Music has always been a vital part of my life, probably since the womb. I have my parents to thank for that. They encouraged me to pursue the arts, dance and (musical) theater in particular. I almost had a close call with playing the flute in band, but terrified sixth grade me backed out at… Continue reading Mixing memory and desire
Category: Struggles
More than MS
I am not my disease. Which is an odd thing to say for a girl who writes nearly exclusively about MS.. I wish I could say there are days I don't think about it at all. Carefree, that's me! There are times, however rare, that the disease hides in the dark crevices of my mind,… Continue reading More than MS
Resilience
Today, I saw a squirrel take a 30-foot tumble from a tree and spring back up as though nothing had happened. Why can't I be built that way? Sans the bushy tail, natch, but sturdy like that. And able to scamper up trees. (Even as a kid, I was terrible at that particular activity. Oh,… Continue reading Resilience
Heroes, or how I came to like Montel Williams
Everyone could use a good dose of inspiration now and again. I find it in nature, in words, in music (but not Words & Music), in other people overcoming challenges large and small to make an impact in their little corner of the world. And now, I find inspiration in a certain former daytime TV… Continue reading Heroes, or how I came to like Montel Williams
Not waving but drowning
I'm getting terrifyingly good at masking my struggles with multiple sclerosis. So adept I even hide them from myself. Never underestimate the potency of denial. My carefully constructed facade isn't impenetrable. There are several chinks in my armor, but usually only those closest to me see them, as night sets in and I can barely… Continue reading Not waving but drowning
Dancing in the rain
Sweet sentiment, but have you ever really tried it? What a load of hooey. You get wet, and depending on the season, cold. And it might ruin your shoes. Definitely your hair. Maybe I'm too macabre for my own good, but for me it conjures up a scene from Bram Stoker's Dracula that, after our… Continue reading Dancing in the rain
CCSVI’m confused
I'm not a doctor. I don't play one on TV, either. So to say I'm flummoxed by multiple sclerosis, in a clinical sense, is an understatement. Which makes me like most laymen, but also those like above-average doctors, who have been searching for a cause/treatment/cure to MS for at least 150 years and have yet… Continue reading CCSVI’m confused
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
The only constant is change. But it strikes me just how whirlwind the metamorphosis has been the past few months, for everyone around me. Two friends have taken huge leaps for careers. My besties had twins the day after I went into the hospital in September. Other friends are due any day now. And another… Continue reading Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
Taking a stand
It's difficult to stand one's ground when the simple act of standing is a feat unto itself. It took all of the Herculean might I could muster (OK, and a high powered energy pill that treats narcolepsy) to hang with the sweaty swarm of humanity for An Evening With Cake. I did, but not without… Continue reading Taking a stand
Sensory deprivation
Ever play the What If game and it gets really, really sobering? Instead of, what if you had a million dollars, it was what if you lose one of your senses? (Yes, I am the worst conversationalist ever - beware party people, I turn dark real quick.) That almost happened to me last year. I… Continue reading Sensory deprivation
One, Wild & Precious 