Enjoying the Ride: The Blog

MITCH  STURGEON
Author and Blogger 

Living With MS

3i Housing of Maine
2019 MLA STICKER FINALIST

Happy Holidays 2011

(Photo credit: paparutzi) This little blog brings me great joy.  I’ve been able to connect with so many wonderful people who I otherwise would never have come to know.  The notion that my writing has helped a few folks in any way is the icing on the cake. So, thank you so much for stopping… Continue reading Happy Holidays 2011

My Arms are Growing Shorter

Of course my arms are not really growing shorter, but they might as well be. My MS progression has not been random, but has instead followed clear patterns. For example, the flexion muscles in my legs (those that allow me to bend my legs at the knee) grew weak before the extension muscles (those that… Continue reading My Arms are Growing Shorter

Home Improvements – Installment #2

As I mentioned in Home Improvements – Installment #1 and in my posts about moving, here and here, not long ago we relocated from the picturesque but boring suburbs into the urban and walkable (and therefore wheelchair-able) city. The house we found was one story and fairly accessible, with wide doorways and an open layout.… Continue reading Home Improvements – Installment #2

Bonus Time

My friend Keith ruptured his aorta a few years ago. The bleeding was slow enough and the medical attention he received was timely enough that he survived, despite the odds. If not for outstanding doctors, strength of will (his and his wife’s), and good fortune, we would’ve said goodbye to Keith years ago. My mother-in-law… Continue reading Bonus Time

I Surrender

(Photo credit: Wikipedia) “I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.” – Douglas Adams I’ve reached (achieved?) several major milestones in my disease progression, such as: diagnosis informing my loved ones starting and stopping various treatments using a mobility aid (cane)… Continue reading I Surrender

My Disability Status

(Photo credit: Wikipedia) In the United States there is a progression of steps that one must go through to fully transition from a healthy worker to a disabled non-worker with benefits. In my case I was fortunate enough to have private disability insurance through my employer in addition to government disability insurance (Social Security). In… Continue reading My Disability Status

My Withering Left Hand

When I started down this path 11 years ago, I knew nothing about MS. I didn’t know anyone who had it. I didn’t know how it could affect a person. Now, unfortunately, I’m a bit of an expert. MS manifests itself differently in each person, but for me it has been a left-to-right and a… Continue reading My Withering Left Hand

It’s My 10th Anniversary!

A mere 10 years ago today, my life changed forever. I was betrothed to a first class bitch. She’s overbearing, thoughtless, and unrelenting. She takes from me anything that she covets, without consideration of my feelings. She accords me no privacy, remaining by my side 24/7, as if I’m not to be trusted. I’ve tried… Continue reading It’s My 10th Anniversary!

Home Improvements – #1

As I mentioned in my previous posts, here and here, we recently moved into a new home which has great potential for becoming wheelchair accessible. But it has a few opportunities for improvement (language eerily similar to that used by my bosses in every annual performance appraisal I ever received). My friend Preston twice made… Continue reading Home Improvements – #1

Tailgating Tales

Although my house is set up for optimum comfort and accessibility, I am occasionally (ok, often) compelled to leave the nest and venture out into the real world. Sunday was one such day. We’ve established an annual tradition of attending a New England Patriots football game at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Each of the… Continue reading Tailgating Tales