A Wildflower in the Wheelderness – Katie Napiwocki

My cellphone vibrated atop my kneecap. I glanced down at the screen. An alert emerged from a local news app: A case of COVID-19 had been identified in my small city. I was sitting in our living room with a grateful heart, looking out the windows as the downy glow…

I’ve come down with a fever.  As I sit on my outdoor patio, the tall angle of late February sun kisses my cheeks and warms my bones. From one bare tree branch to another, chickadees chatter amid treetop frolic. Surrounding me along all borders of the patio is a…

“So, Katie, how’s your sex life going? Any concerns there?”  With weak neck muscles, I craned my neck sideways and forward in search of eye contact with my gynecologist. His head and bow tie floated above the peak of my knee cap as cold stirrups rigidly cradled my feet.

I’ve been on hiatus from writing about my SMA.  Truth be told, I’ve needed to break away from the constant reminder that SMA rules my life. When it wants to, SMA tosses banana peels into any gleaming trajectory I’m traveling. It kicks the sturdy platform from beneath my…

Imagine your soul as a canvas that illustrates the story of your life’s journey. Sprawled across an artistic medium, what would your scenery reveal? For some, it would be a river of peaceful waters winding into stormy rapids, set upon a base of weathered stone. For others, splashes of bright…

I’ve always considered water a healing element. During toddlerhood, my mom connected me with an aquatic therapy center owned by a warm-hearted occupational therapist named Suzy. I swam weekly until my young adult years, when the scenery of my life evolved. I was off to college, and my therapist…

Dear Mom and Dad, In the wake of FDA approval of Zolgensma, jubilant feelings soar like a kite, beyond the boundaries of wonderful to the highest altitude of hope. Mom, we recently had lunch together and chatted about new SMA treatments and their incredible impact on SMA families. You…

Can you recall a day that shines brightly in your mind, as you were immersed in the beauty of nature and adventure all at once? Is there a time when your lungs inflated with a deep breath of peaceful fulfillment after the day unfolded, and even though the panoramic landscape…

I can’t sit still during a great classic rock tune. Despite my SMA, any muscle fibers that have remained awake will begin to shimmy and shake, and even the muscles that have become withered wallflowers will try to bust a move on the dance floor. When I heard the “…

I recently spoke at an event called “OutWiGo Girls” for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in the enchanting woodland area of Kettle Moraine State Forest. Held in celebration of gals of all ages who share a love of exploring nature, the event’s agenda revolved around an array of…

In our free time together, my partner, Andy, and I enjoy adventuring.  I’m not talking about the classic mammoth-sized endeavors represented by the swingin’ satchels of Indiana Jones or the sun-faded explorer hats of Josh Gates. What I refer to as “adventure” is a mindset of how I…

Like many others with SMA, my functional dexterity is limited. I’m grateful to still have the ability to write legibly, type on my keyboard, and maneuver my nimble fingers into the snug corners of a Pringles can. But I do see my hands as “SMA hands.” When performing a…