New Year - Same Disorder

Some people start the New Year with resolutions and goals. I do that as well, but I also have to think about life with my disorder. Every new year, I always want to prioritize my health, eat better and take care of my body. I also think about a new year with the same disorder. There’s no cure for it, so it’s a lot for me mentally. Will it get worse this year? How many falls will I have this year? I try to make myself focus on the positive side of things, but sometimes those intrusive thoughts sneak in. I have tried to channel having my disorder for good. Last year, I became an ambassador for SitnStand and Fashionable Canes. I am hoping to grow these relationships with those brands this year and seeing where life takes me. I work full time and run my art business, it’s a goal of mine to keep growing this blog and spread awareness about my rare disorder.

I call this look “Fall Chic”

I am always down for a good pun. I sadly took a hard tumble in late October. I landed hard on my foot. In order to keep going, I have to be able to laugh at myself. One day I thought about the fact that this is my fall chic look. Hitting the floor is never fun, but I have to enjoy the little things that make me laugh. This could be my coping mechanism or just a personality quirk. A friend of mine told me I could also call this boot season. Having a disorder is not easy, but silly little moments make the hard days a little easier.

I’ve fallen & I can’t get up…

I have always been a klutz, but especially after finding out I had a disorder. I joked that I need to be one of the spokesperson for Life Alert. It’s targeted at the elderly, but sometimes more than just the elder can benefit from these kinds of devices. Well, I came across the SitnStand, did my research, purchased not only one, but two of their portable seats (the classic & compact) and I am here to tell you I have fallen in love with them. Here’s a video explaining my experience of the SitnStand devices. Since this product is fairly new to the market, I reached out to them to get more involved…it worked! I am officially a Brand Ambassador for SitnStand.

Shop the seat on their website: https://www.sitnstand.com/products/

For $50 off, use code: emily50off

Let’s hit the dance floor…

When you go to weddings and hear the phrase, I’m going to “hit the dance floor,” I take it to the next level. I actually HIT THE FLOOR. The first time, I danced the night away with my cane on the dance floor having a blast. I was the most shy kid growing up and hated the to dance. After I grew up and out of my shell, I grew to love the dance floor and have accepted I have awkward dance moves. Who cares?! Because you can make the best of friends there. Well, at the end of the night, I went to use the restroom and unfortunately my legs gave out and I hit the floor hard. It was not a fun experience. Fast forward a couple years to my friend’s wedding in early 2020. The wedding party dances happened first and then the Cupid Shuffle came on to bring everyone out on the dance floor. My friends said they had no idea how to do it. I overly confidently stated that I indeed knew how to do the Cupid Shuffle. Needless to say, somewhere between, the lefts, rights and kicks, I HIT THE DANCE FLOOR, alright. That is when I learned my lesson the hard way—to use a wheelchair when going to weddings, especially when hitting the dance floor. That is what I do from now on. It makes life a whole lot easier. I hope you find a little humor in this story, because that is how I deal with having a disorder. There are good days and bad days, but you have to enjoy the good one and find humor after the fact.

“Darling, don't ever be too shy to dance”

-Audrey Hepburn