Eccentricities of a Wisconsin gal living in Jersey
With each passing year since my spinal fusion (yesterday marks 22!) new aches occasionally pop up reminding me that, while I had corrective surgery, scoliosis is still very much present in my body—and always will be. I’m aware of the usual culprits by now: discomfort on my left side where my upper curve lingers, a... Continue Reading →
The sun rose slowly over a vast deserted parking lot, its rays timidly peeking through stoic willow trees whose branches dangled quietly amidst the early morning revelry. Humidity cloaked hundreds of runners as they shuffled along the road, their breath ever so slightly visible in the chill of the morning’s air. Just beyond the incline... Continue Reading →
This past Wednesday, I did a big thing: I completed my master’s project for grad school. What a feat! I wrote a 7,500 word story—the longest piece of writing I’ve ever done—on scoliosis and body image. Would it surprise you to learn that I’ve never actually written about the two together before? True story. I... Continue Reading →
I always reflect on my scoliosis journey on this day—my spinal fusion anniversary. I've been incredibly lucky to do and accomplish so many things over the past 21 years, from running marathons to working as a Disney character to embracing my inner woman of steel and start strength training. And all with metal rods flanking... Continue Reading →
It's hard to think about what your life will look like in 20 years when you're a 15-year-old with severe scoliosis who's about to go into a life-altering surgery and is more concerned with what your high school basketball career will look like than the road further ahead. But lo and behold, here we are:... Continue Reading →
To add to the ever-growing echo on the interwebs, 2020 was a year unlike anyone could have imagined. When Connor and I got married, we had no idea that barely 4 months later—and en route back to the United States from our honeymoon in New Zealand—we'd be entering into a weeks-long stay-at-home order and working... Continue Reading →
Training for and running a marathon takes guts, dedication, consistency, grit, time, mental and physical toughness...the list goes on. Training for a virtual marathon takes all of that, amplifies it ten-fold, and then cranks up the mental toughness to a level unlike anything you've experienced before. Connor and I had planned on running the Chicago... Continue Reading →
Four months ago, Connor and I were enjoying the last few days of our honeymoon in New Zealand (more on that later), watching news about the quickly spreading coronavirus, knowing that we'd be heading back to the states in the midst of a global pandemic. Little did we know that our last day in the... Continue Reading →
Today is my back’s “golden birthday”. Nineteen years ago today on February 19, 2001, my life changed forever. Hello, stainless steel surgical rods, meet my scoliotic-ridden spine, of which you’re about to become intimately familiar. I’ve shared my back story many times over the years, from here on my blog to the Children’s Hospital of... Continue Reading →
Tall Girl in a Small State 