Let’s Talk Victim Mentalities: Stagnancy in Life With SMA
It’s been a minute since I put my degree in counseling to good use. Let’s change that, shall we? Last week, I wrote about a recent ghost vacation. For those who didn’t read…
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.
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How an airway collapse brought … relief?
Author’s note: I wrote most of this column on my phone while getting an atypical mole removed. If you wondered why I disappeared from social media, it’s because I’ve been busy crossing things off…
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I’m Not Really Here: Taking a Ghost Vacation to Refocus
“Sometimes I pretend I’m dead.” This sounds like the lead-in to a particularly macabre joke. But in actuality, it’s a personal practice with the potential to revolutionize our approach to self-care. My…
This Year’s SMA Conference Was a Blow to My Impostor Syndrome
Three years into my collaboration with biotech company Genentech, and I still feel like a fish out of water. This is what professionals call impostor syndrome (IS), defined by Lexico as “the…
When Disaster Strikes, We Must Change Our Trajectories
I could tell you about Old Santa Fe, New Mexico. Cobblestone streets, framed by blooms of green. The town jail turned bookstore — a refuge from the heat, and a haven for my mom…
Hitting the Road for This Year’s Cure SMA Conference
For the first time in three years, I’m on the road again. By the time you read this, I’ll be a day out from Anaheim, California. This isn’t the first time my parents and…
Me and My Wheelchair, Somehow Surviving in the Middle of Nowhere
My parents’ dreams revolve around the middle of nowhere. You probably think I’m joking. But the fact remains that I’m writing this column from a tiny town in Wisconsin with a population in the…
My Body Is Weird — and I Love It
No matter how hard I try, there are things I continually forget. Take, for example, the few times I’ve hosted parties. I’m an introvert through and through, so hosting isn’t exactly my forte, but…
Rediscovering My Love of Lego Star Wars
In my mind, Luke Skywalker was in love with me. For context: I was never much of a Lego girl. But I was a “Star Wars” girl. It stood to reason, then, that…
Healthcare Is Rarely a Walk in the Park
When it comes to healthcare, I’ve had remarkably good luck. There are, of course, bad apples. See, for example, the gastroenterologist who rambled about “The Odyssey” as he punctured my stomach lining. Or…
My New Tattoo Is a Dream Come True
There’s nothing quite as satisfying as checking an item off your bucket list. Earlier this year, I put on my big girl pants and rescheduled a long-awaited tattoo appointment. It was a whole ordeal…
My Latest Wheelchair Woes May Soon Be Over
A year after I started fine-tuning the seating of my new wheelchair, I found myself back where it all started. I wrote a few weeks ago about my continuing struggles with the chair.
Celebrating My 1st Evrysdi-versary and Looking to the Future
My first Evrysdi-versary passed without incident. Ironic, considering how much time and effort I put into acquiring the medication. A disease-modifying treatment (DMT) for SMA is no small thing. Spinraza (nusinersen) took the community…
