Columns

I gaze at the glorious sunrise as I take off in my red RAV4. On this particular trip I plan to make my way down from my home in Northern California to Los Angeles. My daughter and I will most likely push through the 12+ hour drive in…

My dear husband, I won’t do everything for you. I may take on some of your physical responsibilities when your body says “no for now,” but I’ll leave you to do all the thinking and strategizing you can do for our family. You may have hemophilia and a seizure disorder,…

In past columns, I wrote about the benefits of creating a medical road map to keep everyone involved in my son’s hemophilia care on the same page. This collegial approach included data from medical, educational, and personal perspectives, allowing us to form a rich assessment of my stinky boy’s…

Are caregiving and parenting the same? Caregiving is the activity or profession of taking care of one who is sick or disabled. A parent is one who brings up and cares for another. As the mother of two sons with hemophilia, I believe that caregiving and parenting are not…

In the past few weeks, I haven’t been feeling as productive as I normally do in terms of work. In fact, as I type this, I’m sitting in front of my brand-new work desk in a sports top and ripped jeans — not my usual outfit when I’m…

My youngest son suffered his last joint bleed from hemophilia over seven years ago. Gone are the days when he could not walk, and a wheelchair was the most accessible way for him to get around at school and family outings. I work at a church that knows my…

There was a time when hemophilia ruled my family’s every waking moment. My husband and I set out to accomplish two goals each day: going to work and taking care of our youngest son, Caeleb. It was nice when Caeleb could go to school for an entire day, but…

As a woman with hemophilia who has a proper diagnosis and a fantastic treatment plan, I do not take my health for granted. I feel fortunate and blessed to have reached a place where coping with bleeds and pain is no longer a constant focus. I’m normal! (Well,…

Over the past couple of weeks, my husband, Jared, and I have been fully occupied with home improvements. We did a complete revamp of our bedroom, from repainting the walls to changing our old and deteriorating bed. We also replaced other furniture that was falling apart or no longer…

This summer brings a tinge of melancholy as the Sangre de Oro Chapter of the National Hemophilia Foundation has announced that its usual weeklong summer camp will not meet in person. While I understand the reason for avoiding unnecessary health risks, I still feel sad for the regular…