Columns

We all have bad days, but hopefully they are few and far between. Bad days can overwhelm, dampen your spirit, and leave you feeling angry, sad, or depressed. You may need to take a break from whatever has caused them. First, let me clarify that I am talking about bumps…

When the germs of cold and flu season find their way into the Vertin household, they crash our party of nine, and no one is spared. A cold or flu can be especially dangerous for my three sons with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) — Max, Rowen, and Charlie…

In my previous column, I shared my experience of stepping away from performing in my own play, “The Other Side,” and trusting that the work could continue without me at its center. This column picks up where the last left off: the moment the play met its audience, and…

After my muscular dystrophy diagnosis in August 1985, I thought I could hide my symptoms from my friends at school. When I started seventh grade a few weeks later, I was in a new building with kids from all over town, not just my neighborhood. I was determined not…

I type my columns on Tuesdays, but I write them in my head in the days before. I consider what to write, how to begin, and the words to use to share my life experiences. My family is fun, and my columns often reflect that, to show the lessons I’ve…

In my previous column, I shared my concern about losing more strength due to the progression of my facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). This loss was making it increasingly difficult for me to get out of my friend Richard’s Subaru. Richard, who is also a musician, not only drives…

I’ve often written about learning to live alongside uncertainty. Duchenne muscular dystrophy has a way of quietly shaping plans, then loudly interrupting them. Last July, that disruption arrived as burnout during rehearsals for my graduating showcase at BEYOND DIS:PLAY, a performing arts training program in Singapore for disabled…

January doesn’t just bring a new calendar year. For four of us in this family, it’s when we celebrate our birthdays. A new year of life! I live in Nebraska with my husband and six of the seven children we share. My daughter, Lexi, 24, lives in another town…

I’d like to share my thoughts on what the word “strength” means. The United States has had one president who used a wheelchair: Franklin D. Roosevelt. During his time in the political spotlight, he did his best to conceal his disability. Many believe he did this to project…

I love my house and the home life my husband, Jason, and I have created. My family lives in a four-bedroom, two-bath, finished-basement, ranch-style home in south-central Nebraska. It was brand-new when we bought it, and we were its first owners. Jason and I had been living in a small…