Columns

  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…

Editor’s note: This column discusses what has worked for Christina Logan, but others may not have the same results. Second in a two-part series. In last week’s column, I discussed how fatigue is a Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) symptom that has gotten the best of me. Every day, I internally…

On any typical day at my middle school, the closer you were to the bench, the higher your social status. It was a cheaply made concrete bench, painted over at least three times, judging by the multicolored paint chips littering its surroundings. Nothing separated this bench from…

Editor’s note: This column discusses what has worked for Christina Logan, but others may not have the same results. First in a series. Recently, I implemented two major life changes for the elimination of my fatigue associated with Friedreich’s ataxia. Over the next two weeks, I will share these two…

I grew up in a church-going family that was always involved in ministry. We spent at least three days a week at church. I had a sound knowledge of Christianity, the Bible, and what it meant to be a Christ follower. I felt invincible when I was close…

Sometimes I use my introversion as an excuse. It’s safe and secure; it’s familiar not to expose myself to unfamiliar situations. I find safety and comfort in familiarity. “So what if I fall asleep and miss the meet-and-greet?” I asked my…

Do you ever experience times when being social in any form is out of the question? When engaging in online or in-person conversation is draining, or when the thought of going out just seems unimaginable? It’s not necessarily depression, because it’s not as heavy, but you…

Thanks to Friedreich’s ataxia, I’m never more anxious than in an open crowd in a big space. While feeling hopeless and lost in space, a lot of mixed emotions and questions run through my head: “Will I be able to transport through the crowd OK, or will I lose my…

I have been working with my physical therapist, Kelli, for a year and a half. She is brilliant at what she does and has become a dear friend. I am so thankful to have her by my side as we fight Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) together. She was…

Drowsily and with great effort, I hoisted the top half of my body upright in the hotel bed. Before I drifted off, I groggily but sincerely asked my friend Sajid in the bed next to mine, “You ready for some real talk?” He was…

There is something magnetic and almost hypnotic about a bonfire, I thought, as the unexpected snap of a burning stick spooked us all. My small cluster of shadowy friends gathered this evening, one of the first cool fall nights in my sophomore year of college. The…

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve had some good conversations with FAers and others about life. I was asked similar questions in each conversation, so I figured those topics must cross other people’s minds. Perhaps my answers can give you insight into my personality and who I…