"I Am. . .So Much More Than You See!"

"Uncomfortable" is the word that I would use to describe the way a doctor made me feel in a recent appointment. I went with my physical therapist to see about getting leg braces to help me with my walking. Little did I know the doctor would be surprised that I could even walk into his office because I have a Mitochondrial disease. He basically told me that I am lucky to be alive with the condition that I have and he was surprised that I did not come in on a scooter. Obviously, he has little knowledge about Mitochondrial diseases because if he had done his research he would have known that the disease affects every person differently. I said to him that even though I can walk I still have challenges with my endurance and balance. The point I was trying to make was that I am happy with how well I am doing but I will always continue to search for anything that can help me improve and compensate for my daily challenges. I left the office feeling angry not only for the c...

Have you ever been in an unfamiliar place but you feel like you are home? This was the feeling I got yesterday as I got a job offer for my dream job. I walked into the office of the nonprofit I will be working for and the butterflies floated away, my heart calmed down and I felt confident. This is my dream job because I will be helping people with disabilities learn the life skills they need to be successful. I will be able to use my life experiences to connect, my strategies to guide and my education to inform.  I can't wait to start making a difference in people's lives just like my "team" has done for me! While it took a lot of hard work, determination and persistence to experience yesterday, I truly believe that my career journey will help me guide my clients in the path that is best for them. Looking forward to this next chapter in my life! Written by Sydney Breslow 

In the process of looking for a job, there have been many times where I have felt angry about having a disability and said to myself or out loud, "I wish I could be normal." However, someone with a disability recently said to me, "normal is boring" and I thought, this is so true! I started thinking about all the things that would be different in my life if I were "normal" and I realized my disability has in part made me the person I am today. 1. If I were "normal," I wouldn't have met the amazing physical therapists that I have worked with, some of whom have become friends and even family. 2. If I were "normal," I wouldn't have the empathy that I have for people with disabilities. 3. If I were "normal," I wouldn't have the same relationship that I have with my family and friends. 4. If I were "normal," I wouldn't have met some of the amazing people that I did in college. 5. If I were ...

"The only limits in life are the ones you set for yourself." This rang true on Friday when I attended the North Carolina State Fair for the first time. The fair was so much fun and definitely unlike any experience I have ever had. From the food to the rides and games, it was definitely a day to remember. Despite the enjoyment of the day, I had to think and prepare for my physical disability. 1. I had to reserve a wheelchair, which ended up being a lifesaver with all of the walking. The wheelchair allowed me to have no limits at the fair because I was able to go anywhere in spite of the crowds and excessive amount of walking. 2. I had to figure out which parking lot had handicap parking. The ironic part about this parking lot was that it was made of rocks. It was not only hard to walk on but it would really be impossible to get a wheelchair or walker over. This made me sad for people who cannot walk at all because they would probably miss out on the fair. 3. The hardes...

Imagine standing in front of your entire class to present one of your final projects of graduate school and not having the energy to talk. This happened to me and it was NOT a good feeling. I don't know what happened that day but I was having trouble getting enough air to talk clearly. I think my nerves combined with the lack of sleep and my speech impairment were not a good combination.  My speech impairment is something that I am extremely sensitive about and I am sometimes ashamed of. I think I feel this way because often times society associates speech impairments with intellectual disabilities. Would you assume that someone in a wheelchair has an intellectual disability? Probably not! Then, why do we assume that people with speech impairments have intellectual disabilities? Is it because the mouth is closer to the brain? I don't know the answer to these questions but I will tell you that the jaw, tongue and all of the other components associated with speech are muscles ...

CAMARADERIE, LOVE, SPIRIT and HOPE. These are the four words I would use to describe what I felt yesterday at the annual Energy for Life Walk in Cherry Hill, NJ. I love participating in this walk because it raises awareness, and raises funds to help patients and their families affected by Mitochondrial Disease. It also motivates me to walk a mile, which for some people is a walk in the park (no pun intended) but for me is a very challenging task due to my Mitochondrial Disease. I was actually nervous that I would not even be able to complete the mile this year because my legs have recently been getting extremely tired when I walk even short distances. However, I was determined to do this mile for all those people with Mitochondrial Disease who cannot walk a mile. It was also my personal goal to walk the mile without any rests so that people could actually see the affects on my body when my mitochondria run out of energy. I did it!!!! With the help of my team behind me and my dad be...

Sometimes the best things in life take patience to accomplish. My patience was definitely tested this weekend as my mom and I traveled to Tucson, Arizona to meet my service dog in training. After spending time with Einstein and the trainer on Thursday we quickly realized that he was not going to be the right match for me. One of the reasons is that he was too short to be able to help with my balance and walking. Unfortunately, this is the second service dog that has not worked out but I am determined to wait for the perfect dog to meet my needs. This weekend I heard so many stories from the trainer about dogs that have changed people’s lives. The most heartwarming part of our trip is that Einstein will now go to a Veteran that has been searching for a service dog for two years. I am so happy for this twenty-eight year old Veteran who started crying when he heard the news. While I am disappointed that Einstein #2 did not work out, I met a puppy this weekend that will...