Two years ago, I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression. I always knew I was struggling, but somehow that struggle didn’t feel real until I received a diagnosis. I battled eating disorders and body dysmorphia in my teenage years. Yet, that was only the tip of an iceberg that…
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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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…
I celebrated Mother’s Day a week ago at home with my family. We held a sale at our Instagram shop for the family jewelry business and sold several Mother’s Day goodies. It was a relief that this sale was successful. Having enough resources for our family is enough of a…
Spoiler alert: This column shares brief plot details from the Netflix series “Atypical.” Caregiver fatigue is real. It’s normal, and people should talk about it. Lately, my husband and I have been watching the Netflix series “Atypical,” which focuses on the life of an autistic teenager,…
What’s new, month of May? Why hello there, extended coronavirus lockdown! Our community quarantine was set to end on April 30. In the last few days of April, I felt so excited to go back to how life was before COVID-19. I missed going out, eating…
My husband, Jared, and I recently talked about getting a dog. I’m excited and can’t wait. We spent an entire night flipping through pictures of various dog breeds. We finally managed to narrow down our selection to four possible types. At the top of the list is the Cavalier…
My husband is down with a bleed for the second time since the COVID-19 quarantine began. It hasn’t even been a week since he recovered from his latest abdominal bleed. We were only starting to settle back into our usual routine. I was happy to…
My husband, Jared, has a new resolution: to start keeping a bleeding journal. In his journal, Jared plans to write about recent bleeding episodes. Each entry will describe the sensation of a particular bleed, the affected area of the body, and steps he took to nurse the injury back to…
“I wish your ab would be better now,” I tell my husband Jared in a pleading voice. Jared is recovering from a bleed in the abdominal region that has taken a toll on his mobility for the past week. He’s already gone through a couple of factor infusions but still…
As an old saying goes, it’s good to look on the bright side of life. It’s a call for us to remain optimistic in light of difficulties. There’s nothing wrong with having an optimistic view of things. In fact, it is important to see the “silver lining” in a bad…
For the past three days, the capital of the Philippines has been on total lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak. The country is now in a state of calamity as the number of cases continues to rise. Members of our government believe they are forced to take drastic…
Like other countries, the Philippines is in a state of panic due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Schools have canceled classes well into mid-April. The possibility of lockdowns in various cities and municipalities is quickly becoming a reality. In the metropolitan Manila area where I live, authorities are about to prohibit…
Growing up is exciting. Most young adults spend their late teens and early 20s meeting new people and making new friends. As we grow older, we get jobs, move away from home, and date. Some choose to get married and have kids. Inevitably, we also outgrow some old friendships.
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