Columns

When something attacks you, having a good defense to thwart the attack is an invaluable tool in staying alive. In some ways, because they both have been diagnosed with Huntington’s disease, my wife, Jill, and our daughter are under attack. This disease aims to attack their minds and bodies,…

Many occupations are described as being the most difficult job in the world: Firefighting, mining, roofing in a heatwave. Yes, those examples are full of their own risks and challenges, but they are trumped by the roles we take in life that aren’t “jobs” at all. Parenting is an example,…

“In sickness and in health, until death do us part.” These words, which were part of our marriage vows, are a somber reminder of our mortality. But who wants to think about sickness and death on the happiest day of your life? In this column, I want to focus on…

Remember when people wrote letters? You know, when they sat down with an actual pen and let the ink roll out onto paper. Everyone had their own writing technique and style, their own spin on cursive. It’s a bit of a lost art in today’s technologically advancing world, isn’t it?…

Learning how to balance life as a caregiver and husband can be delicate. I recently mentioned that my wife, Jill, and I attended a symposium for Huntington’s disease earlier this year. I learned some valuable information that day, including that Jill may one day experience changes in the way…

Nobody is guaranteed a long life. Some people’s experience on this planet is going to be shorter than others’, even if they do everything they can to live a healthy lifestyle along the way. Having grown up with the dark cloud of Huntington’s disease (HD) over the family, I…

I am a writer, and as such, I like to think of people as books. Either you are an open book or a closed one. Let me explain. My wife, Jill, and I have so many things in common that sometimes I forget that we don’t have a few things…

The identification of the Huntington’s disease (HD) gene in 1993 opened doors for new scientific exploration. The HD community of families and researchers around the world were excited about what the discovery could mean. Since then, that knowledge has informed researchers about where to focus their studies. The…

While talking about family illnesses with friends recently, I sat back and watched people discussing cancer, dementia, and myriad other life-altering conditions. Everyone had a story to tell about taking care of someone with an illness or experiencing it themselves. I noticed that, after each person shared, the group moved…

Last week, I had an appointment with my family physician to talk about prostate health. Yes, I know, this is a Huntington’s disease (HD) column. Why am I bringing up my prostate? Come to think of it, this probably fits into the “too much information” category, but stay with…