Author: nowwhat

by Margaret Saylar   Mark O’Brien depends on an iron lung for breathing, which he has done for 42 years. Yet while restricted to his apartment most of the time, he writes poetry and books. In 1997 the film Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O’Brien won an Oscar. Before he became ill…

When wedded bliss takes a bad turn. by Annettee Budzban   I had the same aspirations many women share of getting married to the perfect man and living happily ever after. On Valentine’s Day evening, 1997, I started my journey toward a happily married life when I walked down the candlelit aisle toward my husband-to-be….

A dream life becomes a nightmare. by Amy Rockford-Hale as told to Ann Peachman   A pivotal event is one that defines everything before and after it. A chance meeting, a phone call, a quick decision can be a turning point. You look back and say, “On that day, everything changed.” For me, it was…

The triumph of peace over pain. by Tina Luce   A slight chill hung in the April air as my cousin, Cindy, and I settled into the back seat of the Dodge Neon and positioned my Black Lab guide dog, Carmen, at my feet. We were traveling from Norwich, New York, with my Uncle Bill…

It’s not easy for a person to set aside her will for God’s. by Nancey West   “We will find out what is wrong with you,” the doctor said with confidence, “but you won’t like it.” His words replayed in my mind over the following months. I may not like a diagnosis, but I hated…

A young adult shows that physical disability isnot a handicap to the human mind and spirit. by Linda Norcott as told to David Kidd   Born in Leeds, England, with the umbilical cord wrapped around my neck, I had, to put it mildly, a less-than-ideal start to life. In those precious first moments, my brain…

How much do you know about diabetes? by Lynne Stamm   I was sitting in my doctor’s office waiting for results from routine blood work. My primary care doctor came into the room, sat down at her computer, and briefly scanned my information. Swiveling on her chair, she turned to me and said, “So, we…

A positive end to a pity party. by Mary Cox-Bilz   Born with a severe disability called Arthrogryposis, Multiplex Congenita, I have less than 3 percent use of my left arm and less than 7 percent use of my right arm. I have never walked. I type with a mouth stick held between my teeth…

Learning to trust God’s timing. by Kathryn Heckenbach   What threw me most about my cancer diagnosis was the timing. I know — there are many reasons to go into a tailspin when you’re faced with a life-threatening illness, and timing is not usually one of them. There’s never a good time or bad time…