HemoWife - a Column by Allyx Formalejo

One of the stranger skills I’ve developed in my marriage to someone with hemophilia isn’t medical — it’s domestic. It’s the art of removing blood stains. To be fair, I already had some experience dealing with blood simply by being a female person who menstruates. But when you’re married…

When people think about hemophilia, they usually think of joint, muscle, and sometimes soft-tissue bleeds. But one of the most dangerous complications occurs elsewhere: the brain. My husband, Jared, had a brain bleed as a child. It’s the kind of event people often imagine as…

Recently, news about a deal on airfare started making the rounds in our group chats. Here in the Philippines, these sales tend to appear when people start thinking about summer travel. Cheap fares, beautiful destinations, and the thrill of booking something spontaneous can be hard to resist. Some of my…

When my husband, Jared, has a hemophilia bleed, we know what to do. We immediately implement the RICE method of Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. We also add to that list factor infusions and the monitoring of Jared’s condition. Hemophilia is complex, but there’s a strategy for managing it.

There’s something humbling about watching someone relearn how to walk. Not as a toddler, and not for the first time, but as an adult who already knows what walking used to feel like. My husband, Jared, has severe hemophilia B, and for years, his right ankle has been what’s…

When I was 3 years old, I joined a television pageant for little girls called “Princess Asia.” I won the top prize. But when I look back on that moment now, the crown itself feels almost incidental. What stands out more is that I caught amebiasis, an intestinal infection, just…

Hemophilia doesn’t just alter bodies and routines. Over time, it can also quietly shape expectations about who leads, who manages risk, and who carries responsibility. These expectations are rarely spoken out loud, but they’re powerful enough to follow people into adulthood, partnerships, and marriage. What complicates things is that…

For a long time, I didn’t think about exhaustion or how it would occasionally surface in my marriage to someone with hemophilia. As someone with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), I tend to function well in high-pressure situations. Urgency sharpens me. When there’s a problem to solve or a…

I’ve written before about not seeing myself as a caregiver in the traditional sense. For us caregivers, hemophilia doesn’t usually demand round-the-clock care. My husband, Jared, manages his condition independently. He infuses. He monitors his body. He makes decisions about risk and rest. My role on most days is…

Treatment for burn injuries is usually straightforward: Cool the skin, manage the wound, control pain, and let time do the rest. That’s the version most people are familiar with. When hemophilia enters the picture, though, even a “simple” burn can quietly turn into something far more complicated. To add…