Columns

Ding-ding, ding-ding. The ringing echoes throughout the unit, causing a brief silence. It sounds like the toll of a bell as a boat leaves the harbor. Then the unit erupts in unanimous applause and cheering. These are the sounds I hear at least once during my chemotherapy treatment every…

It’s my favorite time of year: holiday season! That’s when we have Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and December birthdays for me and my kids. Having two autoimmune diseases and subsequent medical issues, however, makes it hard for me to participate in all holiday events. It’s easy to feel I’m…

I can’t think of a worse personal fear then having two autoimmune diseases during a pandemic. Every cough I hear in public sends me into a panic. I hold my breath while walking past someone wiping their nose on their sleeve. I’m filled with anxiety when someone behind me in…

People die every day. Old age, illnesses, accidents — death is an inevitable part of life. So how is it that even when I was standing face to face with death, I still didn’t think for a second that I was dying? In September 2020, I almost died. I assumed…

Expensive or subpar healthcare is the norm in the United States. There’s a staggering number of inadequacies in our system. But having a rare disease can suddenly give you a golden ticket to exceptional medical care. I became ill in September 2020 and assumed I had COVID-19 for a…

Escaping death doesn’t come easily. While my severe health issues resulted in emergency medical care and a rare disease diagnosis, they also left scars — physical and emotional. I’d been unwell for much of 2020. My whole family had gotten COVID-19 in March, so when I started developing random…

“You’re dying.” That was my first introduction to atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS). I didn’t have a diagnosis yet, but that’s how my journey began. Rewind to April 2020, when my family had COVID-19. My oldest child was very sick, but my youngest child and I had zero…

When I took this column on a year ago, I wasn’t sure I would have enough to write about each week. Once one learns to say “atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome,” how much is there to say about living with it? So before I committed to the gig, I did a…

This is my penultimate column. That sounds very important and distinguished, doesn’t it? In fact, it simply means this is the next to last column I will write for aHUS News. I started last May with the thought that I could commit to it for a year, then reassess. By…

Shhhhhh! Today is my husband’s birthday. I’m throwing him a surprise party, and you’re all invited! In fact, you’re already here, because it’s virtual and I’m hosting it remotely. So let’s get planning … Editors: Hide behind the colon. Friends and family (who loyally read my column) can all conceal…