Frankie Perazzola

One of the biggest decisions we have to make as a person with FA is when to use a wheelchair full time.

Most of us are extremely stubborn (hi, there) and try to hold off as long as possible. Sometimes overlooking physical and mental safety.

For those of you who are full-time wheelchair users, window do you know? What was the indicator that you…[Read more]

Well, cats out of the bag. I did a segment for a show called The Balancing Act on Lifetime Network and it’s all about Fredreichs ataxia.

It’s mostly about my diagnosis story but it breaks down FA in a way that most people can understand. Check it out and let me know what you think!

I know that everywhere in the world with different with their lockdown policy number just looking for an update. How is it where you live? Are you guys starting to reopen? Are you nervous about re-opening?

One of the best way to that helps me mellow out and meditate is listening to music through noise canceling headphones. This puts me in a space where I can focus on the task at hand and I send my body.

I think that the noise canceling part really helps because I am able to zone out and really grasp what I have to do next.

How about you? When you…[Read more]

One thing I think we can all agree on is that we experience moments where we fall. For me, every time I fall it ends up being catastrophic just by the way I tried to catch myself.

It feels like I’m trying to help but once I start moving, my body doesn’t agree and fight back with every movement I try. When I don’t get hurt, it’s actually really…[Read more]

All of us have something that we crave from time to time and are obsessed with. When it comes to food, what are some of your guilty pleasures?

My guilty pleasure is a hot Cheetos! That’s my favorite snack and has been since I was a kid.

I recently purchased a 10 pound weighted vest and it has been a game changer with stability.

One of the things I do around my house is where the weighted vest while using my walker. It allows me to walk more comfortably as well as reground my feet with the floor. I only keep the vest on for about 10 minutes at a time to keep pressure off my…[Read more]

OK, let’s be honest. Dating with a disability is one of the most intimidating experiences ever. Personally, I experience tremendous self doubts and insecurity.

I remember how dating was before being disabled and the problems I have now were nonexistent back then. We definitely get treated different with a walker or a wheelchair. The difference i…[Read more]

For those of you who still walk and use a Rollator or walkers, do you notice that sometimes you tip to the side?

Putting weight inside my walker helps stabilize me and not to be over.

With all of the madness going on in the world, the state of California it happens to be on fire. The air quality is so bad and there is a constant orange haze that hangs right by the sun.

It looks almost apocalyptic. If you live in California, are you experiencing any health conditions? Breathing is a little bit harder for me.

With all of the madness going on in the world, the state of California it happens to be on fire. The air quality is so bad and there is a constant orange haze that hangs right by the sun.

It looks almost apocalyptic. If you live in California, are you experiencing any health conditions? Breathing is a little bit harder for me.

Sunglasses are a must whenever I go outside. Sometimes it feels like I’ve been in a movie theater and then walked outside during the daytime.

Who else has sensitive eyes?

I think a lot of times, we get caught up comparing ourselves to other people. Especially ones that are not affected with FA. Not sure if you guys do this as well but it gets me into a negative headspace and I dislike it.

One thing that I have focused on is myself and being the best version of me I can be. I know that sounds cliché but at the end…[Read more]

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned during my diagnosis is that I need to surround myself with people who genuinely want to see me when. At first, I couldn’t decipher between those who felt bad and those who were in my corner.

I think that’s a very natural reaction so I do not blame anybody for the way they handled my diagnosis. Howev…[Read more]

Not sure if this is FA specific but I do noticed my mouth gets dry very often. Does this happen to you? If so, what are some remedies you have for fighting ting dry mouth

Some of us have function and sensation in our legs and feet. Are you one of them? Or, do you not have any feeling?

One aspect of my fitness journey that needed to be changed immediately was my relationship to food. I noticed I was a constant snacker and love to sit in front of the TV with some thing.

As I began to recognize this, I first chose to find healthy alternatives. For example, instead of chips I would indulge in cucumbers and ranch. Is it the best?…[Read more]

Using both a wheelchair and walker can be very demanding on both devices. My walker gets more scuffed up from bringing it in and out of the car and banging it everywhere. My wheelchair needs constant TLC and to be looked over.

When it comes to making adjustments or certain modifications to your devices, what are some things you have done?

I’ve h…[Read more]

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I recently wrote about what the process was like for me adopting a dog. Not being able to take my dog for an actual walk has been quite the challenge for me mentally. Have you experienced anything like this?

With an understanding that a wheelchair needs consistent love and care, how often do you make adjustments or quick fixes?

Weather it’s fixing the alignment, taking hair and trash out of the spokes or even pumping tires; how often do you tend to your chair?

Have you found any hacks to make any of these easier?