The Beginner's Guide to Walking — Jennifer van Amerom

For the first 10 years after I was diagnosed with neuromyelitis optica (NMO), I chose to keep my condition private because I worried about how others might perceive me. But over the past two years of the pandemic,…

Feeling misunderstood is one of the biggest challenges I face with neuromyelitis optica (NMO). This week, we took our daughter sledding with a couple of friends. Sledding is a Canadian rite of passage, though I’ll admit it feels dangerous…

Most nights, I can’t wait to go to bed. I’ll rush through my bedtime routine, but even though I’m beyond exhausted, I can’t seem to fall asleep. It secretly irks me to be the only one in my household…

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) isn’t all bad. Hear me out. Sure, the needles, pain, and endless worry about permanent paralysis and vision loss are no fun, but there’s a silver lining if you know where to find it. At the…

I am one of the few lucky ones who really enjoy what they do for a living, but that’s probably because I’ve taken control of my destiny. I am constantly reinventing myself and building the career I want. This…

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, many families are concerned about the holidays. I’m trying to approach the season with patience, but as someone with neuromyelitis optica (NMO), I’m also tired, frustrated, and scared. Living with this disease…

Tattoos have always been a form of expression. Throughout history, tattoos have been used to convey love and grief, depict religious symbols, and even serve as a form of punishment. The oldest known tattoo was found on “Iceman,”…

¿Cómo estás? 你好嗎 Ça va? How are you? With the holiday season upon us, people are getting together, hopefully safely, considering the persistent COVID-19 pandemic. While I always enjoy seeing friends and loved ones, I find it uncomfortable when…

Gravity is my friend. Even if I’m tired, gravity will pull my snowboard and me down the mountain. I like to ride alone because I need to listen to music, which I only play in one ear so…

Sometimes in life, the easiest decisions make the greatest impact. It probably wasn’t reasonable for a new couple to get a dog together, but that’s exactly how Marmaduke came into our lives. A wild idea led to an internet…

In my family, I am the third child of four, the daughter of proud, immigrant parents. I grew up in small towns until I finally relocated to Toronto in my early 20s. Growing up, I only knew one kid…

I will always love the feeling of a good bass line, the way the sound escapes concert speakers and vibrates through my entire body. It’s poetic justice that this feeling can now trigger painful spasms, a symptom of neuromyelitis…