HemoWife - a Column by Allyx Formalejo

With the holiday season fast approaching, many of us are clamoring to buy gifts for the people we hold dear. But it can be hard to find gifts even for those closest to us. This is especially true if they’re easily satisfied or, on the other end of the spectrum,…

Lately, I’ve been binge-watching the Korean TV drama “Extraordinary Attorney Woo.” It tells the story of a young lawyer with autism and the challenges she encounters (and does her best to overcome) in her life, career, and relationships. I instantly got hooked on the show for two reasons.

I’ve always had a hard time handling disappointment. I grew up labeled a high achiever and was accustomed to meeting high expectations. I feared disappointing other people, or feeling that my best efforts just weren’t enough. As a result, I became sensitive to disappointment, rejection, and failure — a fearsome…

My husband, Jared, and I are in an interesting stage of our parenting journey. Our daughter, who is almost 4, will be going to preschool soon, but for now, she spends almost every day with us at home. She has a rather introverted temperament, so most of the…

My husband, Jared, had a knee bleed last week. The moment he felt the familiar twinge in his joint, he performed his usual treatment regimen: a factor infusion and bed rest. We thought we’d simply wait it out without doing anything special besides resting the injury…

My husband, Jared, gets a lot of bruises. Not because he gets into brawls a lot, and most certainly not because we fight (although we like to troll people with these possibilities just for fun — dark humor, we know). His quick bruising is because he has severe…

Hemophilia is a lifelong condition, both for my husband, Jared, and me. He’s had hemophilia B since he was born, and until a cure is found, it’s here to stay. While I don’t have hemophilia, we both must live with it. I imagine hemophilia to be like a…

Parenthood has transformed my husband, Jared, and me in many ways. We’ve had to be responsible for a lot of things. We must look after our daughter, Cittie, as well as our home, our health, and our relationships with each other and other people. When I was younger, I used…

My husband, Jared, and I are just starting to figure out family life. As novices to the world of parenting and homemaking, we’re navigating our child’s formative years and learning to maintain a household through trial and error. Living by ourselves has been an especially helpful experience. Choosing not…

My husband, Jared, and I are currently in the process of looking for preschools for our daughter, Cittie. She’s almost 4, but sometimes she acts and speaks as if she’s much older. Cittie often tells us that she wants to go to school. Although we refuse to rush her…