Medical costs are expensive, especially for patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). If you’re unable to work, and thus keep a steady income, you may find it difficult to pay your bills and fees. However, for those in the U.S., programs like Medicare and Medicaid might help to…
If you follow me on Twitter, you know I’ve been seriously considering getting a tattoo for months now. A former personal care assistant (PCA) and I decided way back in 2015 that if we ever took the plunge, we’d get them together. Early in 2017,…
Part of being disabled is waking up one morning and wishing you could be done with it all. I’ve never admitted that before, least of all in a public forum, but I think it’s something we have to acknowledge at one point…
Earning money is difficult, especially when living with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Fortunately, there are ways to supplement your income without having to leave the house. These side jobs don’t pay much, but they’re worth checking out, especially if you find yourself with extra time on your hands.
I like setting goals and making lists of everything I want to accomplish over the next 12 months. But resolutions feel dangerous to me — mainly because I never actually achieve them. I finish my to-do list every day for a week, maybe two, but…
You may have noticed I was essentially AWOL throughout the month of December. I certainly wasn’t planning on disappearing, but you never can truly prepare for a two-day hospital stay right in the middle of finals. I still don’t know what I…
Sometimes spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) leads to mood disorders such as major depressive disorder (MDD) or dysthymia. We recently compiled some tips for dealing with SMA-related depression; and this week, we’re sharing a few more. MORE: Three tips for dealing with SMA-related depression Get social It…
There is plenty of evidence that volunteering can be good for one’s physical, mental, and emotional health. The Corporation for National and Community Service, Habitat for Humanity, and Harvard University have all espoused the benefits of volunteer work. For SMA patients, however, it’s not as…
I’ve always had a weird relationship with my body, and I’ve always struggled to put that relationship into words. I don’t struggle with self-image; my reflection isn’t distorted. Most times, I just wake with an impossible disgust. It’s not that I hate my body,…
I’ve been having a lot of headaches lately and, naturally, my anxiety had me convinced I was going to die of a brain tumor. I knew, of course, how improbable it was. Every article I read — and I actually read quite a few —…
