Fighting FA — Frankie Perazzola

Being a writer without the ability to write is a conundrum. I think about it often, especially when I write these columns. I never realized how much I wrote until that ability was slowly taken away. When I was younger, I loved to write. I would use every colored…

We made it! A new decade is here, and the atmosphere seems a little fresher. For now, at least. I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays and spent them however you wanted to, with or without family. My previous columns about the new year consisted of sharing my plans for…

It’s the end of a decade and the beginning of a new year. At this time, many of us make New Year’s resolutions and set our goals for the year ahead. In the past, I have made resolutions that weren’t realistic or achievable; whether it was losing a lot…

It has always been a challenge for me to remain in the present. I frequently reminisce about the past and think about what I should have done. Does your brain remind you of your embarrassing moments when you are about to fall asleep? Same with…

My anxiety kicks in when I go out. Between choosing an assistive device, worrying about the accessibility of the venue, and anticipating stares from others, it can be overwhelming. The anxiety is so debilitating at times that I simply choose to stay home. I didn’t…

My family and I recently took an incredible vacation to our motherland, Italy. We have talked about taking this trip since I was a kid, but never had the time or the money. Now that my parents are retired and my brother and I are older, the timing…

Scheduling my own doctors’ appointments was one of the biggest indications I was getting older. I remember how I felt when I first did it about age 18. I hung up the phone feeling so grown. From then on, I had no problem scheduling all my appointments. It gave me…

To my dearest Lucia, By the time you are able to read and understand this, I am not sure what Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) will have done to my body, so this is kind of my “insurance policy” of life lessons and memories I want to offer you in 2019.

As a 27-year-old, I enjoy going out on the town with a couple of girlfriends. However, going out now takes a lot more effort than when I turned 21. When planning a night out, I assess my level of fatigue and decide which assistive device I need to…

I have been going back and forth about this column. But I think it’s important to show my readers and myself that I am being authentic, so here we go. Self-accountability is an everlasting process. Like cleaning out the junk drawer in the house, it can’t just be a…

My 27th birthday is this week and I don’t know how to feel about it. I am definitely not one of those people who dislikes getting older — yet. Until I was diagnosed, I always looked forward to birthdays. Now they are markers of my disease’s progression. I thought time would…

It was a beautiful, sunny day in Southern California, and I was out with my mom and my grandma. We usually get lunch in town and hang out for a while afterward. Shopping, running errands, or visiting someone at their house — whatever we do, I love our time together.