Brianna Albers

Hi everyone! In my latest column, I wrote a bit more about the Cure SMA conference, specifically what I got out of the experience as someone who is relatively new to the community. I had no idea what to expect and, honestly, didn’t get much out of the workshops. It makes sense, considering that most of them are geared towards newly-diagnosed f…[Read more]

Happy Monday! We’re halfway through July already. It’s crazy!

Life seems to be going faster and faster for me these days, which is why Alyssa’s latest column hit me as hard as it did. In this piece, she writes about her recent level of activity and the fatigue that accompanies it.

Like Alyssa, I love crossing things off my to-do list.…[Read more]

Happy Tuesday! In my latest article, I revisit the title of my column, “The Wolf Finally Frees Itself.” I met several people at the 2019 Cure SMA conference who knew me and my column, and at one of the meet-ups, I was called a social media influencer. It’s easy for me to forget that people keep up with my writing! I have a bad habit of submi…[Read more]

Hi everyone! It’s been a long two weeks, but I’m finally back in Minnesota, safe and sound. I love traveling, but there’s nothing better than coming home after some time away.

I wanted to recap the annual Cure SMA conference. This was my first conference since I started working at BioNews. (I’ve only attended one other conference in Chicago…[Read more]

Hi everyone! We just left Anaheim and are driving up the West coast today. We’re taking our time getting home, but we’re pretty wiped out and ready for things to get back to normal.
For this week’s column, I wrote about our first week of vacation and some of the things that went awry. Our hotel in Yosemite National Park couldn’t honor our…[Read more]

Happy July, everyone! I can’t believe how fast June went. I always expect a nice, low-key, no-pressure summer, but instead I get chaos and fatigue. Oh well!

I really enjoyed Alyssa’s latest column. About a year ago, I was experiencing some debilitating headaches with no obvious cause. I’d never really dealt with chronic pain before, and I…[Read more]

Hi everyone! I’m writing this in the back of our van somewhere in the flatlands of Wyoming. My parents and I are on our way to the Cure SMA conference in Anaheim, CA, which I mention briefly in this week’s column. The past month or so has been ridiculously busy, and now that we’re on the road, things feel that much more frazzled. We’re essenti…[Read more]

Happy Monday, everyone!

Alyssa’s latest column is up. In “Curiosity and Sweet Moments Build Special Bonds,” Alyssa talks about her 8-year-old cousin, Jackson, who knows about her SMA — to a certain extent — but doesn’t let it affect his relationship with her. Their bond has changed over the years, but Alyssa says that, despite his age, Ja…[Read more]

Happy Tuesday! My latest column is up, in which I talk about illness anxiety and its impact on my everyday life. I’ve written several columns on the topic, but the more I learn about the condition, the easier it becomes to step back and say, “Oh, that’s what’s happening. It all makes sense now.” Labeling my anxiety as illness anxiety helps me…[Read more]

Hi everyone! Alyssa’s latest column is up, in which she talks about bad days, good days, and the importance of honoring both. Driving to faraway coffee shops may seem strange, but for Alyssa, it’s a way for her to honor good days—she has the energy for a trip, and she has time to spare, so why not take advantage of decent health and be spont…[Read more]

Hi everyone! My latest column is up. In “Learning Self-love from My PCA’s Daughter,” I talk about my relationship with Elena, my PCA’s two-year-old. She and her mom have been coming here for about a year, and I’ve really enjoyed getting to know them. Elena is shy, but over the past couple of months, she’s really warmed up to me. When she’s…[Read more]

Hi everyone! Here’s a link to Alyssa’s latest column. In “Small Spinraza Changes Yielded Big Results,” she discusses her journey toward embracing the small gains that are seen in adult patients with SMA. Because Alyssa was one of the first adults to take Spinraza in December of 2016, she left room for significant improvements over the course…[Read more]