Working Through the Process — Robin Stemple

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…

My wife, Wendy, and I have always loved having folks over to the house, especially during the holidays. We used to enjoy visiting our friends, as…

I was diagnosed with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) at age 14, when I was a freshman in high school. But even before that, I…

Patient columnist Robin Stemple has many people who assist him, particularly his wife and daughter, and he is grateful for everyone who gives him help on a daily basis, often without him even having to ask.

I’ll admit that I was a support group cynic in my younger days. My attitude was that I’d figure things out on my own. I just…

When I moved to Pittsburgh in January to be closer to my children and grandchildren, we were aware that we’d have to make modifications to…

Getting surprise help when you have facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) isn’t considered newsworthy. But maybe it should be. These days, it seems that most, if…