From Fear to Fighter - a Column by Brandi Lewis

When I was diagnosed with aplastic anemia and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), one of my main questions was, how do we cure my blood disorders? In the beginning, I thought I could snap my fingers and the problems would go away. I’d be able to return to…

I recall hearing people being asked the question “How did you become successful?” Many of the answers were a version of “Work hard now and sleep later.” I used to live by that code. I thought that to be successful, I had to put my health last. I needed to…

Being diagnosed with an illness can result in a plethora of emotions. We may feel vulnerable, hurt, confused, sad, raw, or scared. With tensions high, it can be hard to protect our mental health while gathering information about the disease. After I was diagnosed with aplastic anemia and…

The other day, as I was standing in front of my bathroom mirror, I began to pay attention to my scars. They’ve been on my body for so long that they’ve become a part of me. Many days, as I get ready, I don’t even notice my scars as something…

I answered the doctor’s call with, “Hello, this is Brandi.” On the other end, my doctor paused and then delivered the news: “Your results came back, and they are positive for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria” (PNH). I didn’t know what to think. Just that week, I’d been diagnosed…

When asked how I’m feeling, I often force a smile, nod my head, and say, “Good! How are you?” But what I truly want to say is, “PNH is kicking my butt! I am feeling it mentally, physically, and emotionally.” When I’m in the midst of fighting paroxysmal nocturnal…

Working as a healthy person is hard, but add a chronic illness to your 9-to-5 job, and it becomes even tougher. I have worked in corporate America for seven years. Throughout my career, I’ve endured stressful days when the company was short-staffed and I was the only person on the…

“Why me?” This is the question many patients ask themselves after being diagnosed with an illness. My first “why me?” moment occurred in 2009 at age 19. Between living in sorority dorms, studying in the library, and eating and socializing in the café, college life filled my days. I had…