Columns

Reading is one of my favorite pastimes. Some of my earliest memories are sneaking away to the bedroom I shared with my sister and opening a new book. This love of reading has followed me into adulthood, and I’ve endeavored to pass it on to my children. One of my…

Recently, my daughter Grace had an amazing opportunity to speak at Grace Under the Oaks‘ annual fundraising event. The Florida-based nonprofit offers horse therapy to adults and children with health challenges. Grace was able to share what the past two years of equine-assisted therapy have meant to her.

For the past two weeks, the elevator at my daughter’s school has been out of order. This complicates things greatly for Grace, who was diagnosed with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) when she was 15 years old. Looking back, I am so grateful we made the decision to home-school our…

One of the common symptoms of Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) is muscle weakness, which, for many, causes problems with balance and gait. When our daughter Grace was diagnosed at age 15, we could first see her symptoms in the way she walked. First, we noticed a slight…

Recently, my daughter Grace and I had the privilege of attending the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s MDA Clinical & Scientific Conference in Dallas. It was an honor for us to represent the Lambert-Eaton LEMS Family Association, along with three other members of the Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS)…

“Continuous effort — not strength or intelligence — is the key to unlocking and using our potential.” — Liane Cordes Physical therapy is often the first step toward renewed strength for those with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS). Even before our daughter Grace was diagnosed with LEMS at…

Our daughter Grace is more than three years out from her diagnosis of Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS). Until now, we’ve never met anyone in person who has LEMS. We’ve had wonderful friendships develop through Facebook groups, Bionews forums, Zoom town halls, and phone calls. But it’s not…

Last week, much of the northeastern United States was hunkered down for yet another nor’easter. As snow fell on our northern neighbors, here in the South, we were enjoying spring-like weather. Many of the local schools are out for spring break. My back porch is full of flowers blooming red…

What is the first thing most of us did when the doctor mentioned Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) as a possible diagnosis? We Googled it, of course. We know that, while the internet offers a wealth of information, it also documents every worst-case scenario. Still, desperate for information, we…

March brings with it a bag of mixed emotions for this mama’s heart. In March 2005, our daughter was born to a mother who would never watch her grow up. She made the hard decision to leave her at the gate of an orphanage instead. The following March, we…