My husband, Jared, often spent his childhood navigating two very different worlds. In one, he was a regular kid with big dreams and boundless imagination. In the other, he was a young boy living with severe hemophilia B, which meant being confined to hospital beds for weeks while receiving…
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I’m a pastor in the United Methodist Church, where the one constant we share is change. In our denomination, pastors serve on an itinerant system, which means that the cabinet (the bishop plus the district superintendents) chooses which pastors will serve in different locations. As a result, I’ll…
Prophylactic, or preventive, treatment with factor VIII (FVIII) replacement therapy for four years reduced annual bleeding rates by 91% for people with severe hemophilia A, a study from Taiwan reported. After switching from on-demand treatment to prophylaxis, patients also experienced a 90.8% reduction in annual joint bleed rates and reported…
When my husband, Jared, was younger, he was “the sick child.” With severe hemophilia B and a seizure disorder, he stood out like a sore thumb — or a rare gem. In any case, he was distinct as the child who required special accommodations at school or who missed…
On Monday, my youngest son, Caeleb, will begin his second semester as a freshman at the University of New Mexico. Last night he asked me if I had a few minutes to talk. I might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but when my 18-year-old asks outright for…
Combining gene therapy with minimally invasive, robot-assisted hip replacement surgery safely and effectively treated severe joint damage for a 27-year-old man in China with hemophilia A, according to a case report. The approach significantly reduced the need for replacement therapy…
My husband, Jared, lives with severe hemophilia B and a seizure disorder. Despite these challenges, he’s active in ways that many people wouldn’t expect. He swims, lifts weights, and plays badminton. He can also keep up with our 5-year-old daughter, who is a huge ball of energy. We recently…
Many of us resume our schedules after the holidays, when we start a new year. We recommit ourselves to following a health plan or finding ways to let go of past hurts. Just to be clear, I didn’t say New Year’s resolutions. When we decide to redirect unhealthy behavior and…
At age 28, I received a diagnosis that changed the way I saw myself. Learning that I had attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) felt like a missing puzzle piece finally clicking into place. Suddenly, everything that had once confused me about my life made sense: my struggles to stay engaged in tasks…
One of the most frequent questions I hear is, “How do I find community?” The question resonates deeply with me because, like many others in the bleeding disorders community, I’ve struggled with feeling isolated and misunderstood. Finding a sense of belonging has been a journey, one filled with trial…