In our marriage, my husband, Jared, and I are equals. He may have chronic illnesses, which means there are certain adjustments he must make to have a semblance of normalcy in everyday life. I have psychological issues as well. But we strive to be equal partners. Sometimes we are imbalanced.
HemoWife — Allyx Formalejo
Allyx Formalejo, or Cza, is a writer, entrepreneur, and digital marketer based in Marikina, Philippines. She is married to Jared, who has severe hemophilia B and a seizure disorder. They have a young daughter and two other “babies” — a dog and a cat. Cza herself is diagnosed with ADHD and bipolar II disorder. This allows her to offer a unique perspective on navigating various aspects of young adult life (e.g. relationships, career, and parenting) with chronic health conditions. In her free time, she enjoys collecting fountain pens, supporting small businesses, traveling across the country, and exploring local cafes. She continues to blog like most 90s kids did in the Internet’s early years, sharing her thoughts and interesting discoveries on her personal website, czaofalltrades.com.
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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…
I have been struggling at home lately. I always pictured a peaceful and fulfilling married life. As a wife, I thought I would be queen of my home. Each corner of our house would be filled with my favorite decorations, and our fridge, pantry, and bar would be…
We finally got a dog! She is a 3-month-old purebred golden retriever. It was love at first sight when we saw her at the pet store. From our very first interactions, we knew she was the one. We named her Lucky because the golden color of her coat is associated…
As I write this, it’s the end of the month again, that time when bills are due, debts rack up, and stress is high. I often can’t help but fantasize about what life might be like if I were more successful as an entrepreneur. In the business world, success is…
Earlier today, as I was browsing one of the Facebook mom groups I belong to, I came across another mother’s heartbreaking post. Her daughter, a toddler like my own girl, had been battling cancer for some time. All I could think was that she was too little to have to…
When my husband, Jared, and I first started our online jewelry store, we knew our business was not going to be like other enterprises in the market. He lives with hemophilia and epilepsy, while I am diagnosed with anxiety and depression. We feared that bleeds, seizures, and mental breakdowns would…
Lately, I’ve been finding myself in need of more “alone time.” Now that I am a mom to a hyperactive and curious toddler, most of my days are spent listening to nursery rhymes on repeat, chasing our baby girl and making sure she doesn’t hurt herself while exploring her surroundings,…
Our baby, Cittie, is now the textbook specimen of a toddler. My husband, Jared, often finds himself surprised by how quickly she is developing. Her vocabulary doubles by the day, and she is even learning interjections. As funny as it is to hear her suddenly screaming “Oh no!” or a…
I’ve been reading a lot of parenting books lately. Now that our baby girl, Cittie, is a full-fledged toddler, I’m often unsure of how to deal with her. So many things about her are new to us, from her tendency to throw tantrums, to her…
I am a home-based entrepreneur. My husband and I run a small online jewelry boutique, selling items straight from our bedroom. Two years ago, I decided to quit my full-time office job to focus on growing our concept of a PWD-run fine jewelry brand. I had my doubts, but…
My husband, Jared, recently decided to stop cooking after he was injured during an epileptic seizure. It was a hard decision because he enjoys cooking, and food brings him genuine happiness. He enjoys preparing the ingredients for our daily meals. In his free time,…
Monsoon season has begun here in the Philippines. Every time I drive in downtown Manila, I’m reminded of a family trip last year to Tagaytay, a popular tourist destination. My husband, Jared, and I wanted to get out of town for our first anniversary, but the trip turned out…
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