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…
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
I’m hydrating this new year thanks to an external catheter system
Let me explain something called “pee math.” I was familiar with the concept, but didn’t realize it was a common experience in the SMA community until a colleague brought it up. It…
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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…
Finding the Balance Between Realism and Optimism
My oldest cousin is getting married this weekend, and my youngest cousin is engaged. Two of my best friends are in long-term, committed relationships and talking about marriage. I turned…
Learning to Live with Chronic Pain
It’s ironic. I’ve been sick my entire life, but only in the past few months have I really felt chronically ill. I’m slowly, if not reluctantly, coming to…
Inaccessibility Makes Life Difficult
It’s easy to forget how inaccessible the world is, especially when you’ve spent the last week and a half scrolling through social media feeds and catching up on sleep. Even…
Moving Forward
I meant to write a column while I was in Indiana. I even imagined what it would be like to sit on campus, enjoying the sunshine and pleasant bustle of…
