Reclaiming the disabled narrative.
I was thoroughly burrowed in my bed when a familiar ache started creeping up the backs of my thighs. I had spent the day stretching out my contracted muscles, and they were pissed. If I didn’t take something soon, I would be awake in a few hours with pain too excruciating to fall back asleep.… Continue reading Red Tape, Duct Tape: The Unexpected Saga of Getting and Keeping My Wheelchair
Ellice Patterson is a dancer. But eight years ago, after a spinal operation, Ellice had to start the painstaking process of relearning her craft. She made the tough decision to start over as an adult in children's classes. Two years later, Ellice had regained her ability to dance, and had begun teaching children and adults… Continue reading Disabili-tea: Interview with a Dance Boss
Being disabled ain't cheap. Between insurance costs, doctor's visits, medications, medical equipment/mobility aides, and adapted vehicles, we're spending a lot of our incomes on the bare necessities we need to just keep moving. Occasionally, a luxury item just for us will make it to market. I've seen workout devices that attach to wheelchairs, robot hands,… Continue reading 5 Cheap Products That Have Improved My Disabled Life
A few weekends ago, my husband convinced me to go with him to a Pokèmon Go community day event (yes, some of us are still playing). We roamed our old college campus in a never-ending quest to catch 'em all on an Indiana day so hot and sticky it was like living in the Devil's… Continue reading I’m 28 Years Old and Just Bought Shorts for the First Time
My phone buzzed on my desk at 5:30 on Friday evening. I didn't recognize the number and bet my coworkers that it was one of the many spam calls we all get on a daily basis. I fought my natural instinct and picked up. It was my neurologist. The results of my genetic test were… Continue reading After Years of Battle, A Monster Unveiled
Part 1 I've gone through innumerable pairs of leg braces in my life. Every year or two, throughout my childhood and adolescence, I had an appointment with an orthotist who would wrap my legs in cellophane and plaster, creating perfect replicas of my atrophied legs. It was like getting a fresh pair of shoes for… Continue reading The Year I Walked Away from My Wheelchair
Yesterday was quite a day! My guest blog for LUS Brands went live, and the response was overwhelming and wonderful. It also had the added benefit of distracting me and calming my nerves before my afternoon surgical consult. I've needed surgery to correct my right foot for years now, and as part of my personal… Continue reading My Right Foot: A Quick Update
I was just a toddler when my family knew for sure that the disease that had been raging through our bloodline for generations had come for me. There was no formal diagnosis, no genetic tests or EMGs. My legs and feet looked just like my sister's, and my dad's and my dad's dad's. There was… Continue reading Dealing with My Diagnosis: 25 Years Later