| |
David from Canada |   |
Facts
| Name |
David (cosmosVIII) |
| Age |
22 |
| Location |
Montreal, Canada |
| Occupation |
Math University Student |
| Bleeding disorder |
Haemophilia |
| Type |
A - severe |
Questions and answers
How much does the bleeding disorder affect your life?
It is a difficult question to answer I think…
When I think about it, most of everything I do in life is pretty harmless, which is not something out of the ordinary for a person with hemophilia. But if I was not born with hemophilia would I have chosen other pastimes or to do something else than studying? For me, this first question share some links with the second one.
Putting my "supermarket philosophy" aside, and considering that my involvement in the Canadian Hemophilia Society has not changed my life (what a lie :)), I can say for now, the only time that hemophilia affects my life is when I have spontaneous bleeding. Sometimes that can change the agenda of the day. Still, I am very lucky because I don't have yet any serious target-joint. Usually, I treat myself once a week.
I am truly aware of how lucky I am to have little damage from hemophilia and moreover to live in Canada, which is one the countries of the World where treatment is free and at the state of the art...
If Hemophilia has helped me to empathize more toward the others, to see how little are my problems when compared to other matters elsewhere, I go as far as to say that in all hemophilia had a good effect on my life!
Which possibilities for treatment do you have?
I have access to FVIII recombinant; Kogenate from Bayer is the one I use to be precise. We also have access to physiotherapist, and I do think that this expertise should not be forgotten when treating hemophilia. Also, since a lot of hemophiliacs were touched by the blood scandal, everyone with Hepatitis C have access to the combined therapy of Pegylated Interferon and Ribavirin. For those with HIV, the tritherapy is also available.
What kind of contact do you have with other young people with bleeding disorders?
Thanks to the Canadian Hemophilia Society I have the opportunity to meet young people with bleeding disorders all over Canada, but more especially in Quebec, my province, since the country is huge.
I have made a lot of friends with these people. Although I called them for fun my blood brothers, my friendship with them is almost no different from the one I have with my other friends (those without a bleeding disorder), except for the fact that hemophilia cannot help but to jump in our conversation at least once each time my gather around…
What would you like to know about other young people with bleeding disorders around the world?
I was lucky enough to be at the Hemophilia World Congress of Vancouver this year and I did not miss the chance to learn about treatments and life of people with bleeding disorders of many part of the World. There is still a lot that I don't know yet, and of course, I will be very happy to follow the situation of those I met in Vancouver.
Besides treatment and quality of life, one thing that I am keen to know is how each country uses their National Member organisation and how they are perceived by the population in their home.
Facts about Canada
| Government form |
Constitutional monarchy / Parliamentary democracy |
| Area |
9,093,507 sq km (2nd largest country in the world) |
| Population |
33,098,932 (estimated) |
| GDP per capita (indication of the wealth generated per person) |
$34,000 |
| Internet users |
20.9 million |
(Flag, data and map from CIA World Factbook 2007)
Post you own comment