Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with Evrysdi. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. I was expecting my insurance to turn up their nose at renewing my Evrysdi (risdiplam) prescription to treat my SMA.
The Wolf Finally Frees Itself - a column by Brianna Albers
My dad and I have a long-standing tradition of rewatching old TV series. We’ve binged everything, including “Merlin,” “Stargate SG-1,” and “Star Wars Rebels,” over the years. Right now, we’re savoring every single episode of “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” for the third time. “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” premiered in 2013,…
Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with Evrysdi. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. I never thought it would be this difficult to secure a life-altering treatment. This is about my best friend and…
If it’s not my mom rocking out to “The Final Countdown” by Europe, it’s my dad reminiscing about all the cartoons we used to watch. Shows like “Arthur” and “Dragon Tales” were mainstays in the Albers household. But my favorite was “Cyberchase,” an after-school program about a bunch of kids…
If there’s one thing my dad and I can agree on, it’s that mornings are the worst. My mom, on the other hand, is a veritable morning person. She wakes up energized and ready to conquer the world. By the time I drag my sorry butt out of bed,…
You know what they say. If something isn’t working, try something else. It’s perfectly logical when you think about it. Why sink time and energy into something that isn’t getting you results? But I’ve found that it’s hard to disinvest from something that, for all intents and purposes, should be…
A gentle hand shook me awake. The practice of “shaking me awake” originated with my caregiver, Danielle, who was accompanied by her 3-year-old daughter. Elena took it upon herself to wake me up. Every morning, a tiny little hand would touch my face, followed by a whispered warning. “Five,”…
“It won’t be this way forever, right?” This has become a sort of refrain for my dad and me over the past couple of years. Whenever we’re overwhelmed, we turn to each other and ask for confirmation. Whatever we’re struggling with in the moment, whatever has us down for the…
Weeks ago, when I had the idea to write a monthlong series on limiting stories, I identified three areas of interest: my love life, my friendships, and my career. In my mind, this series was an opportunity to dig deep. What stories have I been telling myself, and how…
Like my mother before me, I’m an avid collector. Books, rings, blankets I’ll probably never use — as a child, I even collected those souvenir spoons found in historical gift shops across the U.S. I like stuff, and I like to display my stuff. In “May I Suggest #5: Break…
