With shorter days and overcast skies lasting for weeks due to lake-effect snow, darkness comes quickly after sunset here on Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula. Because our nights are long, many of our cross-country ski trails are lit so that people can use them after work. I try to ski at…
Columns
Do you have an ALS “inspiration folder?” I do. And I just added another name to my ever-growing list. Even though most people in my folder don’t have ALS, what inspires me is that despite their dire circumstances, they dare to have goals and find ways to…
As we head into the new year, I’ve been in decluttering mode. I sorted through my linen closet and discarded worn sheets and pillowcases. I sorted through files and found old tax returns, bank statements, and receipts, and I burned sensitive papers in my mom’s sauna stove. And then I…
A few days ago, a friend asked if I’d made any New Year’s resolutions. “No,” I replied, shrugging. Then I changed my mind and answered “yes.” Seeing her bewildered expression upon my contradictory response, I knew I had to explain. I used to enjoy the tradition of making resolutions every…
I recently listened to a podcast called “The Art of Manliness.” The episode was titled “The Winter Mindset — How Norwegians Love the Winter (And You Can Too).” I could relate, because I live in a northern climate that receives over 200 inches of snow each year. Winters in Michigan’s…
I named my column “Living Well with ALS” for many reasons. The most important one was that each word in the title had a deep meaning for me. Six years ago, when Bionews, the parent company of this website, invited me to write a patient column for…
The summer and autumn of 2018 brought uncertain and scary moments for my late husband, Jeff, and me as he battled progressing symptoms of what would later be diagnosed as ALS. His symptoms had begun with the seemingly benign experience of foot drop, which was frustrating but not painful.
My husband, Todd, was diagnosed with ALS in June 2010. That winter, Todd and I, along with our 4-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son, visited my parents in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. My dad had plowed snow into high banks, and on one large pile next to the house, he had…
In the field next to our home, a stand of more than 100 Fraser firs provide boughs for my wreath-making operation. It’s a good seasonal gig for me because it’s flexible. Since I take care of my husband, Todd, who is paralyzed due to ALS, I can’t work outside…
One of the things I cherished most about my late husband, Jeff, was his love of the holidays. From the year we began dating until our last Christmas, before he died from ALS in 2020, Jeff made the holidays special. During this season, he exuded a childlike glee that…
Recent Posts
- ‘Early birds’ have significantly lower ALS risk than ‘night owls’: Study
- As my late husband’s ALS progressed, we kept our bucket list simple
- Tossing and turning over fears this ALS journey has come to its end
- Experimental ALS therapy QRL-201 shows potential to slow disease decline
- Worried about an inability to multitask? Here’s what helped me.