Columns

Navigating the medical mystery of my lower back pain

“I feel like my body is gaslighting me,” I said to my dad in frustration after checking my MRI results. While I was hoping to get some answers, there in plain sight were the words “findings are unremarkable.” Of course, this news was ultimately good. Unremarkable findings meant nothing serious…

How I’m learning to live authentically as myself

For most of my life, I felt like I had to shrink parts of myself to fit into a world that wasn’t built with me in mind. Living with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) means navigating not just physical barriers, but also the emotional weight of constantly feeling different. I…

Sharing special May birthdays with a new fellow columnist

In May 1997, my husband, Randy, and I awaited the arrival of our third baby. The ultrasound indicated we were having a boy. We named him Jeffrey. Years before, I’d taught at Brockman School, a self-contained setting for students with orthopedic and myriad other conditions considered severe and…