Jaime Christmas is a patient advocate and columnist based in Auckland, New Zealand, with her cheeky doggie, Akira. She was a caregiver to a spouse who was afflicted with hATTR amyloidosis. Now she fights for equitable treatment and support for diagnosed patients and their caregivers. Although she now lives without the daily challenges of being a caregiver since her husband’s passing in 2022, she hopes to be still an encourager and listening ear to those presently walking the journey she knows only too well.
My late husband, Aubrey, was diagnosed with hereditary ATTR amyloidosis in 2013 and passed away on May 22, 2022. Those nine years were spent transitioning from having harmony in our marriage to navigating a relationship wrought with…
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Earlier today, I had the privilege of listening to a fellow carer share the mental, emotional, and physical trials she experienced while supporting her late husband, who was afflicted with hereditary amyloidosis — the same condition my…
It is a summer morning here in New Zealand. As I write this, a cool, gentle breeze blows through the house, and I am being serenaded by a symphony of native backyard birds. In moments like this, I am…
Sleep is an essential part of life that comes so naturally, from the moment we come into being. Yet sometimes we forget the impact that too much or too little sleep can have on our lives. I say “naturally,”…
I can hear the shower going upstairs as I sit at my writing desk in my downstairs office. It is funny how the sound of running water always makes me feel a little melancholic and contemplative. At the moment,…
2020 is almost at an end. In a few weeks, we will celebrate the holiday season, and before we know it, 2021 will be upon us. The past year was mostly filled with bad news and unexpected events, and…
“Surprise!” I watched familiar faces filter into the room where I stood stunned, not expecting the birthday event that was unfolding before me. I turn 50 tomorrow, and some close friends went to the trouble of organizing a celebration…
I feel the coolness of the glass against my forehead. The shower is pelting warmth against my skin, but the water doesn’t feel very soothing today. I am tense as I block out thoughts of banging my head against…
“I love you. If anything happens to me, you know where I keep the account details.” My husband uttered these parting words as I dropped him off for admittance into the hospital in April. His severe fluid retention…
My husband lives under the banner of his disease. This may sound hard-hitting, but it is the fact of the matter. The sooner carers appreciate that hereditary amyloidosis may transform their loved one into someone else, the better they…
My laptop reads 3:37 a.m. I made the mistake of checking my work inbox when I should be asleep. There are times I become overzealous in my correspondence. I want to provide a solution for the people who contact…
I turn 50 this November, and one of the key things I have learned is that we as human beings totally underrate our ability to overcome tough situations. I have yet to figure out why we keep falling for…
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