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A crazy idea came to me early one morning when I couldn’t sleep: Find or start a support group for women with disabilities. While there are many online communities, there are few in-person support groups for women with disabilities. I have Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) type 1A, and…

Holidays and stress seem to go hand in hand! The shopping, cooking, and travel can lead to pressure at this time of year. I love the holidays and spending time with family and friends. However, I do not enjoy all of the chaos and running around. I love…

I was telling a new doctor that I have Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, and he gave me a funny look. He asked me to repeat the name. I did and gave him a very brief explanation. Then he gave a little laugh and said he was confused because…

As the holiday season approaches, so does the opportunity to travel. However, traveling with a disability can be more difficult and require additional planning. Many websites are available to provide advice on traveling with a disability. I have found that some of the tips do not apply to…

What do I wish I knew about Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) when I was younger? That other people have it, too. I have had CMT as long as I can remember. I am not even sure when I was actually diagnosed — it seems as if it were…

I have an ongoing concern: My feet are cold all of the time! The temperature outdoors can be 90 degrees, yet my feet still will be ice-cold. They are not always cold to the touch, but they feel cold to me. This is most likely due to poor…

I’ll be frank about how I’m feeling about my disease. Lately, I have been struggling with feeling overwhelmed about Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT). I don’t usually let CMT get to me. However, over the past few weeks, I have had mixed emotions about this crazy disease. I can’t pinpoint…

I have AFO woes … again. I am becoming very frustrated with my ankle-foot orthoses. They may be better for my ankles, but what good are they if they are uncomfortable? Yes, I shared that with my orthotist many times. But each time she adjusted one area,…

I used too many spoons today. I will pay for it tomorrow. According to the “spoon theory,” I have a limited number of spoons to use each day. Spoons represent energy expended when doing everyday chores and activities. Different tasks require different amounts of spoons: Loading the…

This week, I really did not like this disease. I have Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A, and for some reason this week was a rough one. I fell twice. Thankfully, I did not get hurt, although one day I woke up with random bruises and a strange cut…