COVID-19 Columns

July 6, 2020July 7, 2020

Reflections on the Joys of Parenting an FA Teen

COVID-19 Columns, Friedreich’s Ataxia News Columns

It’s been a while since I have had the courage to write a column. I don’t want to seem melodramatic, but the vulnerability of sharing about parenting a child with ... Read more

July 6, 2020July 6, 2020

Here Comes the Sun, and It’s All Too Much

COVID-19 Columns, Multiple Sclerosis News Today Columns

Yup, it’s the annual whinge about what heat does to most of us, this time livened up by a headline that includes two Beatles’ song titles. (Yes, I did have ... Read more

July 6, 2020July 6, 2020

I’m Choosing to Love the Adventure I’ve Been Given

COVID-19 Columns, SMA News Today Columns

My family has a saying: “It’s always an adventure with us.” It originated with Katelyn, an honorary member of the Albers household and my first personal care assistant (PCA). “It’s ... Read more

July 6, 2020July 6, 2020

MS News That Caught My Eye Last Week: Wearable Sensors, COVID-19, Tecfidera

COVID-19 Columns, Multiple Sclerosis News Today Columns

PROTXX, University of Alberta Collaborate to Develop Remote Healthcare Platform for MS Patients As more and more neurologists turn to telemedicine for routine patient visits, I expect we’ll see more ... Read more

July 2, 2020July 6, 2020

Is Remote Learning the Best Option for Kids with JA?

COVID-19 Columns, Juvenile Arthritis News Columns

I chuckled, looking at pictures of my little cousin on a Zoom call with her classmates. It looked like the world’s cutest business meeting. Twenty smiling faces, so happy to ... Read more

July 2, 2020July 6, 2020

I’m Taking Medical Leave to Prioritize My Mental Health

COVID-19 Columns, Pulmonary Fibrosis News Columns

I have always advocated for good mental health and promoted the importance of self-care. I preach regularly about this to friends, family, colleagues, and other patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis ... Read more

July 1, 2020July 1, 2020

Finding My ‘New Normal’ as Lockdown Restrictions Ease

COVID-19 Columns, Sickle Cell Disease News Columns

It has started … the period I have been uncertain about. Restrictions are starting to ease.  I have been shielding for over three months, during which my employer placed me ... Read more

June 30, 2020June 30, 2020

Chronic Fatigue and Summer Heat Are a Tough Combo

COVID-19 Columns, Ehlers-Danlos News Columns

Some people like summer. Love it even. I’m not one of them. In fact, if I listed the four seasons for their weather attributes, summer would come in a very ... Read more

June 30, 2020July 1, 2020

I’m an Adrenaline Addict, but It’s Time to Minimize Risks

COVID-19 Columns, Cystic Fibrosis News Today Columns

Many people think I’m reckless … and I guess I really kind of am. I blame a doctor for that. Years ago, I had a showdown with yet another infection ... Read more

June 30, 2020June 30, 2020

Breathing Polluted Air Is the Deadly Norm for Many

COVID-19 Columns, Sarcoidosis News Columns

With stifling June heat and pollen cleared by rainfall, I opened my windows. Drivers finished their workdays and inched forward in traffic outside my home. Within minutes, gentle breezes carried exhaust ... Read more

June 30, 2020June 30, 2020

My Cuisine Adventures While Living with ALS

ALS News Today Columns, COVID-19 Columns

Recently, my husband and I experienced a staycation of sorts — we dined on two weeks of gourmet meals without leaving our home. Although it gave my husband-caregiver a much-needed ... Read more

June 26, 2020June 29, 2020

A Morning With No Opera but Enough for a Small Choir!

COVID-19 Columns, Multiple Sclerosis News Today Columns

Last Wednesday my days of rest suddenly smashed to a halt. At one point it seemed like the majority of those who work for my local council’s social services (whom ... Read more

June 26, 2020June 29, 2020

This Father’s Day Reminded Me of a Valuable Lesson

COVID-19 Columns, Sarcoidosis News Columns

Father’s Day was always a good time for my family when I was growing up. My brother and I were raised by a single mother, but my maternal grandfather and ... Read more

June 26, 2020June 29, 2020

The Transplant Caregiving Crash Course I Wish I’d Had

COVID-19 Columns, Pulmonary Fibrosis News Columns

As I sat in my mom’s hospital room on the day of her long-awaited discharge, I felt like we were bringing home a very fragile adult baby. Her body had ... Read more

June 26, 2020June 29, 2020

Updating the Shifting MS-COVID-19 Treatment Equation

COVID-19 Columns, Multiple Sclerosis News Today Columns

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve written about the impact that COVID-19 is having on people with MS. Since then, the picture has changed — not a lot, but ... Read more