Sunrise Sunset – a Column by Jaime Christmas

persevering, stronger

Jaime is a caregiver to her husband who is afflicted with the hereditary ATTR amyloidosis disease. Since his 2013 diagnosis, Jaime’s experience dealing with the effects of the disease on her husband and family have seen her go through many challenges in her vital role as caregiver. She’s required constant personal growth and flexibility to be successful in this complex, demanding, and stressful role. She is also the CEO and founder of the New Zealand Amyloidosis Patient Association, a not-for-profit charity formed in 2019 to promote and advocate for education, awareness, and treatment for patients and their families in New Zealand. Join her on this journey as she shares on the importance of being a caregiver, the role’s demands, how she’s risen above it all, and how everyone can do their part to ensure better outcomes for both the patient and caregiver’s health and well-being.

In This Passageway of Grief, I Also Find Hope

After nine years of being a caregiver to a husband afflicted with hATTR amyloidosis, I can no longer lay claim to having that role. My beloved husband of 27 years, Aubrey, passed away on May 22. Even as I write this, I realize that moving forward, I won’t…

What Time Away From My Husband Taught Me About Love

On April 1, Malaysia’s borders reopened to international travelers following COVID-19-related closures, and I finally had the pleasure of visiting my family who lives there. I hadn’t seen them in more than three years, so after spending two weeks of quality time together, saying goodbye and returning home to…

My Calendar Helps Me Remember Past Medical Events

In my work as a patient advocate for the New Zealand Amyloidosis Patients Association, I occasionally need to assemble content for the awareness projects I’m involved in. Whether it’s a speaking engagement or a mind map diagram for a presentation, I usually highlight setbacks and milestones my husband,…

Taking a Break From Caregiving to Visit Family

After almost three years of not seeing my family, I’m finally back in Malaysia to spend some quality time with my father, siblings, and children. More important, I can receive closure after my mother’s passing last May. I’m challenged by the fact that she wasn’t here to hug me upon…

Feeling at Home at the Hospital

As a caregiver to a spouse with hereditary ATTR amyloidosis, I’ve become familiar with our local hospital. The countless appointments and stays that Aubrey, my husband, has endured since diagnosis in 2013 have allowed me the opportunity to roam the building and acquaint myself with the layout of…