Author Archives: Ari Anderson

I’ve written a lot about the support I’ve received from nurses and others. Although I always recognize the people in my life one way or another, I have yet to celebrate plenty of people, both medical professionals and nonmedical ones, through my columns. Everybody I know has gotten…

Last in a series. Read part one here. Previously, I wrote about an extremely important topic: safety while using the Passy Muir Valve (PMV). This wonderful tool helps people with a tracheostomy improve their vocal communication by redirecting “airflow through the vocal folds, mouth, and nose.” However,…

First in a series. As someone with SMA, I often think about the safety of my care. Many years ago, I told someone I’d been busy training a new nurse, and the person I was talking to responded, “Ari, you made me laugh out loud!” What was…

If I could go back in time a year, to Dec. 31, 2022, and retain what I know now, I’d be so excited about the people who would come into my life in 2023. I’m referring to my new nurses, who have been providing me great care. As…

In my last column, I wrote about feeling as though I’m turning a page in my life. I want to foster a belief in spiritual hope and share it with others one-on-one. So how else am I turning the page, and how does it relate to hope? Let’s…

So much of who we are is influenced by our family members. I’m not saying that we have to be exactly like them, and we certainly should do whatever we can to not copy bad behavior. Yet the honorable qualities we see in those close to us have a…

I’ve written about how I’ve looked for my own nurses to provide my SMA care, but I don’t think I’ve been clear that I’m only assisting my home healthcare agency in its search. Over the past 37 years, I’ve used a few home health agencies and spoken…

So much of life is about gaining maturity through our experiences. Sometimes we go through events similar to ones we’ve experienced before, but we now understand them from a whole different perspective. A few months ago, I shared here that my back was to the wall. I need night…

In my previous column, I explained how two years ago I was rescued by a heroic person in my life. Just as my main night nurse of eight years was moving away, a new day nurse of mine agreed to switch to nights. As relieved as I was…

When my back is to the wall and a crisis is coming to a head, that’s when my life really gets interesting. There are no more long waits to see if something will happen; instead, something has to happen. The way I see it, human intervention usually occurs, but…