Kim Philo

I am a very rare FEMALE with Hemophilia (2% Factor VIII). I want to show people, with PROPER training AND the help of your physician and other professionals: TAKING CARE OF YOUR BODY, WILL HELP IT TAKE CARE OF YOU! Maintaining an appropriate body weight, having good muscle strength, and stability plays a huge role in the amount of bleeding episodes!

I was diagnosed at age 11. At that time, before my diagnosis, I was very active and participated in contact sports, such as volleyball. When I hit my knee on the playground at school, a ripple effect happened that changed my life. My knee swelled up to it’s maximum capacity and was extremely painful! I lived in small town Iowa, and the doctors were not sure what was happening to me. The first thing they tried was aspirating my knee (inserting a needle into the knee joint and extracting fluid). This did not help. They took X-rays, which showed nothing. Next step was to do arthroscopic, exploratory surgery (to take a closer look at the inside of my knee and hopefully find out what was happening). The day before surgery, during the pre-op blood work, they found a hiccup in my bleeding times. Surgery was cancelled and more blood tests were ordered. At this point they knew I had a bleeding disorder, I was given Fresh Frozen Plasma to stop the bleeding into my knee. I was then sent to Mayo Clinic in Minnesota for more blood tests. It was there, I was diagnosed with Moderate Hemophilia A. At that time, I had 4% FVIII in my blood. I was switched to Cryoprecipitate for bleeds, until recombinant products came out. Because my knee joint was delayed in getting the appropriate treatment for such a long time, I now have damaged cartilage. My doctors told me, it was not healthy for me to participate in the sports that I loved. It was suggested to me to try something less stressful, like golf. I have been playing ever since and loving every minute of golf.

kim The reason I bring this up: The ideas of what we SHOULD and SHOULD NOT do as people with hemophilia have changed dramatically throughout the years. We now know that being active, and increasing our muscle strength, can actually reduce the amount of bleeds. I am living proof. I never dreamed I would be able to run on my damaged knee… but here I am… a marathon runner! Make no mistakes, this has taken LOTS of CAREFUL training, starting with swimming, which most people with hemophilia know by now, is the safest form of exercise. I have worked with my team of experts (Primary Care Physician, Hematologist, Physical Therapists, Personal Trainer, and Massage Therapist) to make sure I don’t hurt myself in the process of becoming and staying healthy.

In February of 2009, for our anniversary, my husband and I joined a gym and started to change our lifestyle and become healthier people. After swimming for several months, I added cycling, and then eventually, when my leg muscles were strong enough, I started running. I have lost weight and I can definitely tell a difference in they way my knee reacts to things. During my 1st few 5K races, I would wear my knee brace and factor up prior to the run. My muscle strength now is such that I can run 5K’s without a brace or factor. I will also factor up before longer cycling events, but no knee brace for cycling. It causes more harm than good on the bike, for me.

I have now run 1 FULL marathon, 23 HALF marathons, multiple 10K’s, 8K’s, and 5K’s, and 2 Triathlons. I have participated in 4 RAGBRAI rides (The Des Moines Register’s Great Bike Ride Across Iowa), many Gears for Good hemophilia fundraiser multiday bike rides (in DC, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Ohio), and many local charity rides. My new goal is to compete in triathlons with Alex. I have now run 1 FULL marathon, 23 HALF marathons, multiple 10K’s, 8K’s, and 5K’s, and 2 Triathlons. I have participated in 4 RAGBRAI rides (The Des Moines Register’s Great Bike Ride Across Iowa), many Gears for Good hemophilia fundraiser multiday bike rides (in DC, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Ohio), and many local charity rides. My new goal is to compete in triathlons with Alex.

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