Growing up with Death sounds so weird, right? How can I possibly grow up with Death, something that is the total opposite? But that’s how I feel. Death has been in my life since I was in kindergarten. If you’re immersed in the world of people with physical disabilities, death …
Wheelchair Bound Only in Playing 50 Shades of Grey
Editor’s note: “The only time you can say I’m wheelchair bound is when I’m playing the lead role in Fifty Shades of Grey” was a meme we put out to illustrate our disgust at the phrase “wheelchair bound” used by the non disabled community. Maria R. Palacios agreed that it …
Disabled with an Addiction
“Just one more,” I think to myself. “The pain is really bad, so I have no choice.” That was my mantra. What I tried to convince myself was the truth, time after time. This is how my story begins, my story of addiction. It started innocently enough, I truly was …
Our Bodies Always Belong To Us
One of the most common issues we face as women with disabilities is establishing or re-establishing ownership of our bodies. Many of us are promptly conditioned to feel like our bodies do not belong to us. After all, an array of doctors, personal care attendants, providers, family members,
GMOs vs. Organic – Part 2
If you had the option of going to the grocery store to buy food that could prevent you from making so many trips to the doctor, would you do it? Would you do it if it helped you to cut back on medications? Would you do it if it gave …
Food for Thought: GMOs vs. Organic – Part 1
The subject of our food and how it affects our health and environment has been a growing interest of mine over the past couple of years. I think I’m driven to these topics because I grew up on a farm and I see pieces of how agriculture has
The White House Made Me Sick
My friends, I write about my White House trip as if I were sitting across the table from you at our favorite hang out spot. You get to pick it. I could write this in so many different ways but luckily, I have a friend who knows me, really knows …
Living with Home Care
Home care helps me keep my independence. But what does independence mean to you? Independence has a subjective meaning. It’s different for everyone and it changes over our lifespan. What independence means to me might not be exactly what it means to you,
ABLE Act: ABLE to Make a Difference?
One late night last winter, I checked my email box to find a message from a website called Change.org, home to thousands of petitions created by individuals trying to rally people together for their specific causes. Admittedly, many reach my trash can before