Embracing My Inner Alien – a column by Kevin Schaefer

August 14, 2018August 13, 2018

SMA Awareness Month: Why Having SMA Is Both a Curse and a Blessing

Columns, Embracing My Inner Alien - a column by Kevin Schaefer

In the closing scene of the 2002 “Spider-Man” movie starring Tobey Maguire, a solemn Peter Parker leaves the funeral of Norman Osborn with a spirit of both determination and ... Read more

August 7, 2018August 13, 2018

National Lampoon’s ‘Schaefer Vacations’

Columns, Embracing My Inner Alien - a column by Kevin Schaefer

When you or a family member has SMA, chaos management becomes second nature. You come to expect the unexpected, and you learn to adapt to whatever absurd obstacles come ... Read more

July 31, 2018August 10, 2018

Sugar, Fats, and Protein: The Evolution of My Diet

Columns, Embracing My Inner Alien - a column by Kevin Schaefer

As a child of the mid-1990s and early 2000s, I still remember when Saturday morning cartoons were still a thing. Every Saturday of my childhood consisted of my parents ... Read more

July 24, 2018August 10, 2018

5 Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Relationship with Your Caregiver

Columns, Embracing My Inner Alien - a column by Kevin Schaefer

We often talk about the qualities of an ideal caregiver and what one should look for, but we rarely talk about what we as patients can do for our ... Read more

July 17, 2018July 13, 2018

Losing My Gaming Ability Opened Other Doors

Columns, Embracing My Inner Alien - a column by Kevin Schaefer

There’s that old saying about how when one door closes, another opens. The original quote by Alexander Graham Bell is, “When one door closes another door opens, but we so often ... Read more

July 10, 2018July 13, 2018

How My Passions Have Increased My Quality of Life

Columns, Embracing My Inner Alien - a column by Kevin Schaefer

There’s no denying that SMA can be brutal, taking more than just physical ability from those it afflicts. It can be a burden mentally, emotionally, and financially, as this ... Read more

July 3, 2018July 12, 2018

At 2018 Cure SMA Conference, Research Presentations Project a Promising Future

Columns, Embracing My Inner Alien - a column by Kevin Schaefer

Last week, I wrote about the personal impact that this year’s Cure SMA conference had on me, as well as the relationships I built during that week in Dallas, ... Read more

June 26, 2018July 12, 2018

The Fellowship of the Wheels

Columns, Embracing My Inner Alien - a column by Kevin Schaefer

I guess the cat’s out of the bag. The featured photo here is the first official cast photo of Amazon’s upcoming “The Lord of the Rings” television reboot. Apparently, they ... Read more

June 19, 2018July 12, 2018

Accessible Hotel Rooms Are Pretty Suite

Columns, Embracing My Inner Alien - a column by Kevin Schaefer

At the time of writing this, I’m sitting in my hotel room for the 2018 Annual Cure SMA Conference. My caregiver and his girlfriend are here with me, my ... Read more

June 12, 2018June 11, 2018

Dancing on Wheels

Columns, Embracing My Inner Alien - a column by Kevin Schaefer

With my SMA, one might think that pretty much any kind of physical activity is out of the question for me. I use a power wheelchair, have severely limited ... Read more