Recently, a young boy was studying my fingers. “Why do you have so many bandages?” he asked. “I have problems with my hands,” I answered. For a pre-schooler, that seemed the appropriate explanation. He looked concerned, or perhaps afraid. “You don’t have fingernails,” he said. “No, I don’t,” I said. Not exactly true. I have […]

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I’ve been thinking a lot about my posture, lately. Back in May, after I performed a scene from The Glass Menagerie as the culmination of my spring adult acting class, I watched a video of same and was dismayed to see how stooped I’ve become. Some of this is just due to aging, loss of […]

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It’s been five years since I last had calcium deposits removed from the bridge of my nose, the fifth time I’ve endured this procedure. Usually, I take care of this annoying issue about every three years, but the pandemic put that on hold this time around—which ultimately meant that the calcinosis got worse. Originally, I […]

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One of the scariest aspects of a scleroderma diagnosis is to realize how deforming this disease can be. Everyone is different, and how your body changes will be unique to you. Early on in my progression, the skin on my face became so tight that I began to have discomfort blinking. For some, this facial […]

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It’s been nearly three months since I had #24 extracted from my lower jaw, due to resorption caused by scleroderma. The bone graft is well-healed, and in a couple of weeks I will get the post implanted for my new tooth. Then it’s another three to four months to wait until I get the crown […]

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So, I finally took the plunge and got my hair cut. I had been putting this off for months, even after hair salons reopened under Phase I here in Massachusetts. Indeed, I rescheduled at least twice, because I was just too nervous about the pandemic risks. Then the heat wave hit. It’s July, it’s really […]

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As the weather finally warms up here in Central New England, I decided on Sunday to take advantage of sales and buy a pair of summer pants. Off to the mall I went, hoping for some good luck. I really don’t enjoy shopping for clothes much anymore. I’m particular, it’s difficult to find something that […]

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Monday morning. I am at one of my least favorite medical appointments: my annual mammogram. I am relieved to get through the test in a matter of minutes (even as it feels much longer when clamped in that sadistic machine). What strikes me most about this year’s visit is the new surroundings for the clinic, […]

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Seven months have passed since my hands were “revised” with skin graft surgery, nearly five months since I completed 60 dives in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. The weather is warming, the trees are in full leaf, the scent of lilacs lingers. And for unknown reasons, I have begun to experience phantom sensations in my partially […]

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A friend asked me the other day, “What’s new?” “It’s my birthday on Wednesday,” I replied. “Oh, are you going to be 65?!” he asked, intending it as a jest. “No, 64. But 65 would be great, because then I’d finally be eligible for Medicare,” was my rejoinder. I certainly am looking forward to being […]

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