Lying on my couch one day in late August, I thought about how the previous weeks had been unexpectedly challenging. I was watching one of my favorite (albeit trashy) reality television shows. I’m not big into TV, so when I watch it for hours something is up. When my mother…
Life, One Cup at a Time - a Column by Alyssa Silva
Over the winter, I drank a piping hot cup of ginger tea every night before bed. It was the only remedy that I could confidently say helped to lessen my acid reflux and ease my stomach discomfort. There was only one problem:…
If you are an avid football fan like me, I have great news. We don’t have to endure a Sunday without football for the rest of the year! Typing this makes me giddy, for it is the most wonderful time of the year in my playbook. However, I once would…
Last weekend, my cousin, sister-in-law, and I had a girls’ night out. We picked a spot in a cute, historic town, ordered espresso martinis, desserts, and cheered a summer well spent and our not-so-little cousin turning 21. I cherish moments spent with my family, for I understand how blessed I…
“Raise your hand if your return to reality has been a struggle.” That was the text I received moments after being set up on my phone to write this column. I had to chuckle. My best friend was referring to the weekend we had just spent at the coast…
In case you missed it, I skipped writing a column last Friday. I wouldn’t say it was by choice, even though one could argue that technically I requested the week off. If it had been up to me, I would have written that column. I would have…
As I write this column, only 11 days are left before my nonprofit organization hosts its 10th annual gala for spinal muscular atrophy. Eleven. And while 11 has always been my lucky number, as I glance at my to-do list I’m reminded there really isn’t anything lucky about it…
There’s a famous quote by Randy Pausch in his book “The Last Lecture“ that says, “We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand.” My heart holds so much truth in this quote because I often envision my life with SMA like building a…
The title of this column may be a tad deceiving — so allow me to clarify. My wheelchair only goes 6.2 miles per hour, and when you have an irrational fear of birds and are fleeing from a turkey that is chasing you, you realize that there’s nothing fast about…
Sometimes, I wish it were easier. I wish it were easier for doctors to pinpoint the root cause of my mysterious daily symptoms. I would like to receive answers that would better explain the reason behind the health issues that I’m enduring. Aside from giving me…
