November is a month of personal celebrations and Thanksgiving, a favorite holiday. We’re prompted all month via marquees and commercials to give thanks. We shouldn’t need prompting. And it shouldn’t be a one-month effort. Granted, life isn’t easy for many. However, it usually takes little effort to…

For someone who has watched many a sex scene in movies and television, the sounds were unmistakable, yet unsurprising. Netflix’s “The Witcher,” based on a fantasy book series by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, pulls no punches when it comes to explicit imagery. Body horror, gore, nudity, and…

Spinraza (nusinersen) improved fine manual dexterity — the ability to make coordinated finger movements to grasp and manipulate objects — in both hands of five children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 2 over 1.5 years of treatment, a case series study showed. This study “is the first…

Every Wednesday, I jump on a Zoom call with a bunch of writers and talk. Sometimes we talk about professional things, like revisions, copy edits, or writing to the market. Sometimes we talk about politics. More often than not, we talk about survival — specifically, how to survive as a…

Delayed Spinraza (nusinersen) treatment due to the COVID-19 pandemic did not directly result in a worsening of symptoms in children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a small study suggests. Any worse motor function that occurred during this period was attributed to a lack of response to the therapy…

After many months of searching and navigating the challenges of house hunting with a disability (that’s a story for another day), I am extremely pleased to say that we have finally found our new home. And we’re just in time to celebrate the holiday season around the cozy, wood-burning fireplace!…

Genetic analysis of dried saliva spots identified people with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a study demonstrated and possibly for the first time. The scientists noted that this noninvasive and low-cost, alternate method of genetic screening may be suitable for programs held in schools or workplaces without the need for…

From my perspective, time is a more important resource to me than money. It’s all about spending my time wisely on the important things so that I can get a good return on my investment. Yes, it’s that old cliché that “time is money.” However, let’s look at…