On My Own Two — Young Lee

A few days ago, my sister messaged me on Facebook about a documentary regarding Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) called “Bernadette.” I hadn’t heard about it before, but because I had nothing else planned for the evening, I decided to…

Until recently, I never had intentionally ventured to learn more about my disability. In retrospect, I was spectacularly uninterested in this aspect of myself. As a child, I think I felt like I inherently knew all I needed to…

Topics such as setting goals and being more mindful have been on my mind recently. And that’s not by coincidence. A few weeks ago, I met with a friend who happens to be a licensed therapist specializing in marriage…

My family members are traveling from around the country this week to gather for a celebration of my grandmother’s 100th birthday. We’re all excited about the event, and though I’m biased, I think my grandmother is a special woman…

Among the many symptoms of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease is a decrease in hand dexterity. This crossed my mind a few months ago while I was filling up on gas, and a young lady drove up to me asking if…

A friend and I surprised each other recently. I casually mentioned that I have Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT). And she revealed that I had never previously brought up the subject. We have been friends for almost 10 years. In college,…

I don’t particularly like hiking. Steep inclines and unpaved pathways make me nervous. And sometimes it feels like I have pogo sticks instead of feet. I don’t always know which direction my body will propel me. Nevertheless, the hiking…

We pulled up chairs so that we could sit closer to each other. She pointed at her shoe, to a place about an inch from the tip. “See, my toes only come up to about here,” she said. “But…

In grade school, I used to launch my ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) from my foot and into the air by twisting my toes as I kicked as high and as hard as I could. I would watch my AFOs…

Recently, my father sent me a copy of doctor’s notes he received in 1989. Those familiar with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) would recognize many of the phrases scattered throughout: “chronic weakness in lower extremities” and “increasing grip weakness,” to name…