Columns

Note: This column was updated Jan. 16, 2025, to correct that Soliris is an antibody therapy. Most of us go to great lengths to lessen or get rid of pain, whether we’re using over-the-counter (OTC) or prescription medications, anesthesia, nerve blocks, acupuncture, meditation, or other methods. But what do we…

Note: This column was updated Jan. 16, 2025, to correct that Soliris is an antibody therapy. I stir from my sleep because something doesn’t feel right. I shiver as the fan’s breeze brushes over me. I’m both cool and wet. I try to lift my arm, but it barely rises…

It’s that time of the year again — and not just for approaching holidays and snowy winter weather. It’s also the season for what I hate the most: colds and the flu. As someone with an ultra rare disease that leaves me immunosuppressed, cold and flu season is the scariest…

Note: This column was updated Jan. 16, 2025, to correct that Soliris is an antibody therapy. Patience is not my strongest trait and never has been. I’ve always been a go-getter. When I wanted something done, I knew no one was going to do it for me, so I did…

Financial woes seem to be affecting many Americans, who are having a hard time affording sky-high rent or mortgage rates on their homes. People also worry about the cost of food, child care, car payments, and many other things. Now imagine having to face these financial…

Note: This column was updated Jan. 16, 2025, to correct that Soliris is an antibody therapy. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. Every year, my family dresses up in themed costumes to go trunk-or-treating and door-to-door candy-grabbing. But in 2020, I had no idea if something as simple…

Note: This column was updated Jan. 16, 2025, to correct that Soliris is an antibody therapy. “Mind over matter” is an expression I’ve always heard, but I never took it to heart until after my near-death experience. It’s amazing how my state of mind and the perception others have…

Anniversaries are typically a call for celebration, whether you’re honoring a wedding, the day you started at a job, or a special event or milestone. But for me, this time of year brings the anniversary of when I almost died. In September 2020, I was admitted to the intensive…

The first thing that comes to mind when I hear someone needs a blood transfusion is that they’ve had a car accident or surgery that’s caused them to lose a large amount of blood. I needed a blood transfusion after my first cesarean section delivery after complications from a…

Sept. 16 marked the three-year anniversary of my first near-death experience. In September 2020, I was hospitalized and then spent almost two months in the intensive care unit with multiple organs failing. After weeks of testing and interviews, doctors determined that I had atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome, a…