Sunrise Sunset — Jaime Christmas

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…

Having a chronic illness is never easy, both for the sufferers and their caregivers. My name is Jaime Christmas, and my husband, Aubrey, started feeling unwell in late 2012. It all started with numbness in his fingertips, but it wasn’t until he lost his taste for food that he…

As I write this, my husband is in the hospital due to complications of hereditary ATTR amyloidosis. Aubrey, 58, was diagnosed in 2013, and this nine-year journey has been transformative. We both have learned to adapt to an ever-changing health situation and roll with the times. In a past…

Every so often, my husband, Aubrey, and I go through this exercise where we evaluate our circumstances in life and decide if we should shake things up a bit. Since the pandemic‘s start, we both have been challenged, not only by its hampering our movement and autonomy, but also…

The day arrived when COVID-19 stepped into our home via our youngest daughter. She found out that a university classmate who’d sat next to her had been infected with omicron. Fortunately, she is in a self-contained area of our home, so as long my husband and I don’t come into…

In 2018, Gov. Bill Haslam made Tennessee the first U.S. state to declare March as Amyloidosis Awareness Month. Since then, those diagnosed with the disease worldwide are acknowledged, recognized, and appreciated this month for the untold challenges they face with this condition. Setting aside a particular month to…

Every week I write my column using my personal experience as a caregiver to a spouse diagnosed with hereditary ATTR amyloidosis. Writing demonstrates my competence to reflect on my words and actions. I can celebrate my strength and tenacity in carrying my responsibilities as a mother to four…

As a columnist, I try to read and expose myself to topics that might inform my writing. Recently, I came across a phrase that piqued my interest because it closely reflected what my husband and I, as well as many disease sufferers I’ve met in my work as a patient…

I recently accompanied my husband, Aubrey, to an appointment with a specialist at the hospital and noticed a sign taped to the wall in the waiting room. It was a word cloud graphic highlighting the practices that healthcare practitioners strive for to create a good experience for patients. As I…

Every week I sit at my desk and ponder what I should write about. As I stare out the window that faces my street, I reflect on everything my husband, Aubrey, and I have encountered on our amyloidosis journey, and the tools that have helped us survive. I’m not…

Lunar New Year celebrations, which began on Feb. 1, last for 15 days. As I write this on the eve of that date, I am busy cooking a selection of traditional dishes for the family to enjoy. Because we live in New Zealand, a Western country far away from family…

I recently counted the number of plants in my house and came up with 45. I’ll admit I’ve gone slightly overboard, but in my defense, my passion began two years ago. When the pandemic hit here in New Zealand, many of us were forced to stay home. We took up…