Joyful Sorrow – a Column by Kristin Neva

January 16, 2020January 14, 2020

I’m Channeling My Grief About ALS into Action and Advocacy

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

The grief that accompanies ALS is multifaceted. I grieve my husband’s loss of function and the loss of our dreams. Just when we find a new normal, there is ... Read more

January 9, 2020January 8, 2020

Learning the Rules for the Medicare Guessing Game

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

Like many families, we played games over the holidays. Because my husband, Todd, is completely paralyzed due to ALS, we chose games in which he could participate. Apples to ... Read more

January 2, 2020December 19, 2019

Ordinary Outings Are Arduous with ALS

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

My Facebook friends post accomplishments like completing a 5K run. If I were to post my accomplishments, I would include taking my husband, Todd, to my daughter’s school concert. ... Read more

December 19, 2019December 17, 2019

Even Trees Die with No Known Cause or Cure

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

I tell potential customers that my Christmas wreaths will last until Easter. That usually gets a chuckle and often a sale. At a holiday craft fair, a gray-haired man ... Read more

December 12, 2019December 10, 2019

In Defense of Delight in the Midst of Suffering

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

If my husband, Todd, did not have ALS, there would still be someone else with ALS. And there’s cancer. Childhood illness. Tragic accidents. But winter has arrived on the ... Read more

December 5, 2019January 15, 2020

Grief Is a Wolf that Demands Attention

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

As I approached the one-year anniversary of my husband, Todd’s, ALS diagnosis, I wrote in my journal: “I want to be happy, healed, and whole again. But the grief ... Read more

November 21, 2019November 19, 2019

We’re Figuring Out Healthcare on Our Own in Rural America

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

After my husband Todd’s ALS diagnosis, he said, “We need to sell the house and move near your parents.” He anticipated that their day-to-day support in rural northern Michigan ... Read more

November 14, 2019November 12, 2019

Calculating Risks While Balancing Family Life and ALS

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

I went parasailing during a vacation in Florida 10 years ago. I talked my brother into going with me, because my husband, Todd, wasn’t feeling up to it at ... Read more

November 7, 2019November 6, 2019

Wartime Living Tests Marriages

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

Sometimes I’ll pick up a magazine in a grocery store checkout line and see a marriage article about sex or the division of household chores. I’ll sigh wistfully. Healthy ... Read more

October 31, 2019October 31, 2019

Imagining Our Lives Without ALS

Columns, Joyful Sorrow - a Column by Kristin Neva

My husband, Todd, recently asked me, “What do you think our life would be like if I hadn’t gotten ALS?” I’ve done this mental exercise before, but never with ... Read more