Living in abundance when hemophilia medication is scarce

Limited access to treatment can result in a scarcity mindset

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by Allyx Formalejo |

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Scarcity mindset is the belief that something you rely on will one day run out. It’s most often talked about in the context of money, which resonates with me deeply. As a neurodivergent person married to someone with hemophilia, money has always felt like one of my shields — the thing I lean on to protect myself and my family from uncertainty.

But the trap of the scarcity mindset is that even when your needs are being met, you’re always bracing for the moment they won’t be. You live like the rug is about to be pulled out from under you. That can lead to patterns that don’t make sense on the surface: holding on to things we should throw away, not wearing new clothes because we’re “saving them,” or in my case, staying too long at jobs that drain me because I can’t shake the thought that I’ll never find anything better.

When you live with hemophilia, scarcity isn’t just a mindset; it’s a reality. Medication is precious, expensive, and not always easy to obtain, especially here in the Philippines, where we live. For my husband, Jared, this isn’t a hypothetical fear. It’s the background noise of his life. The possibility that treatment could run out is always present. So, for him, scarcity mindset might look like hesitating to infuse an adequate amount of factor — not because he doesn’t need it, but because there’s always the worry that the supply could run out.

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The cost of carrying scarcity everywhere

Here’s the paradox: Scarcity may be real in certain areas, but if you let that mindset spread into every corner of your life, it can hold you back. I’ve seen how fear of running out can extend beyond medicine and into work, relationships, and even joy. If you always think, “This is the last chance I’ll ever get,” you cling too tightly. You don’t take risks. You don’t let yourself imagine abundance.

So how do you reconcile this? How do you honor the reality that treatment supplies are finite, while resisting the mindset that everything else must be finite, too?

For us, it means naming the difference out loud. Medication might be scarce. But opportunities for growth, joy, and progress are not. It means building practical safety nets where we can — saving whenever we can, staying informed about new treatments, joining advocacy groups — while also practicing abundance in small ways. Wearing the new shirt. Applying for the new role. Saying yes to experiences, even if fear whispers otherwise.

Scarcity will always be part of hemophilia, but it doesn’t have to define the whole story.


Note: Hemophilia News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Hemophilia News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to hemophilia.

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