In the Twinkling of an Eye - a Column by Joe MacDonald

Back in Texas in good ol’ 1996, when my first son came into the world, a nice, well put-together doctor entered our room. He introduced himself as Dr. Connelly, the pediatrician on call. He appeared very polite and had an effortless bedside manner. He let us know that our…

At every annual event sponsored by the National Hemophilia Foundation, a particular room is dedicated to remembering those who died from complications of hemophilia. In the 1980s and early ’90s, many people lost loved ones during a period that became known as the “hemophilia holocaust.” A staggering number…

When my first son was 6 months old, we experienced our initial reception into the world of hemophilia. Until that point, his bleeding disorder had not reared its ugly head. This was his first internal bleed into a joint (his ankle), and we prepared to find a vein to…

In past columns, I wrote about moments of absolute hopelessness — no more prevalent than the times when hemophilia reared its ugly head in my sons’ lives. There were many instances when powerlessness dominated my thinking as one of my sons screamed out in pain because he felt…

One thing that struck me over the head when I became a parent was an awareness that I bring my whole self to the table. When treating bleeds and other surprises, I show up with what I know — no more, no less. I cannot respond to my child beyond…

Many years ago, friends told me about a workshop they attended, which addressed newly diagnosed patients with bleeding disorders. As they talked about the class, I agreed with everything I heard until one of the facilitators said that with a new diagnosis comes a sense of mourning. “Yes,” I…

I often get caught up thinking about things I did not do for my sons, who have hemophilia. I worry about the many deficiencies I have, and how they affect my sons’ lives. Dealing with a bleeding disorder is more than enough to worry about, but do they feel…

I started writing for Bionews, the publisher of Hemophilia News Today, almost three years ago. However, it recently dawned on me that I never mentioned why I named my column “In the Twinkling of an Eye.” While amazingly simple on the surface, the answer has deep layers that may…

In our culture, we learn at a very young age to make resolutions at the start of a new year. Unfortunately, the odds of breaking our goals are much higher than the odds of fulfilling what we set out to accomplish. UAB Medicine News reports that less than 8% of…

I taught choral music in a few local school districts in the Houston metropolitan area in a former life. One year, a friend of mine in the bleeding disorders community asked if I had a group that could provide entertainment at the hemophilia Christmas party. I told her…