Columns

Clothes shopping stresses me out! Stores and malls are not designed for those of us with disabilities, so I really dread visiting them. Due to Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, I wear ankle-foot orthoses, which make trying on clothes 10 times more difficult. Often, the dressing rooms are small, so taking…

I remember being a moody preteen and exasperating my tennis instructor. He was convinced that I wasn’t trying. I was slow to react and sluggish on the court. I didn’t seem to be giving it my all. And, to be fair, he was right. I know I could have given…

“Progress over perfection.” Someone said this to me the other day when talking about weight loss. I began to think about how this idea can apply to my life. I have Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and wear ankle-foot orthoses. In many ways, this makes being perfect nearly impossible. My gait…

“Referred mainly because of toe-walking.”  “Well, these few words solve a bit of a mystery for me,” I thought. A few weeks ago, I contacted my former pediatrician’s office to see if they had my old medical records. My folks have always kept good…

I love summer, but I also hate it. I love the warmer weather and being able to be outside more, but that can be problematic for me. I have Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and wear ankle-foot orthoses, which make normal summer activities a little more difficult. I love the beach, but…

Jamal Hill likes to keep a busy schedule. After all, he’s hoping to qualify for the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. And although he’s currently the No. 1 ranked U.S. Men’s Paralympic swimmer in the 100-meter freestyle, he isn’t yet guaranteed a spot in the Paralympics. I…

Some days, I feel overwhelmed by the symptoms of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), but I never feel like giving up. I know that having a disability or chronic illness can take a toll on one’s physical and emotional state. Lately, I have been seeing many people posting in online communities…

Linda Crabtree’s autobiography, “CMT and Me,” begins with loving descriptions of her parents. Her words, accompanied by childhood photos printed on the pages, gave me a vivid sense of what kind of people her parents were. I was eager to lose myself in Crabtree’s imagery of growing up…

Last weekend, I realized how tough it is to do certain things due to Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT). It affects my balance, coordination, gait, and dexterity in my hands. That means that simple things like putting on jewelry or zipping up a dress can be frustrating. I have discovered a…

Five years ago, I had a conversation with one of my writer friends. I had heard through the grapevine that she was working on a new story: a thriller featuring a protagonist with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT). I was surprised at her choice of lead character because CMT isn’t a well-known…