New Year’s always prompts such optimism for the future. It’s as if the world pauses from the chaos of the year to welcome a more promising time. I’m certainly hopeful about what the days ahead will bring. I’ve lived through the previous year’s challenges and now wish for brighter days.
Stretcher-Bearers — Lori Dunham
Lori Dunham and her family have lived all over the world thanks to the U.S. Navy. She has a degree in human resources but enjoys writing to encourage and inspire others. When her daughter Grace was diagnosed with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome at age 15, Lori sought community and encouragement from those walking a similar path. Lori’s mission in writing is to inspire and encourage those who find themselves in the role of caregiver. When she is not writing or homeschooling her two youngest, Lori enjoys reading, baking, and spending time with family. Currently they live in Jacksonville, Florida.
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I am a mom to an adult daughter who has Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS). My daughter Grace was diagnosed at the age of 15, after nine months of falling, experiencing severe muscle weakness, and slurring her words. One of the most encouraging aspects of our LEMS journey has…
My husband says traveling is in his blood. He grew up overseas, so it was only natural that we would often travel to his “home” early on in our marriage. When we started having kids, we learned all the tricks of traveling with toddlers. Thanks to the U.S. Navy, we…
I don’t like surprises. Almost every Christmas, my husband and I end up sharing what we bought for each other long before we find the gifts under the Christmas tree. Along the same lines, I would much rather plan for and anticipate a vacation than be surprised with one. So…
When my daughter Grace was 10, she requested a taser for Christmas. I’m not sure what prompted this request or why she felt the need for one. Regardless, she did not find a taser under the Christmas tree that year. However, as she grew into a young teen, Grace continued…
Traditionally, November is when we give thanks. With Canada and the U.S. celebrating Thanksgiving in October and November, respectively, it’s a season when many of us turn our attention to gratitude. That’s even true for us in the rare disease community. We face many hurdles throughout the year; life with…
Election Day last week in the U.S. brought new excitement to our home. A few weeks before that, we had discussed the issues and candidates in our home state of Florida. We usually don’t follow politics very closely, but we do educate ourselves in order to make informed decisions at…
Last week, I wrote about the unexpected surprise of hearing Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) mentioned on television. In that episode of “The Resident,” a majority of the dialogue centered around the decision to perform an electromyography (EMG) test in order to correctly diagnose a patient. As Lambert-Eaton…
It always amazes me when I hear Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) mentioned somewhere outside of our daughter’s neurologist’s office. Most people have never heard of this particular disease. Oftentimes when I’m asked what illness my daughter has, I can’t get “Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome” out of my mouth before…
My children learned to swim at a young age. My husband and I have lived in warm climates for most of our marriage, so it was only natural to teach our children to swim to keep them safe during all of the water activities that were a part of our…
I think most people struggle to thrive in uncertain times. I know that in my case, uncertainty makes me anxious and often impatient. When faced with uncertainty, what normally would be a small annoyance becomes larger than life itself. The Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) community has had its…
When I started home-schooling my two youngest children, I was desperate for someone to give me a formula of what our school day should look like. What did I need to cover each day? How much time should I spend on math? Reading? Should I be doing science experiments? A…
The first statistic I heard after our daughter Grace was diagnosed with Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) at age 14 was that 50% to 60% of cases are connected to another underlying disease, particularly small cell lung cancer. This was a sobering statistic. It felt like the bad news…