Sunrise Sunset — Jaime Christmas

resilience, caring, expectations, pain, live intentionally, environment, well-being 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.

ATTR amyloidosis treatment exists, but for many, it’s not accessible

A transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) diagnosis is life-altering. This progressive disease causes abnormal protein deposits to slowly accumulate in structures such as the heart and nerves. Left untreated, ATTR cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) can shorten life expectancy to within a few years after diagnosis. My late husband, Aubrey, was diagnosed with…

HATTR-PN

Columns

I’m Embracing Optimism as We Approach the New Year

2021 has been a character-building year for me. I experienced challenges like never before, and I’m not just referring to the ones associated with the…

HATTR-PN

Columns

Why Intentionality Matters When Spending Time With an Ill Loved One

I spent half the morning figuring out our plan for Christmas. In recent years, it’s been a tradition for the whole family — including pets…

HATTR-PN

Columns

Staying Hopeful as a Caregiver While Confronting the Important Issues

This is my 48th column since I began this providential opportunity as a writer at Amyloidosis News Today. To be given the platform to…

HATTR-PN

Columns

I’ve Experienced 3 Phases of Caregiving

Life experience plays an integral role in shaping our behavior and thinking. I have come a long way from being an unsettled 18-year-old to a…

HATTR-PN

Columns

Even Before the Pandemic, We Knew Social Distancing and Isolation

New Zealand was largely able to avoid the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, until now. The contagious nature of the delta variant and the high…

HATTR-PN

Columns

Cooking Videos Are Helping My Husband Beat His Food Aversion

My husband, Aubrey, has begun watching cooking videos on YouTube to overcome an aversion to food and eating. We are both from Malaysia, where f…

HATTR-PN

Columns

The Importance of Making Memories and Spending Time With My Husband

As we enter the second half of October, I’m not quite sure how the end of the year has arrived so quickly. Time flies while…

HATTR-PN

Columns

Searching for Activities to Do With a Sick Loved One

To all my fellow caregivers, I want you to know that I understand what you are going through, and I am cheering you on. After…

HATTR-PN

Columns

Why It May Be Beneficial to Talk With Loved Ones About Death

I lost my mother in May. Even as I type those words, I have not fully come to terms with it, as I have yet…

HATTR-PN

Columns

To Learn About hATTR Amyloidosis, Turn to Those With Experience

If you are a longtime caregiver for a loved one with hereditary ATTR amyloidosis, you are probably knowledgeable about the condition. My name is…

HATTR-PN

Columns

Staying the Caregiving Course Using Humor

I look for humor in every situation. Humor can be lifesaving in times of despair. U.S. Congregational minister Henry Ward Beecher said, “A person…

HATTR-PN

Columns

How Caregivers Can Cultivate Endurance and Find Purpose

The 3rd European ATTR Amyloidosis Meeting for Patients and Doctors was held virtually on Sept. 6-8. Because the New Zealand Amyloidosis Patients Association,…

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News

Sunrise Sunset — Jaime Christmas

ATTR amyloidosis treatment exists, but for many, it’s not accessible

I’m Embracing Optimism as We Approach the New Year

Why Intentionality Matters When Spending Time With an Ill Loved One

Staying Hopeful as a Caregiver While Confronting the Important Issues

I’ve Experienced 3 Phases of Caregiving

Even Before the Pandemic, We Knew Social Distancing and Isolation

Cooking Videos Are Helping My Husband Beat His Food Aversion

The Importance of Making Memories and Spending Time With My Husband

Searching for Activities to Do With a Sick Loved One

Why It May Be Beneficial to Talk With Loved Ones About Death

To Learn About hATTR Amyloidosis, Turn to Those With Experience

Staying the Caregiving Course Using Humor

How Caregivers Can Cultivate Endurance and Find Purpose

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