orlando, Florida. More than 2,800…

My Long and Challenging Journey to Diagnosis

Getting diagnosed with a bleeding disorder can be difficult. I am somewhat fortunate. At age 10 in 1975, I was diagnosed with multiple bleeding disorders. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t have bumps and challenges along the way. Testing, treatment, and classification of bleeding disorders have changed dramatically since…

The One Where I Almost Ruined a Vacation

Doctors often overlook female problems caused by hemophilia. I have many examples of this concept, but few are as upsetting as when I almost ruined a family vacation in 1990. Precancerous cells had invaded my cervix and needed removal. The procedure terrified me! I gathered several opinions, eventually landing…

Welcome to ‘Hemophilia and Me’

Welcome to “Hemophilia and Me.” Former Hemophilia News Today columnist Shellye Horowitz, who wrote “The Forgotten Factor,” inspired me to dust off my journalism degree and share my own story, and now I’m grateful and honored to join a team of inspirational rock star writers. I plan…