COVID-19 Columns

January 7, 2021January 7, 2021

Wrestling With the ‘Why’ When My Son Is in Pain

COVID-19 Columns, Epidermolysis Bullosa News Columns

Our Christmas started out like most people’s. Well, sort of. We, like many, kept it small this year. On Christmas Eve, we did bath and bandage change in the afternoon. ... Read more

January 7, 2021January 7, 2021

Reaching Our Health Goals May Take Longer Than Expected

COVID-19 Columns, Endometriosis News Columns

Many of us entered 2020 with dreams of what a new decade would look like, but everything quickly turned upside down. You may remember that at the beginning of the ... Read more

January 7, 2021January 7, 2021

Finding Beauty in the Dark of Winter

ALS News Today Columns, COVID-19 Columns

“I forgot how dark it is all the time,” my brother commented when he visited us in Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula over the holidays. The sun was trapped behind cloud cover ... Read more

January 6, 2021January 6, 2021

I Lived a Christmas Miracle in the Middle of a Pandemic

COVID-19 Columns, Pulmonary Hypertension News Columns

Christmas has come and gone. Didn’t it seem a bit surreal? For me, and I’m sure for many of you, too, last year was unique in more ways than one ... Read more

January 6, 2021January 6, 2021

COVID-19 Vaccines Bring Relief for Many, Envy for Some

COVID-19 Columns, Friedreich’s Ataxia News Columns

Despite whatever successes we saw in 2020, the year mostly will be remembered for a pandemic that affected almost everyone on the planet. Though the death, financial hardships, joblessness, and ... Read more

January 5, 2021January 5, 2021

Relieve Stress With This Alternative to New Year’s Resolutions

COVID-19 Columns, Sarcoidosis News Columns

I usually set goals for the year when January arrives. Not this time. I’ve decided to take life as it comes. Instead of saddling myself with resolutions, I’m embarking on ... Read more

January 5, 2021January 5, 2021

Focusing on What Is Good and Beautiful This Year

COVID-19 Columns, Huntington’s Disease News Columns

Hi, 2021. How are you? You have much to live up to. Last year, a pandemic carpet-bombed its way into our lives. As a result, it woke many people up. ... Read more

January 4, 2021January 4, 2021

My Favorite New Year’s Resolutions

COVID-19 Columns, Parkinson’s News Today Columns

I do it. You do it. Let’s be honest — we all do it. We make a pretty good attempt at creating a list of new resolutions that we hope ... Read more

December 30, 2020December 30, 2020

I Am a Lung Transplant Recipient, and I Had COVID-19

COVID-19 Columns, Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

At the start of November, I was infected with COVID-19. My heart rammed repeatedly and rapidly against my sternum, which had been broken four years earlier by lung transplant surgeons. I ... Read more

December 30, 2020December 30, 2020

Will Reduced Treatment Time Keep Ocrevus Competitive?

COVID-19 Columns, Multiple Sclerosis News Today Columns

One of the key considerations when choosing a disease-modifying therapy (DMT) is how much it will disrupt your life. It’s one of several factors that need to be evaluated. Unlike ... Read more

December 29, 2020December 29, 2020

This Year, I Want to Be Brave

COVID-19 Columns, SMA News Today Columns

Inspired by Susannah Conway, I’ve started to assign a word — yes, a single word — to the upcoming year, as a kind of landmark. Something to focus on as ... Read more

December 22, 2020December 22, 2020

I’m Already Scheduling Surgeries for Next Year

COVID-19 Columns, Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

Today, I woke up and left for a doctor’s appointment. It was 8 a.m., and my eldest daughter was coming with me in case I needed an interpreter. I’m Deaf ... Read more

December 22, 2020December 22, 2020

Talking My Way Through 2020

ALS News Today Columns, COVID-19 Columns

One of my personal traditions at the end of the year is a quick flip through my desk calendar to review the events and milestones that took place. Only this ... Read more

December 22, 2020December 22, 2020

I Feel Like a Cat With 9 Lives

COVID-19 Columns, Fabry Disease News Columns

I am a 66-year-old male with Fabry disease, which causes many adverse and potentially life-threatening symptoms. As I look back on some of my major life events, I often think ... Read more

December 22, 2020December 22, 2020

Sharing Some Light This Holiday Season

COVID-19 Columns, Ehlers-Danlos News Columns

I love the holidays, especially Christmas. This year is certainly different in just about every way, except for one: If anything, I think we all need more holiday cheer to ... Read more