By Bob Murdock
One of the most ironic comments a doctor has ever made to me was about five years ago. She said, “Good news – bad news. The good news is hemophilia has become a very manageable and treatable disease. Most likely, you are not going to die from a bleeding episode and will live a normal life span. Bad news, now that you’re going to live a longer life, you will most likely die from a heart attack, cancer, stroke, etc.—medical issues that affect most adults.” My response was, “So basically nothing has really changed.”
I feel blessed to be a part of my generation of hemophiliacs because we have witnessed an incredible amount of progress in the treatment of our bleeding disorder. Advances we were never sure we’d see are here. As a result of living longer, I have developed moderate/high blood pressure and had an AFib event for which I now take daily medications.
I also never thought I’d see the day I would have to modify my diet because a cardiologist told me to eat healthier, exercise, and stay active. The diet part stinks because I had to cut back eating the things I truly enjoy. I’ve had to learn the term everything in moderation. I used to eat whatever I felt like and went happily on my way.
All that said, I feel very fortunate to have lived long enough to have these issues to deal with. I am able to live a relatively pain-free life and can do most of the things people my age can do. All is good in my world!
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