Fighting FA - a Column by Frankie Perazzola

When I was in college, my goal was to work in professional sports in marketing or sales. Before I graduated, I worked in ticket sales for the Phoenix Suns basketball team and loved the path my career was taking. I had my foot in the door at the NBA…

I love to cook. From an early age, I spent time in the kitchen helping or annoying my Nonna. Cooking is therapeutic, and I find enjoyment in the process. It feels good to create something for someone else to enjoy. Cooking requires patience, fun, and love, and it…

Lately, I’ve been finding it difficult to go to my local gym. It’s accessible, so that’s not the problem. The issue is that I’ve stopped enjoying the experience. While I love to exercise and the gym scene in general, navigating this fitness club, one of a large chain,…

This week, I wanted to do something a little different. As an FA patient diagnosed only four years ago and with no sign of a heart condition yet, I understand that not too many people can relate to my views on working out. My friend Joey has a…

“Weren’t you just in a wheelchair? Why are you using a walker now? Are you getting better? If you can walk, why do you even have a wheelchair?” I love when genuinely curious people ask me questions. With multiple assistive devices and an invisible illness, I have learned…

To parents with newly diagnosed children and those who have been in this fight for a while: I salute you. As an adult patient, I am not coming from a place of complete understanding because I do not have a child with FA. However, I do…

Almost every day, I have a conversation with myself about the level of my own vulnerability on the internet. Is this comment too much? Should I discuss this topic? Does anyone care? I tend to get lost in an abyss of self-doubt and insecurity when sharing my life…

By the time you read this column, I hope to be celebrating a win for the Los Angeles Rams over the Dallas Cowboys — my favorite football team will move one step closer to the Super Bowl. Even if they lose the game, the team has had an…

Let the New Year’s resolutions and “fresh start” cliches pour in to overwhelm timelines and news feeds. Ringing in the new year has always been a favorite time of mine — the energy shifts. Many people, including me, desire to change and become “better.” When thinking about resolutions, I…

  With more than 7,000 known rare diseases in the world, it’s impossible to have all humans acknowledge and learn about every single one. No matter how life-threatening, debilitating, or serious a disease is, the hard truth is that if it doesn’t affect a large group of…