By Giselle Washington
When I was three years old, I was diagnosed with a bleeding disorder VWD [von Willebrand disease] that means when I get a cut or a bruise it will bleed longer than most kids. Sometimes I get a nosebleed at school, and I must see the nurse. People ask me why that happens to me and say that it is not fun and isn’t but there is a special medicine that I can take to help stop the bleeding and it’s called Factor [Factor is a type of medicine that people with bleeding disorders take through a needle.]
I must take the Factor every week, so my nose does not bleed. When I do have a nosebleed, I get a pair of swimmer’s clips and pinch my nose with them. Then I tell my mom then I go and get some ice and put it on the roof of my mouth to help cool my nose down. We didn’t know much about VWD so my mom found these special meetings and conferences to go to so we can learn more about VWD and how to treat it and that made me feel so much better when we got help.
When my nose bleeds too much and it won’t stop, I must take the factor. I must take the factor through a needle [we use a butterfly.]. After I take the medicine, I must wait a few minutes then I will be good to go.
