The other day, I had an appointment at the hospital to change my nasojejunal (NJ) feeding tube. Since the tube is placed in my jejunum, a part of the small intestine, and not my stomach, these procedures have to take place under fluoroscopy at a hospital.
Life, One Cup at a Time
— Alyssa Silva
Alyssa Silva is a writer based out of Providence, Rhode Island. She was diagnosed with SMA type 1 in 1991 when she was just 5 months old. Aside from writing, Alyssa is the chief creative officer for an intimates brand and runs a small business selling her artwork. In her free time, you can find her canceling plans to hang out with her golden retrievers, watching reruns of “The Office,” and convincing others why Taylor Swift is the greatest of all time.
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“Where are the cartoons?” I jokingly asked my mom while “Sherri,” the daytime talk show, played on a television above me. She chuckled as I scanned the waiting room, taking it all in. There are moments in life when gratitude and fear coexist in the most complicated and overwhelming of…
Before I began writing today’s column, I recorded video interviews for a rather well-known brand here in the United States, focusing on my role as chief creative officer at an adaptive fashion company. While I don’t necessarily love public speaking, the larger issue at hand is often finding a…
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For most of my teenage and early adult years, I had big dreams of working in fashion. As a creative person, the behind-the-scenes work always intrigued me the most. I loved the process of concept to creation, the thought that went into the garments, what inspired the…
Lying in a hospital bed, I watched as a nurse demonstrated how to use a nasojejunal tube (NJ tube) to my parents. I could tell they were nervous. They learned about an NJ tube only three weeks earlier, and everything about it seemed so foreign. My mother stumbled through…
I’ve been having trouble coming up with a topic for this column. Perhaps I shouldn’t open with that, but stay with me here. At first, I blamed it on writer’s block. Other than my last column, I haven’t written much in the past two months due to my hospitalization. Any…
As I prepare to write my first column in over a month, a nasojejunal tube is pumping food into my small intestine, reminding me I’m not out of the woods yet with my health. My energy level feels nonexistent, and I fear that it may be my…
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Like many others at the turn of the year, I enjoy setting aside some time to reflect on the past 365 days. I’ve never been the goal-setting type at the start of each year, so reflection serves me well. For me, setting goals far in advance can…
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