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As my husband, Jared, and I grow deeper in our marriage, the reality that we will spend our entire lives with chronic illness becomes increasingly clear. Jared has severe hemophilia B and a seizure disorder, which I learned about when we started dating. Meanwhile, I was diagnosed with…

Iron deficiency has always been a part of my life as a woman with the bleeding disorders hemophilia B and von Willebrand disease. Iron is essential for your body to function, I have learned. One cause of iron deficiency is bleeding. When I am anemic, or my…

Last school year, my youngest son, Caeleb, had a difficult time as pain in his right knee and ankle resurfaced. Thank God he didn’t have any bleeding episodes, but he experienced the chronic symptoms of damage to his joints caused by past internal bleeds. His pain often proved too…

The pandemic changed the world. From working in an office to working remotely, staying connected through technology, and shopping for necessities online, the world managed to keep moving. I’m grateful for the conveniences and adaptations that are now the norm, but I find there’s still an area where many are…

As I write this, I’m battling my first major cough and cold since the COVID-19 pandemic started. Regular mask-wearing seems to have lowered our chances of getting sick, which is good. But now I’m no longer used to feeling ill. At the same time, my husband, Jared, is bedridden…

Dust off those backpacks, girls, it’s time for the school year to begin! When your daughter has hemophilia or another type of bleeding disorder, sending her to school can be overwhelming. But we’ve come a long way since my school days. Children today are fortunate to have access to…

Last Sunday, I preached about the idea of faith and how it informs our lives as we look toward the future. I drew from scripture to define my terms when speaking about the meaning of faith. According to the text, “Faith is the reality of what we hope for, the…

The age of 18 is when teens legally move from minor to adult status, becoming able to vote in the U.S. It’s also when kids graduate from high school and move on to the workforce or college. For me, 18 was not a milestone. It simply meant I was going…

My husband, Jared, and I are both in our late 20s. In a few months, Jared will be turning 30, and I will follow next year. I used to fear the day I would reach the big three-oh, but now I am excited. I view the 30s as a decade…

As a person with multiple bleeding disorders, I’m an expert at removing blood from many materials, including carpet, clothing, and furniture. Sometimes the blood wins and will ruin a new shirt. Although I’m in my 50s, a blood stain can still get the best of me, as happened last…