Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Longevity.
Spinraza
As I mentioned before, I am a 27-year-old living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), Type 3. I consider myself really lucky looking at all the things I am able to do compared to all the things other people with the same disease as me are unable to do. I also consider myself really lucky compared to the things the doctors said I should not be able to do, like walk with extremely weak legs. Well, here I am, still walking and still able to jump. I guess I showed them. I work out too. Working out and stretching are some of the most important things for me to do in order to keep my strength up so that I can keep walking. I hope I am able to continue to walk forever! With that being said, the FDA did approve a treatment in December 2016 for SMA. This treatment is a drug known as Spinraza.
By Courtney Frazer8 years ago in Longevity
A Week in the Life
In order to fully give an insight into my life I will try to highlight my weeks throughout the year. I was working full-time and am currently looking for another full-time job. I am going to school full-time, while working a part-time job at the same time. SMA does cause fatigue and I am usually exhausted. A lot of the exhaustion has to do with how hard I push myself throughout the week, which is probably a little more than I should. Last January through April, I was working a full-time retail job, going to school full-time, and working an additional part-time job. The part-time job is seasonal and I will have more free time once that ends. I will try not to jump off topic too much, so I will jump right into my week.
By Courtney Frazer8 years ago in Longevity
Ten Things I Discovered After a Year of Mindfulness
Mindfulness can refer to the act of mindfulness meditation, which involves one actually sitting down and focusing on the breath, to going about one's day fully aware of one's own being, intensely engaged with one's own consciousness and how it responds to and determines each thought, action or bodily movement.
By Shane Eide8 years ago in Longevity
Treat Your Body Like a Temple: The Importance of Food
Food plays such an important role in our lives. It obviously nourishes us when we are hungry. Moreover, it connects us all to each other. Food is the great equalizer! So you may be thinking, “Okay… this is a blog about spirituality. Why are we discussing food?” Well, be patient! I’m getting to it!
By New Age Thoughts Chicago8 years ago in Longevity
My Life
I never imagined my life being what it is today. 27-years-old, still living with parents, and talking about what it's like to live with a neuromuscular disease. Let me give a little background and get back to my life later. When I began walking my parents noticed something different about the way I walked; how I walked on my toes constantly instead of heel-to-toe like most people walk. Knowing this was different from when my older brother started walking, my mom dragged me around to different doctors who told her the same thing every time. "There's nothing wrong with your daughter. She will grow out of it. Give it time. You're overreacting." These doctors left my mom feeling like she was crazy. Because of this, she didn't want to continue pushing for a diagnosis. She was also trying to protect me from feeling like something was wrong with me because I was "different."
By Courtney Frazer8 years ago in Longevity
Attempting a Bojutsu Class for the First Time
With starting Jiu Jitsu lately, I had been searching for another sport to try as I love a challenge now. Playing around on Google and Facebook, I was looking for a martial art that I might want to try, and what's offered here in the city. "Bojutsu."
By Samantha Popp8 years ago in Longevity
Recognizing the Adverse Effects of Acetaminophen
Safety First Recognizing the adverse effects of acetaminophen is a critical component to ensuring your safety when taking this particular type of medication — whether through over-the-counter or by way of prescription. When an individual ingests this particular substance, it enters the body and actually changes the overall perception of the pain that is being experienced. It is referred to as an "analgesic" because of the fact that it works to reduce the effects of pain. In addition to this, it works to cool the body if fever is experienced. This makes it known as an "antipyretic" as well.
By Angela Shiflett8 years ago in Longevity
Ghosts and Astral Projection
New Age is a form of spirituality with a focus on the well being of the mind, body and spirit. However, there is a form of esotericism that is involved. Many New Agers start to perform different rituals and deal with different forms of occultism. What many people are not aware of is that within the word “spirituality,” the word spirit is the root word there. Whenever you decide that you want to do any type of ritual, prayer, or invoking ceremony be aware that spirits are all around you. Like the movie Insidious said, “If you call out to one of the dead. All of them can hear you.” So do not take invocation lightly. You can invoke when playing different spirit games like the Ouija board, when using pendulums, automatic writing and dowsing rods. No matter what you decide to do, just be aware that you can end up with someone or something that you don’t want coming around. Now I’m not saying, “Don’t do these things because it’s bad.” On the contrary, all of these things are tools to be used when you are ready and have done extensive reading and training. With that being said, I want to talk about three different types of spirits.
By New Age Thoughts Chicago8 years ago in Longevity
