Columns

Third and final in a series. In a previous column, I discussed the tests I underwent to diagnose Friedreich’s ataxia. “Kendall, I was afraid that this might be the case: You have Friedreich’s ataxia.” My doctor looked as shellshocked as us. He studied Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) in his…

It doesn’t make sense, and I’ve given up trying to figure it out. It’s a silly video sponsored by a chewing gum company that paid a man to travel the world and film himself doing his goofy dance in 42 countries.

In my hotel hospitality job, I can count on working long hours, multiple days in a row, and on holidays and weekends. I knew what I signed up for when I graduated with a hospitality degree and accepted that first job offer. The thing I didn’t realize was that I…

Second in a series. In a previous column, I discussed my active childhood and early signs that something wasn’t right. As the evidence began to pile up, I started to accept that someone who has been extremely active her entire life doesn’t suddenly become uncoordinated. I decided…

Last in a series of reflections on a recent vacation to Turks and Caicos. Read previous reflections here. “I began my vacation today,” Jake told me over video chat. That lazy Sunday seemed like a great start to a vacation. It was…

It’s funny how cliches about life have started to make sense to me. From my observations of other rare disease communities, I’ve learned that when we reach a certain level of acceptance about our disease we gain a different understanding of life. When expressing myself, I try to…

My husband Justin and I returned last week from our honeymoon in the Bahamas following our beautiful wedding on Oct. 20. I was determined that I wouldn’t let Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) deter me from doing the things I wanted to on this trip. I also didn’t want to experience the…

First in a series. From the time we are toddlers, we start dreaming about the future. We want to be firefighters, teachers, rock stars, race car drivers, or in my case, a zoologist. So many exciting possibilities exist, and we want to do them all. As we get…

A continuation of a series of reflections on a recent vacation to Turks and Caicos. In this column, I take a rainy boat ride and am confronted by my uneasiness with asking for help. Read previous reflections here. ***…

In this reflection on a vacation to the Turks and Caicos Islands, I focus on time spent with my nephew Jace. Check out my earlier thoughts on traveling with Friedreich’s ataxia here. *** One of my goals on this…

Over the past few years, I have learned that Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) patients come to terms with their diagnoses in their own time. At first, I didn’t understand why some patients kept a distance from the FA community and the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA). I couldn’t…

This is the final countdown. The big day has finally come. Tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 20, I am marrying the man of my dreams, Justin. These days, it is hard to enter a relationship, especially when living with a rare disease that one can’t even begin to understand. Before I met…