Columns

In January 2025, I was scrolling through Instagram, trying to distract myself from the cold and the fact that I still couldn’t walk well on my leg, when I came across an influencer who had decided on a whim to fly to Paris with her friends. My first thought wasn’t,…

When you live with a chronic illness, you learn to pay attention to your body. You notice changes. You learn what is normal for you and what isn’t. You learn which symptoms can wait until your next appointment and which ones deserve a phone call to your doctor or…

It’s hard to believe August is almost over here. Summer is winding down, and my kids will soon start another school year. As a pediatric physical therapist working in a school, I’ve been fortunate to have my summers off with them for the last 20 years. Having this break gives…

I spent much of my childhood being chronically sick. I’m not talking about a sniffle here or there. I’m talking about being on the brink of death. It happened so often that my mother would joke that we were regulars at the emergency room. I had been diagnosed as a…

I live in a community where wellness is almost a language of its own. People swap sourdough starters, recommend herbal tinctures, and debate seed oils over coffee. Home births are celebrated. Organic food is the default. There’s a quiet belief that if you nourish your body well enough, move enough,…

It seems silly to write about a corner in my house. Most people walk by their cabinets every day without giving them a second thought. If they do, they might think, “I should clean this out today,” “I want new dishes,” or “Maybe we should remodel.” I never thought one…

When you live with a chronic illness, doctor appointments become a regular part of life. Some are routine. Some bring answers. Others bring more questions than you walked in with. Over the past few months, I’ve had more than my fair share of them. What started with one unexpected medical…

“Family isn’t always blood. It’s the people in your life who want you in theirs. The ones who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile, and who love you no matter what.”― often attributed to Maya Angelou Growing up, my household consisted…

I recently wrote a column about how I don’t really feel “sick” with Gaucher disease. Looking back, though, I don’t think that column told the whole story. I’m currently dealing with some other medical issues, and when you already have a chronic condition, everything somehow feels connected. A…

How can I turn a ripple into a giant ocean? How can my ripple have a lasting impact when there are thousands of ripples just like mine? How can I weather a storm that I’m not sure will ever end? For the longest time, I struggled to come to terms…