Trauma comes in all shapes and sizes. People often associate trauma with physical injuries, such as a horrific accident, amputation, or burn wound, but it can be caused by many other situations as well. For example, early childhood trauma can develop when kids grow up with an abusive parent. Trauma…

There are multiple types of medical trauma. A medical emergency can be traumatic. Chronic medical issues can be traumatic. Struggling to obtain a diagnosis and treatment is traumatic. I believe that one of the most consequential results of suffering medical trauma is the subsequent refusal to engage with medical professionals.

I am a big list maker. Each day I start with a list of tasks that I need to accomplish. I find it gratifying to cross through each item once I’ve completed the job. Grocery lists, errands, and meal ideas are some of the elements on my agenda. I also…

My 13-year-old son Caeleb, who had severe hemophilia A and an inhibitor, has not had a bleed in five years. For three of those years, he received a daily infusion with a plasma-derived product, and for the past two years, he has been on a treatment that…

It’s easy to distance yourself from the issues of a bleeding disorder when everything is going well. My youngest son, Caeleb, has not been in the hospital for an overnight stay in several years, and the pain he would endure from repeated bleeds is a distant memory. He…

My mighty warrior Caeleb is officially a teenager. His voice is cracking and becoming lower, he eats a lot, and he is growing taller every day. Where did the time go? Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the passage of time; the older I get, the faster time seems…

My seventh-grade son, Caeleb, is the new kid in a small, rural community where everyone has grown up together, so it’s hard to fit in and make friends. He comes home most days with a tale of mistreatment or insensitive comments directed at him. It breaks my heart,…