The Forgotten Factor - a Column by G Shellye Horowitz

Our hemophilia community has been here before. A novel virus — previously, it was HIV — hit the world, and our community was uncertain about how it would affect us. Patients were told to turn to doctors for help and guidance, but the information each patient received varied…

In the past month, it has been hard for me to focus on hemophilia advocacy efforts, which normally are a burning passion. Disappointment over an opportunity to work more deeply with the hemophilia community that didn’t pan out and COVID-19 realities have me pulling back.

COVID-19 has upended our lives. It is hard. As an individual with a chronic condition, I find myself worrying about how it will affect me in ways that may be different from those of my neighbors or co-workers without chronic conditions. Thankfully, the hemophilia community has…

Over the past few years, I have learned that bleeding disorders are complex, particularly for women. Hemophilia is not always easy to understand or treat. It can take women up to 16 years to receive an accurate diagnosis. Then treatment plans are created, which can be challenging…

Accessing quality healthcare can be a struggle. Women with hemophilia have added challenges that range from not understanding their own bodies (after years of ignoring symptoms) to struggling to find knowledgeable healthcare providers. Growing up with an undiagnosed bleeding disorder meant years of dismissed symptoms. I was in…

This week is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. Eating disorders are tough to address, yet critical, as many suffer in silence. I was one of them. I struggled with an eating disorder a few times in college. But I would vehemently deny it if…

I attended my first women-only hemophilia retreat in the fall of 2016. To say the weekend was an eye-opener would be a gross understatement. It changed my life. First of all, I learned that I was not alone in my struggles to understand lifelong bleeding…

Carrier moms — those whose sons or daughters have hemophilia — inspire me. I see you struggle, sometimes daily, with the realities of parenting a child who has a chronic condition. Your tireless dedication necessary to ensure a child’s safety and proper medical treatment can be challenging and…

Inheritance patterns in hemophilia are a common discussion topic for many reasons. Among the reasons that people seek information about hemophilia inheritance is their desire to better understand if their future children might be at risk for inheriting the disorder. Not only do people express concern regarding their children, but…

Editor’s note: Please be advised that the topic of suicide is addressed in this column. Resources for help are listed at the end of the column. It happens to the best of us. The alarm goes off in the morning and we do NOT want to get out…