“Mama, can we ride one more roller coaster, please?” I looked at Sophie’s desperate face and could see her excitement waiting to boil over. At 10 years old, my daughter is a tiny daredevil. The bigger and faster the ride, the louder she laughs. I knew she wanted to…
Coping methods
I’ve always loved driving, especially highway driving late at night. Watching every dash on the road zoom by with the hum of the car is both an exercise in concentration and a form of meditation. I was once an occasional smoker (it was short-lived), and I’m embarrassed to admit…
My family and I always laugh about my inability to keep plants alive. In my defense, if something isn’t hollering at me for attention or sending me email reminders, I can’t be responsible for watering it. I have never described myself as the nurturing type. However, I am competitive, so…
There’s nothing more frustrating than working hard to reach a milestone, only to be knocked down and have to start all over again. That’s what it’s like having neuromyelitis optica (NMO). My toughest days happen when I’m frustrated with my body. What worked yesterday suddenly might not work today.
The new year can represent a new start, except it isn’t, really. I still have neuromyelitis optica (NMO), and the challenges that existed in our lives last year are still here. But what a new year can become is a moment to pause, reflect, and commit to new habits…
The phoenix is my spirit animal. Out of the ashes it rises, and a new self is born. That’s how I felt after my neuromyelitis optica (NMO) diagnosis, and it’s how I feel every time something changes with this disease. Reinvention is important to my survival, both physically and…
Thankful, grateful, blessed. These three words are part of a table decoration my husband recently bought me and placed on my desk as a reminder of the incredible life we are living. No matter the time or day, these three words give me hope and inspire positive thoughts and feelings.
The human body is fascinating for many reasons. Our body speaks to us throughout the day, letting us know when we are hungry, tired, full of energy, sick, or in pain. It’s a temple we must nourish, listen to, and treat well. Sometimes our body screams at us to…
There are so many things I still want to do in life. I never stop. Perhaps it’s because I feel that I’m up against a clock. I constantly wonder how long it will be until my neuromyelitis optica (NMO) takes over and I am further limited in energy and…
The greatest challenge I’ve had to overcome as someone with neuromyelitis optica (NMO) — something I’ve heard echoed by other patients — is the need for better support. This begins with the expectations we each have of those in our lives. When those expectations aren’t met, we…