Coping methods

Describing myself has always been a challenge. I’m as complex as the next person, but I feel like I’ve been a chameleon my entire life, always adapting to my surroundings to survive. That drive to survive is how I’ve become edgy, direct, and an advocate for various causes. This edge…

I’ve always been a superstitious person. It started by listening to tales about my oma (grandma), who was a believer in the dark arts. My greatest memory of her is from one evening when she called everyone to say goodbye, knowing she would pass away the next day. And she…

Everyone has a breaking point. It’s natural to feel overwhelmed by sadness, depression, or anxiety when life’s pressures become too heavy. Those of us who have chronic illnesses have our breaking points, too. As a lifelong patient with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), I’d like to believe it…

As I do on any typical morning, I peered at my reflection in the mirror, squinting until I managed to insert my contacts. On this particular morning, however, despite my blurred vision, I couldn’t help but notice a peculiar bump on my right ear. “What fresh nightmare is this?” I…

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with medical marijuana products. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. Living in Colorado is a dream for many reasons, including the fact that there are over 300…

I’ve been trying to stay active, but after a long family bike ride, I was exhausted. I opened my fridge looking for a fast and easy snack and audibly cheered when I found the strawberries I’d washed, chopped, and neatly placed into Tupperware earlier that day. Had I not found…

Passing through the Great North here in Canada reminds me of how much I love being connected to nature. I never get enough of it when living in a metropolitan city. Modern medications are saving my life, but I can’t help but wonder if the answer to neuromyelitis optica…

“The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places.” — Ernest Hemingway, “A Farewell to Arms” One of my favorite things to do is prepare a meal while a good friend is seated at my kitchen bar, a wine glass or cup of tea in…

One of my greatest pet peeves since my diagnosis with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is when people tell me it’s OK to be sick. I don’t need their permission to be who I am. What they’re really saying, though, is that they expect me to be a…

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD), my rare autoimmune disorder, forever throws new symptoms at me when I least expect them. To combat these surprises, I’ve had to create several unconventional coping mechanisms, many of them funny, awkward, or downright silly, especially to others who might witness them. Following…