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Our Journey 2025

“Advocacy is empathy, compassion and community at work.

True advocacy is based on understanding and empowering others.” –Janna Cachola

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January 18, 2025

We met Joel Geisz at a friend's birthday party. He shared with us that he added Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) to his curriculum at the high school where he teaches. He heard about Christina and PMDD from our friend who knew Christina.

 

Joel said, "Christina's story resonated with me. I am married and have four daughters (and a son) and hearing that PMDD can be so disruptive, even to the point of suicide, was disturbing. I teach anatomy & physiology as well as medical terminology to high school students. My classes generally are populated by girls more than boys. So, I have a platform and an audience for at least bringing PMDD to the attention of a population of girls (and boys who may be boyfriends, future husbands, and fathers)."  Click here to read Joel's full story.

 

Joel has been sharing Christina's story and raising awareness of PMDD for the past three years! We gave Joel 600 PMDD information cards to share with his students. Thank you Joel for helping raise awareness of PMDD!

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January 27, 2025

Gave a private PMDD presentation over Zoom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Joel Geisz's PMDD Advocacy

January 28, 2025

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I learned of Christina's story shortly after her passing in 2021. My wife (Patti) and I met Greg and Susan Renoe in Galena, Illinois for a little getaway in mid-November, just a couple of weeks after Christina passed away. Susan shared her story with us while it was still very raw and painful.

 

Christina's story resonated with me. I am married and have four daughters (and a son) and hearing that PMDD can be so disruptive, even to the point of suicide, was disturbing. I teach anatomy & physiology as well as medical terminology to high school students. My classes generally are populated by girls more than boys. So, I have a platform and an audience for at least bringing PMDD to the attention of a population of girls (and boys who may be boyfriends, future husbands, and fathers).

 

Upon returning from our trip, I updated my notes in medicalterminology for the reproductive system chapter in the section where we were going over terms for disorders and diagnostic terms relating to the female reproductive system. PMDD is mentioned in our book, but very briefly along with PMS and various other menstrual irregularities (dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, menorrhagia, etc).

 

I added a bit of information to the slides I present about PMDD. More importantly, when I reach the slide about PMDD I tell Christina's story. Her story resonates with my students and they often have questions related to why nobody figured out what was going on before it was too late. I try to make the point that her story could have turned out differently with a quicker diagnosis and treatment plan but that would require healthcare professionals to be aware that this is even a diagnosis. I have also begun to include Christina's story in my anatomy & physiology classes since that gives me an even wider audience.

 

While I do not know of any girls who have sought treatment or have self-identified as having PMDD, I am hopeful that having at least heard of it once in their life, maybe it will be the difference-maker for some of my students in the future.

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Joel Geisz
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