June 13th, 2009 began as an ordinary day. There was perhaps a little extra excitement as I drove to a Giants game, expecting an evening of baseball and beer. Then everything changed. That day, my world was turned upside down. My life—everything that I had created for myself, all of my future aspirations—began to fall …
This year has been one long push. It began with selling our house in Tuolumne and finding a new one in Vallejo. My health hadn’t been so good in 2021, but by February of 2022, I found myself taking my first long road trip in a decade, even using some of my limited strength to …
The last few months have been rough. If you follow me on social media, then you know that I have been going through a brutal intake interview for In-Home Supportive Services, which provides me with caregiving hours. You may also know that the intake interview did not go well. I’m in the process of appealing …
For years, I’ve been wanting to update my chronic illness and disability website. Partly because I’ve always envied people with websites that have fancy graphics and animations, and partly because, well, you and all the other lovely people who read my blog deserve a more modern experience. Until recently, I thought I could create (and …
My book can’t mean everything to everybody, but it can mean everything to me. And now it does.
For me, it all comes down to the simple truth that if I don’t take unsolicited advice seriously, I won’t get upset that random strangers with no credentials or medical training think they know what’s best for my health.
I’ve never disagreed with anyone on the fact that our illness needs more research funding and more treatments. These basic needs will never be disagreed upon within the community, and it is especially important to remind ourselves of that when things get heated.
I’ve been on a hunt for the best mattress for a disabled person, like me, ever since I ruined my last several mattresses. How exactly does one ruin a mattress? The obvious guess might be to have lots and lots and LOTS of sex. And as fun as that would be, I’m not convinced it …
How to Ruin a Mattress . . . And Other Things I’m Good At Read More »
I hope everyone remembers what it was like, how it felt to live in this strange alternative universe of fear and social distancing. I hope everyone remembers it because some people will have to keep living it.
My first job was working the front desk at a gym for minimum wage, long before disability rights were on my mind. I scanned member ID cards, re-racked weights, and cleaned the entire gym — wiping up people’s saliva from the sinks and their sweat off the treadmills, sanitizing the toilets and showers, and picking …