The past two weeks have been especially busy as I produced and directed the musical “Honk! JR.” in my community. Many children who’ve worked with me for years participated in the production. I can’t count the number of children’s theater programs I’ve directed over the years, but I do…
My husband, Jared, and I have a great connection. In the nine years we’ve been together — five as a married couple — we’ve never run out of things to say. Every day brings a new topic to discuss. Conversation flows easily between us, even if it’s about a controversial…
When dealing with health issues, does when you were born matter? For those living with hemophilia, the answer is a resounding yes. Having personally experienced the challenges of living with bleeding disorders and survived multiple life-threatening situations, I can’t help but reflect on how different my medical journey might…
One fall evening in 1998, I looked around my dining room table in Houston and saw the faces of men and women who’d become some of my dearest friends over the past year. Laughter flooded the room as we stood in awe at what we’d accomplished. I stood, raised a…
When a spouse or partner has a bleeding disorder like hemophilia, occasionally there may be situations that make us wonder if they are at fault for an injury they’re battling. Perhaps they went beyond their maximum physical capacity in sports or at work. Maybe they got caught up…
The pain that accompanied my periods was excruciating, exacerbated by my two bleeding disorders, hemophilia B and von Willebrand disease. I vividly recall my gynecologist explaining that during a bleeding episode, the severity of my clots and bleeding was comparable to giving birth during menstruation, and thus it…
In my five-plus years of writing columns for Hemophilia News Today, I’ve missed two weeks. Many times, I feel that I’m repeating myself as I struggle to write something that matters to the bleeding disorders community. I share daily experiences as I navigate bad and good moments with…
“Save the best for last” has been one of my major life philosophies since childhood. Growing up, I’d hoard beautiful pens, colored pencil sets, and other art materials. I’d use the cheap ones first while keeping the best ones in a drawer. I have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, so I tend…
My family has rented an Airbnb for a week in Las Cruces, New Mexico. We decided to take a few days for ourselves before turning our attention to the reason for our trip: Through Friday, my wife and I, both pastors, are participating in the yearly meeting of the…
My 4-year-old daughter, Cittie, recently invented a song about her dad. It’s sung to a tune that’s quite popular in children’s short videos, with the words “Daddy is a bleedy boy.” When my husband, Jared, heard it for the first time, he cracked up. He’s often referred to himself as…
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