Rob Stemple is a lifelong advocate for people with disabilities. He was diagnosed with FSHD in 1971 at age 14. Rob struggled with its’ affects for over 50 years. He lost his eyesight in a devastating crash with a drunk driver. Rob has been a special education teacher, director of a nonprofit organization serving the blind and a newspaper columnist. He lives in Pittsburgh with his wife, Wendy, where they both enjoy hanging out with their kids and grandkids. Rob is a musician, composer, and recording artist. His theory of life is, “Do the best you can with what you’ve got to work with!”
My wife, Wendy, and I had a wonderful Sunday recently. We rose early and hit the road to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where we had lived for over 41 years before moving to Pittsburgh to be…
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Over the past couple months, I’ve shared my decision to try physical therapy in an attempt to slow the progression of my facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). I also shared that I…
In a column I wrote last month, I talked about finally deciding to try some physical therapy, despite more than a little pessimism that it would be effective. Actually, I’ve been…
Regular readers of my column will know that my wife, Wendy, and I moved from Shanksville, Pennsylvania, to Pittsburgh in January 2023 to be closer to our children and grandchildren. There have…
In my last column, I wrote about the increasing difficulties I’m having safely navigating my home using the “furniture surfing” technique. I wondered whether it was time that I break out the walker…
I had an incident about a month ago that I’ve been thinking about ever since. It’s left me wondering if it’s time for me to begin using a walker, something I tried years ago…
I received an overwhelming response to my last column, in which I grappled with feelings of uselessness when my facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) prevented me from helping in the way I would…
As I write this column, my wife, Wendy, is undergoing abdominal surgery. I won’t go into details, but it’s a pretty extensive procedure, so I’m concerned. I’d like to be there for Wendy, but…
I’m reading “Eyes to the Wind: A Memoir of Love and Death, Hope and Resistance” by Ady Barkan, a late lawyer and political activist who had ALS. It’s been a tough…
Last night, my wife, Wendy, asked me if I’d like to go out to eat. For most people, this request wouldn’t require much thought. It’s a simple yes or no question. However, my…
The symptoms of my facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) make staying positive a daily challenge. Many people with muscular dystrophy struggle with depression. This battle is magnified every winter as I…
Pennsylvania’s Somerset County, where I lived before moving to Pittsburgh a year ago, is situated in the Laurel Highlands, an area that is part of the Appalachian Mountain Range. At an elevation…
I just turned 66. I’m not sure if it was my birthday, the calendar changing, or perhaps the fact that the men in my family don’t live especially long lives, but I’ve really been…
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