Living

By definition, mental health is taking care of psychological, emotional, and social well-being but for me (mine slightly injured mental health) was an inseparable friend that I’ve had for a...

Over the triumphs and tribulations of dealing with NMO, I’ve had to adapt my home. Thankfully, I have a handy husband who love home projects (said no husband ever) and...

My first neuromyelitis-optica attack seemed to happen rapidly and dramatically. Although I had known something was wrong for months, it was only 48 hours from realizing I couldn’t pee to...

I was born in Scotland, but my mother is from Pakistan, so I have a lot of family there including my grandmother. I haven’t been out of the United Kingdom...

At just 19, I was diagnosed with NMO, which as I’m sure many of us know are the prime party years. These are the years where you go to college...

I knew something was wrong for a couple of months. I kept making appointments with my doctor to discuss new symptoms that were appearing daily. First, it was searing hot...

Public speaking is one of the most feared things in the human race. We are so fearful of the judgment of other people that speaking to large groups of people...

I've learned a few things about self-advocacy since the beginning of my journey with frequent doctor’s visits. It can be intimidating to ask questions during your medical appointments because you...

Being diagnosed at 19, I didn’t have much of a voice. Let’s be honest–I was still coming into adulthood, figuring out who I was, and my place in this world...

Well my trip to visit my mother is winding down and it’s been quite a trip. My emotions have been on red alert and life took me down hard. From...

I scroll through this website every day, seeing pain in different types and forms. People will talk about life before their NMO took over. Something that we don't talk enough...

My wife is also my caregiver. It’s a fine balancing act between our romantic relationship and the practical support I need due to my Neuromyelitis Optica (NMO). We’d only been...

For my whole life, I have been an athlete. I have always been active and tried my best to stay in shape. I also never really paid attention to a...

After my last eye attack from NMO and because of my vision loss, I made an oath to myself that I wanted to see the world before I lost more...

I turned 39 on February 8th, 2023. I celebrated my birthday in the hospital, recovering from my 2nd hip replacement. In 2012, I first got sick from, unbeknownst to me...

In May 2016, I received my NMO diagnosis over the phone. “You have something called neuromyelitis optica, and we must treat you immediately.” I was confused, and I thought it...

From the beginning of my NMO diagnosis until now, I’ve recorded every major portion of my rare disease health journey - from the doctors telling me I have an NMOSD...

Prior to my NMO diagnosis, I never took my mental health seriously. I was always told by doctors to basically "get over it" and that "things will get better." But...

Good ol' Facebook sure knows how to bring the memories back, good and bad. The little feature on there every day, if you didn’t know, showcases memories from previous years...