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…
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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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…
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.
Recently, I’ve taken to the ukulele. I love its diminutive size, how its four strings (versus six on a guitar) are perfect for my tiny hands, and the happy sound it produces. (Our neighborhood ukulele store is aptly named Happy Music.) In the past month, I’ve purchased a couple of…
With Valentine’s Day over, it’s amazing to look back at the “Love Month” celebrations my husband, Jared, and I have had since we first started dating. In our six years together, we’ve had our share of Valentine’s Day celebrations. Some stood out more than others. One example is the time…
Memories flooded my mind as I was going about my usual work today. I suddenly thought about my life before I met my husband, Jared, before my pregnancy, and before our daughter, Cittie, was born. I thought about my depression. And then I thought about our future as…
Two members of our local hemophilia community passed away in recent weeks. My husband, Jared, knew one of them, who succumbed to an iliopsoas bleed. The other was an older member of the hemophilia organization my husband works with. He had a stroke that led to bleeding in…
The new year is a wonderful time. To many of us, it’s a symbol of fresh hope and new beginnings. I greeted January with many dreams and the hope that they may come true. After an eventful series of moments leading up to New Year’s Eve, my husband, Jared,…
I’d been sick with acute respiratory troubles for almost a week. Not a minute had gone by without a sniffle or a sneeze. My sinuses had been painful and horribly congested, my throat inflamed, and my stomach upset due to the collection of phlegm in my digestive tract. (Don’t get…
As early as September, colorful Christmas lights adorn all sorts of spaces in the Philippines. Families begin decorating their homes and stores start to roll out out holiday promotions: holiday-themed drinks, planners for collecting stickers — you name it. At the onset of such traditions, one can feel the so-called…
My 10-month-old baby, Cittie, is becoming a daddy’s girl. She looks for her daddy when she wants to play. She clings to him when she wants to be carried. She gets uneasy whenever he leaves the room. Jared, my husband, can’t even stand up to go to the bathroom, lest…
My husband, Jared, and I are at a point in our lives where our careers have taken on greater significance. It seems like just yesterday when we were college students eager to graduate and experience life, curious about the mysteries that the future might hold. We were figuring out our…
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