Jean Walsh hails from Massachusetts. You will find a mental health perspective in her writing, reflecting her two mental health graduate degrees. She has years of work experience, the most pertinent being her experience as a grant writer. Jean was diagnosed with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) when she was 19, and has been an avid FA volunteer since. She is 40 years into her journey with FA and so has a lot of experience to share with her shared FA, rare, and chronic disease communities.
Today, as I do most days, I woke up still tired. My sleep last night wasn’t great, but that’s not why I’m tired. I’m exhausted because I have Friedreich’s ataxia (FA). I tell…
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During the final hours of the 2019 Friedreich’s Ataxia Symposium in Pennsylvania, the Friedreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance announced that the pharmaceutical company Reata had achieved statistically significant positive results in its Phase 2…
Last week, I had my annual echocardiogram, known informally as an echo. My doctors want to keep an eye on my heart function because I have Friedreich’s ataxia (FA), and one of its…
If you’ve seen me fall or heard me talk about it, the first thing I usually say is “I’m OK.” I’ve even said that when I had a broken shoulder, when I clearly was…
Last Monday, my husband, Dave, and I were on the last leg of our journey home from vacation in the Shenandoah Valley. The GPS interrupted our Audible book and said, “Take exit 90 toward…
The other day I was listening to a podcast. (I think I’m addicted to podcasts.) The interviewee had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), though she preferred that it be called post-traumatic stress injury (PTSI) because…
A few days ago, I looked at vacation pictures from our trip to Hawaii in 2007. It was a wonderful vacation — not perfect, but fun and relaxing. We watched postcard-perfect sunsets over the…
This morning, like many mornings before it, I pulled out gym clothes as my all-day outfit. Gym clothes are comfortable and easy to put on. I work out most days, so gym clothes are…
It’s summertime, the season for travel. There’s so much fun at every stage: the planning, the doing, and the reminiscing. I love to travel, though I have Friedreich’s ataxia (FA), which means I…
A week ago, I woke up early on a slightly cloudy, humid Sunday morning. I had butterflies in my stomach as my husband, Dave, and I drove 40 minutes to a fundraiser for my…
This morning I was practicing my pre-getting-out-of-bed routine. I take a pill, do breathing exercises, and meditate for about 10 minutes. I mostly follow this routine, but not always. It’s my way of trying…
About 12 years ago, I went dog mushing with my local disabled sports organization, Northeast Passage. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Those of us who participated have various disabilities, and we got to…
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