In the month of February, one cannot escape the obsession with Valentine’s Day. I’m not saying that it is bad to celebrate love, but what many don’t understand is that Valentine’s Day is often a reminder to those who don’t have a special Valentine that they are somehow inferior. Why can’t I meet the right person? Why are my dates a disaster? Am I ever going to find my soulmate? What’s wrong with me?
This set of questions becomes even longer when you are a female quadriplegic as I am. I was injured at age 16, and I found myself…
A few years ago, I wrote a blog out my exercise routine. I think that it is needless to say, things are quite different this year. But I still make time to exercise (not as much as I’d like or that I should though).
Of course, there is a lot of different equipment at gyms which I don’t have access to at home, but I have been able to rework my routines to
allow for that. For example, at the gym, I am able to use resistance bands that are tied to or wrapped securely around a very string pole…
No letter to Santa, but this year I did something I’ve never done before. I wrote a letter to myself. I’ve been pondering many aspects of my life and how I spend my time, potentially triggered by COVID, but likely based on a variety of factors. Instead of having thoughts swirling in my head I decided that writing would cement them. Many individuals in the positive psychology, wellness, and related fields suggest this type of activity as an end of year exercise. It can be used to reflect, to plan, and to make written commitments. Certainly, it is only as…
Many individuals that are working from home are experiencing zoom fatigue. They are on their devices and/or computers all day with nonstop meetings. It is understandable that these individuals want a break from looking at the screen and are resorting to good distractions like reading a book, taking a walk, or cooking.
But many people are incredibly isolated during this time. Especially those like Tony and me that have chronic conditions that are high risk. We only go out when we must. Therefore, if we want to connect with our families, friends, or others through business, zoom is a lifeline…
It’s More Important Than Ever
Author: Sheri Denkensohn-Trott
For those that are already aware, and for those that may not be, I am celebrating my 10-year breast cancerversary! It is also the 10-year anniversary of the breast cancer support group that I have been attending since August 2010. It is run by the Thelma D. Jones Breast Cancer Fund. Getting my breast cancer diagnosis was like a bad movie. I had just returned home from an extended hospitalization, was incredibly weak, and barely functioning. I did not know if I would be able to return to work and I was adjusting to having a trach…
Author: Sheri Denkensohn-Trott
For the past 13 years, Tony and I have gone to Rehoboth Beach to celebrate our anniversary. It has become a tradition that we both look forward to and enjoy. There are fewer people, beautiful weather, and a relaxing and happy place to celebrate our anniversary. We were married on September 3, 2005. We have a favorite restaurant and every year we eat there and dine outside looking at the ocean and sunset. Considering that we were married on a boat on the Potomac River, it is always fitting to be near the water to celebrate our special day.
Unfortunately…
On August 22, 2020, I officially became a quadriplegic for 37 years. Ironically, the same age that I was when I got married. Being injured at 16 years old, it is practically a lifetime ago. Most days it is far in the background of my mind. I have been injured so long that my daily routine is just that; my life. But I would be lying if I didn’t say that once in a while there is a reminder about what life was like “before.” I do wonder if it will ever go away and I don’t think it will…
What does the ADA mean to me? That’s a question I have been thinking about a lot lately. I was just 32 when it became law in 1990, and although I knew I had a physical disability, I had only been using a wheelchair part-time for about 5 years. So, the true importance of accessibility was not really something I was, personally, worried about for myself. Of course, things are quite different now and I am extremely aware of accessibility issues (and, of course, issues of inaccessibility). I have been a full-time wheelchair user for about 17 years and unless…
We Need a Movement
If you have not done so already, you should watch the documentary Crip Camp. It shows the stark contrast with the accessibility of today’s world with the world of those with disabilities in the early 1970s. Individuals with all types of disabilities finding pure joy by getting out of the city, even though they had to travel in the back of a truck or be carried onto a bus to get to camp. For many it was utopia. A place to be free from the constraints of others and the ability to be treated as human beings with thoughts and…
I recently “attended” my first Covid-19 virtual funeral. After 50 years of marriage, my cousin’s husband passed away. They were a unit; in our family, their separate first names had become one. No more.
Losing a cherished spouse is unbearable under any circumstance, but this disease compounds the brutality. My cousin was unable to see her husband for months. Although his mind was intact, he had lost mobility function and was no longer able to plug in his devices so he couldn’t facetime with his wife even before Covid-19. Additionally, he was adapting to a loss of independence for dressing…
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