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.
I recently saw a short YouTube video extolling the importance of accepting that life is bittersweet. In this acceptance, we can become content. If you’ve been reading my columns, you’ve heard me say that I’m happy. I’ve been…
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Back-to-school season is almost here again. I see advertisements for it everywhere. Kids want clothes with sharks on them, teachers want kids with calculators, and parents want new backpacks (for their kids). Here in New England, the climate changes…
I recently read a column by my colleague Ben Hofmeister for Multiple Sclerosis News Today. He wrote that, for him, disability pride is about celebrating the advocates who came before us and who made the…
I’ve encountered many sources of frustration over the course of my 41 years with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA). I chuckled to myself as I wrote that line. “Many sources of frustration” seems like a vast understatement. For example, when…
My husband, Dave, and I have been watching “Red Election” on Hulu. One of the ads we’ve seen repeatedly is for a medication for Dupuytren contracture (DC). DC is a treatable, but not curable, disorder in which one…
I’ve been saving for a new van with my ABLE savings account because my current one is getting crotchety and old. It’s not breaking down all over the place, but I want to replace it before it gets…
Walking my service dog, Wendy, is fun, relaxing, and, oddly, one of the things I do daily that makes me feel independent. Yesterday, the sun was shining down on us even as we inhaled the warm, musty smell of…
I just finished reading “The Beauty of Dusk” by Frank Bruni. It is largely a memoir of his experience having a stroke that caused partial blindness in one eye. He must also contend with his other eye…
Recently I had to purchase shoes. I’ve always loved shoes and clothing, and I feel creative when I select an outfit that reflects who I am. Also, I simply feel better when wearing an outfit that feels like…
Even after 42 years, I still remember the day a neurologist diagnosed me with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA). He told my parents and me that I had about 16 years to live and six years before I’d start using…
Mother’s Day is a tough one for me. My husband, Dave, and I lost a much loved, wanted, and planned-for baby in 1999. My mom died in 2016, and Dave’s mom died in early 2023. So we decided to…
My husband, Dave, and I love to watch the TV show “Top Chef,” which we stream on Peacock on Friday nights. It’s a little treat to end the work week. We’re usually eating dinner as…
Almost every morning I wake up intending to eat well. Sometimes I do eat healthily, sometimes not. This sunny May morning I plan to make myself a berry smoothie with lots of healthy stuff in there like flaxseed and…
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