Joyful Sorrow – a Column by Kristin Neva

September 12, 2019September 9, 2019

The Clock Starts Ticking After an ALS Diagnosis

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

After my husband, Todd, was diagnosed with ALS, we went on what we thought would be our last family vacation. We flew into Los Angeles, visited friends, and toured ... Read more

September 5, 2019September 11, 2019

Desperate Places Don’t Always Come with a Choice

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

After we got married, Todd and I bought an adorable, craftsman-style bungalow in a Milwaukee neighborhood. I believed living in the city would give me a better understanding of ... Read more

August 29, 2019September 5, 2019

Suffering Connects Us All

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

“So tell us your story,” we often ask people who come to help with Todd’s care. Those who show particularly deep compassion tend to have their own story of ... Read more

August 22, 2019August 26, 2019

We Have No Guarantees with ALS, but We Do Have Choices

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

“What? But there’s a guarantee on your website,” I told the customer service representative for the herbal company. I had requested a refund of a digestive supplement because it ... Read more

August 15, 2019September 5, 2019

Learning New Skills I Wish I Didn’t Need

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

I love learning some new skills, but not all of them. Thirteen years ago, I took a creative writing class that set me off on a journey that has ... Read more

August 8, 2019August 8, 2019

Normal Déjà Vu: Life As We Used to Know It

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

Life with ALS is absurd when I think about it. It’s so different than it was before the disease, and with each setback, life gets even stranger. We tried ... Read more

August 1, 2019August 26, 2019

When Safety Concerns Begin to Override the Need for Independence

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

Six years ago, my husband, Todd, still had use of his weakened right arm and was able to walk, but he had been falling more frequently. After one fall, ... Read more

July 25, 2019July 22, 2019

Defining The Relationship: We’re More than Our Roles

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

When I was brainstorming ideas for the name of this column, before settling on “Joyful Sorrow,” I asked my husband if he had any ideas. “How about ‘The Caregiver’?” ... Read more

July 18, 2019August 7, 2019

Embracing the Joyful Sadness of Life

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

This year for Father’s Day, I ordered a basket of gourmet caramel apples from Amy’s Candy Kitchen, a little shop in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. Amy’s Granny Smith apples are large ... Read more

July 11, 2019August 5, 2019

Faced with Incurable Disease, Fighting Is Winning

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

I am by nature a fixer. After my husband, Todd, was diagnosed with ALS, I found out modern medicine didn’t provide a cure. There’s no option for surgery. No ... Read more