The Beginner's Guide to Walking — Jennifer V.

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…

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…

While here in Canada we celebrate Thanksgiving a little earlier than our friends in the United States, I feel it works to my advantage. I treat the Thanksgiving holiday — which falls on the second Monday in…

I am scared of dying. This is a truth I have avoided saying out loud or acknowledging for the last 13 years. When I was diagnosed with neuromyelitis optica (NMO), I Googled the disorder, and the internet…

My family has recently become obsessed with the “Overcooked!” video game. With up to four players, we work against the clock chopping vegetables, frying fish or meat, and assembling plates, all while going up against obstacles like…

It feels like there’s a test for everything. As I hit milestones with neuromyelitis optica (NMO), a rare autoimmune disease that can affect the spinal cord and optic nerves, I am subjected to more tests. The latest was…

Over the weekend, I took my daughter to her first in-person birthday party in almost three years. Fate can be cruel sometimes, which is how I found myself at an indoor jungle gym. I forgot how loud children’s screams…

If you’ve been around the medical community long enough, you’ve likely heard the term “gut health.” But what exactly does that mean, and how does one create an optimal internal balance? Good gut health, generally speaking, is having…

If there were a spot on my social media profiles that asked me to describe my position on religion, I’d write, “It’s complicated.” That’s because I’ve had a few too many falling-outs with my God. ‘Why me?’ I…

You’ve probably heard that we need to drink six to eight glasses of water a day. How many of you successfully hit that target? Don’t beat yourself up if you struggle to meet that quota, or, ahem, meet it…

Nothing irks me more than when a medical specialist tells me to “reduce the stress” in my life. It’s as if stress is the same as a few extra pounds of weight we can cut out with some habit…

On a recent overnight trip, my family used a couple of pieces of our luggage set. My husband, Mike, reached into one of the side pockets and retrieved something that shocked him. “What’s this?!” His bewildered look told me…