Being Patient editors round up a selection of our top reader submissions and Patient Perspectives of 2020.
Stories from the Being Patient Community
Eugenia Zukerman: Exploring Alzheimer’s Through Poetry
August 26th, 2020
A LiveTalk with Eugenia Zukerman
The internationally renowned flutist and writer Eugenia Zukerman reflects on how poetry has helped her cope with her diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer’s, exploring the emotions that come with the disease through poignant stanzas.
When the Pandemic Hit, She Took a Job at Her Grandmother’s Care Home
September 7th, 2020
A story by Rachel Stewart, as told to Niki Chen
The novel coronavirus pandemic has upended many lives: At the start of 2020, Rachel Stewart was living in Nashville, working as a graphic designer. Now, she works in a nursing home in Canada, the only member of her family who can be close to her grandmother.
Chris Boyce: Managing a Traumatic Brain Injury Through Exercise
September 14th, 2020
A LiveTalk with Chris Boyce
Head traumas from contact sports can have devastating and long lasting consequences. Former hockey player Chris Boyce spoke about the repeated brain injuries that left him with severe cognitive impairment, and how regular exercise has helped him manage many of his symptoms.
‘Misdiagnosed by Six Different Neurologists:’ Don Kent on Recognizing Lewy Body Dementia and His Journey to a Diagnosis
May 27th, 2020
A LiveTalk with Don Kent
Lewy body dementia is one of the most frequently misdiagnosed diseases. Don Kent, a Lewy body dementia activist, shares his journey of searching for an accurate diagnosis and coping with symptoms of the disease.
Sustaining Uncertainty: Living With ApoE4
December, 2020
An essay by Deborah Fries
Deborah Fries discovered in 2003 that she had inherited a pair of ApoE4 alleles from her parents. Now, the pandemic has compounded the sense of uncertainty in her life, as she now lives with two types of risk: COVID-19 in the world around her and ApoE4 within. In her essay for being patient, she discusses her choice to focus on the present, protecting her health, staying connected to her loved ones, and writing her book.