A Family Tradition - a Column by Carlos Briceño

vote, white coat syndrome, protective, show, details, unexpected, party on, choose, outside the box Carlos is a journalist in the Midwest, who through the grace of God has been blessed with a brilliant, beautiful, and courageous wife and daughter. His wife found out she was gene-positive for Huntington’s Disease (HD) at the age of 41, while his daughter found out she was gene-positive for HD when she was 22. Carlos’s aim in writing column is to offer a caregiver’s perspective while also trying to inspire those families who are dealing with Huntington’s. He loves to evangelize, read, play soccer, and share — according to family members —really bad puns. (For the record, Carlos thinks his puns are really punny and funderful.)
June 30, 2020 Columns by Carlos Briceño

The Simple Joy of Taking a Walk

We live in Illinois, where the weather can be unpredictable. Some days we have perfect weather — 70 degrees and sunny — followed immediately by snow. We may not see the sun for days. When we moved here, we quickly discovered that you have to enjoy the beautiful days…

June 23, 2020 Columns by Carlos Briceño

It’s Not About You, Caregivers

I am messy. I’ve always been messy. My desk at work looks like an explosion of papers. I love to read, so it’s not uncommon for my bedroom floor to have books scattered like leaves on the ground on a fall day. I also tend to buy the same product…

June 16, 2020 Columns by Carlos Briceño

Overcoming Denial in the Face of Huntington’s Disease

The Huntington’s Disease Society of America held its annual conference in early June. Like many events these days, it was virtual, which made it super convenient to attend. I watched several sessions, including “Preparing for the Change That Will Come” and “Support Group for Caregivers.” I like to have a…

June 9, 2020 Columns by Carlos Briceño

The Real World Is Precious

On May 21, 1992, MTV aired the first episode of “The Real World.” The introduction to the show went like this: “This is the true story of seven strangers picked to live in a house, work together, and have their lives taped. Find out what happens when people stop…

June 2, 2020 Columns by Carlos Briceño

A Caregiver’s Biggest Lesson

I have pink eye. Again. And I’m extremely happy I got it. I’ll get to why in a moment, but first some background. For the third time since March, the whites of my eyes are red and watery with occasional discharges that result in some crusting on my eyelashes.

May 26, 2020 Columns by Carlos Briceño

Feeling Helpless Vs. Being Helpful

If you’ve ever experienced an allergic reaction to something, you probably understand why the root word of misery comes from the Latin word “miseria,” which means wretchedness. My dog has been in a state of misery for the past two weeks due to an allergic reaction. We don’t know…

May 19, 2020 Columns by Carlos Briceño

The Inexhaustible Reality of Love

Reality bites. That was the name of a 1994 romantic comedy movie starring Winona Ryder and Ethan Hawke. It’s about four recent graduates finding out how difficult life can be when searching for a decent job and true love after college. In pop culture, that phrase eventually came to…

May 5, 2020 Columns by Carlos Briceño

Hugging Is One of the Things I Miss the Most

The first time I met my wife, Jill, she told me she wasn’t comfortable with “PDA.” Being a smart aleck, I asked her why she didn’t like personal digital assistants. (The old PalmPilots were known as PDAs.) She flashed the patient smile of someone who knew it would require…

April 28, 2020 Columns by Carlos Briceño

Forced Family Time

My wife, Jill, and I live in Illinois, where the governor has declared a stay-at-home order for our entire state. It’s been weeks now. He also suggests canceling summer events and has decided that children will not return to school for the remainder of the academic year. We are…

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