November 4, 2021 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell When Loss Is Expected, How Do We Cope? It is hard to watch the decline in real time. It happens before my very eyes. Like “Groundhog Day,” I wake, I try, and I do. I persevere because that is who I am. I push past the…
October 21, 2021 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Overcoming My Fear of Concerts With a Little Help From the Rolling Stones As the music started, the crowd stood and cheered. I followed suit. Well, almost. I stood with more intention than balance. And as I did, I veered toward the person seated in the next row. Hello, secondary progressive MS.
September 23, 2021 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Emotional and Physical Pain Are My Unwanted Sidekicks Pain is the consummate four-letter word. I have felt pain in the most primal of ways. The emotional chasm of grief in my soul. The physical torture of pain in my body. Pain is unyielding in its relentless…
September 9, 2021 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell As My Disease Progresses, I Choose to Grow I watch my multiple sclerosis progress. I see it progress in moments of defeat. I think of it when I fall. I curse it when I break or can’t open things. I grieve over it when my…
August 26, 2021 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell When Restless Legs Syndrome Won’t Leave You Alone The light of the television screen illuminates the darkness. I want so much to sleep, but my body has other plans. After a hot shower and multiple medications, my legs continue to dance. The constant ache, twitch, and kick…
August 12, 2021 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Next Time, Ask Me Why I Need an Accessible Parking Placard To the person who left the note on my windshield: I wish you would have asked. I would have told you that I have secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, a neurological disease that impairs my ability to walk. My MS…
July 29, 2021 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell MS Doesn’t Get to Decide Whether We Are Enough “Change is the only constant in life,” a quote paraphrased from Greek philosopher Heraclitus states. This ancient wisdom still prevails today. Life is in a constant flux. We evolve, we grow, and we shift, and we are never…
July 22, 2021 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Are You Prepared for a Fall? I sit amid the flood of carpet stain remover. My left leg is elongated as my right leg is at a jackknife. The cool of the fluid penetrates my sweats. Shock dissipates into pain. I try to move, but…
July 15, 2021 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell I Am Proud of the Disability I Once Feared I feared becoming disabled more than I feared multiple sclerosis. At the time of my diagnosis, I was moving about well enough. My mobility changed as my disease progressed. My severe foot drop, unsteady gait, and change in…
June 24, 2021 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Choosing to Be Kind to Yourself Is as Easy as Making a Decision Before turning away, I made sure to compliment my kind eyes. The green of the hazel in my eyes danced in the sunlight. The lines at the outer edges of my eyes tightened as I smiled. The crow’s-feet are…
June 17, 2021 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell How to Make Summer Sizzle Without the Heat (and Symptoms) Summertime is synonymous with long days of warmth, coastal sunsets, boating, and barbecues. A montage of my teenage self at sailing camp, pool parties, and beach bonfires plays to Loggins and Messina, Jackson Browne, and the Eagles. The…
June 10, 2021 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Are You Overdosed on Toxic Positivity? Take the #RealTalkRare Challenge Has anyone ever told you to be thankful that things aren’t worse after you’ve received upsetting news? Have you ever felt pressured by others to be grateful, even in the most difficult circumstances? It’s happened…
May 20, 2021 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Get Out of Your Own Way: Growth at 36,000 Feet I find peace at 36,000 feet. Quasi-calm. My surroundings and I move in unison with little friction. The hum of the Boeing 737 lulls me to sleep. Tranquility is a powerful provocateur when turbulence is your norm,…
May 13, 2021 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Confessions of an MS Ableist: Change Begins With Me Life is composed of little awakenings. These epiphanies broaden our horizons. Each invites us to become better versions of ourselves. And while not always welcome, most are necessary for growth. I recently flew across the country to the…
April 29, 2021 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell As an Unlikely Warrior, I Must Be Genuine About My SPMS I am the unlikeliest of warriors. Being called one makes me a little uncomfortable. While I appreciate the sentiment, I feel unworthy of the title. A warrior chooses to battle independent of circumstance. I do so because it is…
April 22, 2021 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell Coming Full Circle in My Relationship With My Mother She held me in a fierce hug. It had been a year since I had held my mother so closely. I rested my chin on her shoulder and silently thanked God. As I looked up, my eyes met hers.
April 15, 2021 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell To Ease My Suffering, I Had to Shift My Perspective, Not My Pain Levels Many believe pain and suffering are interchangeable. While they can and often do coexist, one is not reliant on the other. Pain can occur with or without suffering, and the inverse is true. Physiological, psychological, and psychosocial factors influence…
April 1, 2021 Columns by Jennifer (Jenn) Powell To Define My Reality With MS, I Choose Optimism I am an optimist in a pessimistic world. A fish out of water. I hold hope to ward off messages of defeat. In a world rife with suffering, hope is essential for soul survival. In my world with…
September 28, 2023 Columns by Benjamin Hofmeister With multiple sclerosis, don’t worry about asking stupid questions