LEMme Tell Ya - a Column by Dawn DeBois

How a Concussion Led to a Near-death Experience

Last in a series. Read part one.  People often are sympathetic when they discover I had back surgery at age 13 to have a Harrington rod placed as a treatment for idiopathic scoliosis. They seem stunned when I show them pictures of me in a full-body cast after…

My Concussion Worsened Instead of Getting Better

Friday, Sept. 18 is National Concussion Awareness Day. To raise more awareness of how dangerous concussions can be, I’m sharing the most difficult experience of my life. This is the first in a two-part series. *** OK, I will admit it. I was wrong. I’ve probably never…

LEMme Tell Ya About Medical Cannabis for Pain Relief

First in a two-part series. I am certain my children never thought they would see the day their mother would use cannabis, let alone share my experience about its benefits with the rest of the world. If anyone asked them about their mother’s stance on weed while they were growing…

Recovery Is a Long Road Following My Concussion

When I was diagnosed with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) in 2016, I quickly learned that I would need to educate everyone else about my ultra-rare disease. The need to educate people about LEMS is why I started writing. Last month, I fell and suffered a concussion. Looking back, I…

A Cautionary Tale About Hydroxychloroquine’s Side Effects

It seems that one can’t turn on the news, scroll through Twitter, or read Facebook these days without seeing a reference to  the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine and what it might do for patients with COVID-19. So, it’s important for me to share the story of how hydroxychloroquine changed my…

The Importance of Being Mindful During COVID-19

The cold surface felt good on my cheek. I turned my head to the other side, looking for fresh coolness for my other cheek. Slowly, I realized the cool feeling wasn’t coming from a soft, fresh pillowcase. I was facedown on the hardwood floor. “Why am I sleeping on my…