The holidays are when I spend time with family and friends, put off Christmas shopping until the last minute, and relentlessly make fun of Hallmark movies. While it’s true that Hallmark flicks aren’t as remarkably terrible and cultlike as 1978’s “The Star Wars Holiday Special” (…
A few days ago, my parents and I were reminiscing around our dining table. I’m not sure how we got onto the topic of ambulances and hospital visits. Maybe I mentioned my brush with anaphylaxis a few weeks ago and how weird it was to…
I’ve spent a considerable amount of time trying to come up with a topic for this week’s column, and it has been rather difficult. Actually, writing in general has been a struggle. Brain fog is the real deal, friends. And today’s column is brought to you by lack…
Ava started junior high school this past fall. It’s the first time she’s attended a different school from her brother, Henry, and her sister with SMA, Ella. She made the transition smoothly, waking up before everybody else to catch the 7:15 a.m. bus, navigating the halls of her…
Between smartphones, artificial intelligence, and social media platforms that allow people to post cat memes and political ramblings, it often feels like we live in a never-ending episode of “Star Trek.” Things that were once science fiction are now components of our everyday reality.
A few weeks ago, I attended one of the National Institute of Mental Health state conferences to fulfill a class requirement. It was an all-day affair, with tote bags and name tags and a catered luncheon. It was all very professional, and as a result,…
Ella was out of her therapies for over a month due to her broken ankle. She started back this week with both aquatic therapy and physical therapy. She has new therapists because her longtime therapist took a leave of absence. I sat with…
Recently, I attended one of my favorite events of the year, the North Carolina Comicon. I’ve attended this show for five years in a row, and every staff member, guest, attendee, and wildly imaginative cosplayer who goes is family to me. This…
Every time I think I’ve run out of things to write about, life throws me a curveball. Over the past couple of years, I’ve been getting allergy shots on a pretty regular basis. The science behind allergy shots might seem a bit counterintuitive:…
I’d imagine if anyone who knows me were to describe me in one sentence, it would go something like this: “Oh, Alyssa? She’s that writer girl who runs a nonprofit organization for her disease, drinks way too much coffee for her own good, and has an unhealthy obsession…
