The Beginner's Guide to Walking - a Column by Jennifer V.

Why Lifting COVID-19 Restrictions Has Me Worried

I have a theory: I’m convinced you can scream (almost) anything at a baseball game. The more obscure the cheer, the greater it is. “You call that peanut butter?!” “Turn ’em upside down!” “Let’s go, captain! Take ’em out to sea!” (This one is way more fun when said in…

Food for the Soul and the Body

When I walk through the doors of Satay Sate, a local Indonesian restaurant, the aromas that hit me instantly remind me of my childhood. I first ventured there after my dad died, and I was brought to tears at my first bite. It was like they had stolen Dad’s recipes.

Movement in the Recovery From Transverse Myelitis

“Can you walk down the hall for me, please?” My specialist, with a stern look on her face, waits patiently. “And back again toward me now.” It feels so ridiculous that, as a 40-year-old woman, I’m being asked to do this. I steady myself and walk down the hallway. I…

No Laughing Matter? Not Necessarily

“Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the MRI, all the way from the changing room, the one and only …” I’ve sauntered into the room and grabbed the finger heart rate monitor, only to turn it into a makeshift microphone. The nurse looks at me, clearly unamused. I know…

Embracing Science for My Own Survival

We cannot separate science from life. Trust me, I’ve tried. Like most young people, I once thought of myself as invincible. So I was absolutely stunned when I was diagnosed with neuromyelitis optica (NMO) at the age of 24. With the diagnosis, my world came crumbling down. Yet while…

The Burden of Taking Opioids for Neuromyelitis Optica

“Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.” — Popular proverb I once slipped on black ice at the end of our street. My handbag, its contents, and my cellphone flew just outside of arm’s reach. I could see our home while I lay on the cold and dirty city sidewalk. Maybe…

Using Alternative and Holistic Healthcare Solutions

The daily grind of ingesting pills for my neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder can be very disheartening. There is medication for my nerve pain, to combat the fatigue, to manage the overall pain, to help me sleep. There are even pills to offset the heartburn that happens because of all the…