Columns

This February marked four years since the day my world — our world — changed forever. For the previous 11 months, my wife, Pam Squires, and I had been stuck in a relentless loop, a medical maze with no clear answers. Fifty-seven different trips to the hospital or doctor’s office.

A diagnosis of ANCA vasculitis can drastically change our world and our priorities. We may have to adjust many aspects of our life, but do we have to change our hopes and dreams? After my diagnosis of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), a type of ANCA…

I recently hit a huge milestone: Eighteen years had passed since my first symptoms of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), a type of ANCA-associated vasculitis, began, and it was the 17th anniversary of my diagnosis. My EGPA has been through many stages of growth: sleep-deprived infancy,…

Last in a series. Read part one.  In my previous column, I discussed how I plan for international trips with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), a type of ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). Planning an international trip takes forethought and an awareness of potential pitfalls. Once you arrive at…

Piglet in the Winnie the Pooh series has a famous line: “It is hard to be brave when you’re only a Very Small Animal.” When I was diagnosed in April 2007 with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), formerly known as Churg-Strauss syndrome, it wasn’t…

We all know the children’s book by Dr. Seuss called “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” After 17 years with ANCA vasculitis, I could write one titled “Oh, the Doctors You’ll See!” Before my journey with ANCA vasculitis, I had two doctors — my primary care physician (PCP)…

First in a two-part series. Before I was diagnosed with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), a type of ANCA-associated vasculitis, I had lived overseas, in France, Sweden, and the U.K. I’d also spent several weeks in Haiti doing research and providing training in schools following that country’s devastating…

I seriously did not have time for this. I did not have time to get sick. Not now. Those were my thoughts when I finally received a diagnosis of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis, or EGPA, during the busy holiday season in late 2015. I had my kids’ holiday…

As a child, I always used to check out travel and cooking books from my local library. I’d daydream about foreign places and exotic foods and couldn’t wait to see the world. Some might say I had my head in the clouds. Soon after graduating from college, I married and…

Depression is a challenging illness to manage. When I have a depressive spell, it feels like I’m stuck in a cold, gray fog with no way out. No matter what I do, I can’t see past the gloom. For the past two weeks, I’ve been lost in it. Dealing…