My name is Ryan, and while I’m certainly not the first in my family to have hemophilia A, I believe I have a unique story to tell. I’d like to tell you a little about myself as well as the path my life has taken, and in doing so, I’ll share my “hemo hijinks” with you.
My paternal grandfather, my oldest brother and a male cousin were also born with hemophilia. My oldest brother, Billy, contracted HIV from a tainted factor VIII infusion and passed away in 1991.
I consider myself a quirky, unique, compassionate, caring and generous person. After nearly 20 years in the corporate world, I decided to go back to school, where I became a licensed practical nurse and worked with oncology patients. I’m now a full-time student pursuing my advanced nursing degree. I plan to become a registered nurse working with hematology/oncology patients.
Staples in my life include my partner, Jarrod; my two cats, Roux and Radar; a miniature dachshund, Savannah; music; art; reading; movies; photography; cooking; and writing. I also consider myself an amateur foodie, and I enjoy collecting midcentury antiques, especially items from the 1960s. (I have a vast collection of furniture, wall hangings, china, knick-knacks, lamps and telephones from that era.)
As far as hemophilia goes, I definitely don’t fit into the “norms,” meaning my situation has proved unique compared with other people with hemophilia:
- I’m a licensed nurse who has hemophilia.
- I’ve had unique experiences when it comes to bleeding episodes and response—or lack thereof—to treatments.
- I’m now going through situations you would normally see in a pediatric patient.
I began blogging in October 2010 as a place for me to share the many stories of my life growing up with hemophilia, as well as the things I deal with on a day-to-day basis. Now, I’m joining the HemAware blog community, which I’m so excited about. I look forward to sharing my stories with everyone!