Massages Keep Me Grounded in My Body
I’ve done some arguably ridiculous things over the past two decades in the name of health. I’ve had metal rods surgically implanted in my back to keep my spine from…
The Wolf Finally Frees Itself
— Brianna Albers
Brianna Albers (she/her) is a crip-cyborg storyteller living in Minneapolis-St. Paul. She was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy type 2 in 1996 and lives with co-occurring physical and mental health conditions. By day she works as an advocate, bridging disability and mental health awareness to empower people to live their best lives; by night, she dabbles in imagination, and is currently writing “An Angel in the Garden,” an adult space fantasy with #OwnVoices disability representation. Find her online at briannahopealbers.com and on social media @briehalbers.
Featured Post
With cancer in the family, my SMA has been out of the spotlight
I’ve been putting off this column for months, I guess in the hopes that it’d become easier to write. I didn’t want to go public until I knew for sure that everything was going…
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Poetry Readings and Wonder Woman
I’ve quoted my favorite poet, Ada Limón, several times throughout the history of this column. Her poems “The Leash” and…
Autumn Monotony Turned Romanticization
“For the most part, my solutions to human problems have been simple ones—get more rest, do good work, take things a day at a time, and find some people to…
Apple Orchards, ACT, and Trying New Things
It’s hard losing abilities you’ve had all your life. Of course, that’s just part of having SMA. Once upon a time, I could sit up on my own. Now I…
The Existential Crisis of a Bridesmaid-to-be
It seems like everyone I know is getting married. People I went to high school with are updating their relationship status on Facebook to “engaged.” They change their last name…
Success with My ‘Hamilton’ Adventure
I was nervous about “Hamilton.” For one thing, I’d listened to the original cast recording so many times I was worried I wouldn’t be able to…
Getting Back Into the Swing of Things
Classes started yesterday. My third semester of graduate school, which is a little weird to think about. It feels like I just started; like I just graduated with my bachelor’s…
Seeking the Cause of My Persistent Headaches While Debating Spinraza
I’ve had a Spinraza consultation set up for a few months now, and was able to squeeze in a neurological evaluation during the appointment. The CT scan of my…
Writing My Way Out
When I first started writing this column, I wasn’t sure what to say. I have a list of potential topics that I’ve been adding to sporadically, but nothing really…
Struggles with Caretaking Can Lead to Stress
I’ve been putting this column off for a while. While I’m perfectly fine with sharing some things, I generally don’t like to talk about the people in my life. But…
An ENT Appointment Leads to More Questions
My head has been feeling pretty good lately, thanks to the humidifier I recently started using. So, today I walked into my ENT appointment pretty optimistic. The nurse was actually…
Little Girls Bring Joy and Self-acceptance
The first time one of my personal care assistants (PCAs) brought her daughter, I was kind of in awe. She was only a few months old at the time. She…
