This is My Life: Trouble with the Curve

This is My Life: Trouble with the Curve

It’s funny how memories unfold in the presence of music.  Whenever I hear Aerosmith’s Crazy, I’m reminded of the summer of ‘94… At around ten years old, the progression of Scoliosis (a common side effect of Duchenne muscular dystrophy) began to affect the curvature of...
This is My Life: A Brief History of Growing Up

This is My Life: A Brief History of Growing Up

Growing up was quite the experience; a struggle perhaps, but I had the time of my life that provided many opportunities.  The story begins in my toddler days when my enlarged calves were noticed.  It’s one of the symptoms of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a genetic...
This is My Life: Ready, Set, Fight

This is My Life: Ready, Set, Fight

Running away is not an option when it comes to Duchenne muscular dystrophy.  It forces you to endure, even when you feel like things weren’t supposed to end up this way.  I remember in the fifth grade when I lost the strength to wheel myself anymore.  I had every...
This is My Life: A Winning Attitude

This is My Life: A Winning Attitude

Following my diagnosis in the summer of ‘88, nothing changed in my mind.  I was still the same old boy I used to be.  However, I ultimately noticed something different, in that I spent more time near the school doors than the playground itself.  Before, it used to...
This is My Life: Hope without Choice

This is My Life: Hope without Choice

It was a quiet, rainy afternoon when I left the first grade for my muscle biopsy.  There were grey curtains, fluorescent lights, and a giant window facing the darkness outside after they took a tissue sample from my puny left arm.  I stayed for a week and had many...
This is My Life: Living, not Existing

This is My Life: Living, not Existing

Are you excited about life?  I suppose with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, there technically isn’t much to look forward to, especially when you get to a certain age.  Though stability exists, there are still times when you awake without knowing what to expect in terms...