Glass Half Full with Leslie Krongold, Ed.D.

An episode to catch everyone up on what's been going on in the life of someone in their early 60s with a progressive health condition. Waning energy prohibits many of us for reaching all of the goals we'd like to achieve. It takes time to acclimate to a new normal and reassess which goals are most important and how best to achieve them dealing with new limitations. Foremost for someone with myoton...

My guest for this Glass Half Full podcast episode is Patrick Regan. Patrick is a young man living in Alaska with SMA (spinal muscle atrophy) who uses AAC to communicate. We've gotten to know each other through online BORP classes -- Tai Chi and Pilates .  Our communication previous to our Zoom podcast recording was through Zoom's chat. Patrick is not able to speak and uses technology to communicat...

I don't know who coined the term movement is medicine, but it resonates for me. My early experiences with exercise were not joyful; grade school physical education was bad medicine. But once I started dancing with friends in high school – before carding and ID checks were mandatory – I experienced movement in a positive way. Shortly after college I started a yoga practice which was medicine for my...

February 28 th is Rare Disease Day. Twenty-five to 30 million Americans live with a rare disease. For more facts and figures related to rare diseases, check the NORD website . This podcast episode catches up with Aditi Kantipuly, a physician and advocate, immersed in the rare disease community. As a young girl Aditi learned about a child born with osteogenesis imperfecta – a rare bone condition –...

The holidays can be difficult for most anyone but if you live with a chronic health condition and/or physical disability, the barriers to joy and festivity may increase. Four women engage in conversation about coping with the holidays -- Leslie Krongold with myotonic muscular dystrophy, Andrea Klein with collagen 6 congenital muscular dystrophy, Janice Laurence with Charcot Marie Tooth neuromuscul...

When to stop driving a moving vehicle? That is the question to ponder; is it a toss up between being a responsible adult or maintaining a sense of independence? For many people, this is a difficult choice. If you live in an urban or suburban location you may have many options available if you give up driving. For others, a car may be a necessity -- one needed to get to gainful employment, purchase...

September 15th is International Myotonic Dystrophy Awareness Day . To learn more about helping educate and advocate for Myotonic Dystrophy visit the Muscular Dystrophy Association or Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation . The purpose of this Awareness Day is t o garner the attention of the wider general public, policy makers, regulators, biopharmaceutical representatives, researchers, health care profess...

The lyrics to Don't Laugh at Me speak to anyone who has felt like an outsider. Whether or not you were bullied as a child, this song will likely resonate with you. Steve Seskin, the singer-songwriter, and his co-writer were first inspired by a young girl's experience of teasing in grade school. But, the song encompasses inequities experienced by those living with physical and developmental disabil...

Liz Ann Kurdrna, Pilates instructor, feels like her emotional recovery from a rock climbing injury is ongoing yet "knowing that I have to show up for someone else…by teaching…it helps. It helps you uncover the stronger part of yourself ." In this podcast episode, Liz Ann talks about her lifelong love of rock climbing as well as her participation in other outdoor activities such as swimming, snow s...

Glenn Ribotsky, a Board member with the Western Neuropathy Association, shares his dramatic initiation as a patient into the world of peripheral neuropathy. Now, 18 years later he advocates and offers support to others experiencing the often, invisible pain of a neuropathy.

Dr. William Lowery, a practicing pulmonologist at Alameda Hospital in Northern California, was diagnosed with Limb-Girdle muscular dystrophy some 20 years ago. He's now founded a non-profit organization to help others shorten their diagnostic odyssey with free genetic testing and his expert guidance.

What is Toxic Positivity? How to avoid it and what to do when confronted with it.  One definition in the context of overstressed teachers during the pandemic includes "toxic positivity as focusing on the positive and ignoring the negative. This mindset has caused a lot of teachers to feel guilty, stressed, and overwhelmed." One mental health website's definition, " Some signs of toxic positivity s...

When you're told you have a tumor the size of a grapefruit growing in your brain, and you have it removed, and you live to tell the story about it without experiencing profound disability, then you have a lot to be grateful for. That's what happened to Amy. Learn more about Amy's health story in this podcast episode. She had no idea about a brain tumor until family members made an intervention and...

Traditionally the month of October is the time to become aware of people with disabilities -- either a visible or invisible disability -- but here we're drawing attention to all those who face physical and mental health challenges. With 1 in 10 Americans diagnosed with a rare disorder (whether it's a visible or invisible disability) and all of the others making up ~ 25% of Americans with chronic h...

What is that growing on me -- could it be skin cancer? Have you asked yourself this question? During the pandemic I ignored a couple of what I thought were pimples because I was terrified to go inside a building. According to Wikipedia... Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin  is usually not life-threatening , though it can be aggressive. Although the nonmelanoma skin cancer basal cell carcinoma (BC...

Falls don't always happen when you're standing. Although balance and fall prevention classes help increase your odds of preventing a near fall, some falls are just unusual accidents. Like sitting in a chair where the seat gives way and your derriere hits the ground. That's one unusual fall. Fortunately, movement and flexibility classes improve your chances of diminishing the impact of the fall. Fo...

Christina Leffmann, or Roma as she prefers to be called, is passionate about indoor and outdoor rock climbing as well as the Acquired Disability Peer Support Group she started. In June Roma traveled to Salt Lake City to participate in Paraclimbing National Championships (you can see Roma climbing at 12:30 in the video). In her early 20s Roma experienced a series of strokes and identifies as having...

The Pandemic has brought many changes; for me, it's ushered in the next chapter of my life. Perhaps the final chapter? With mobility challenges, it was one of two choices: home modifications or move to a new house. I chose the latter. The transition could be bittersweet but I think I've gained more than I've lost. I am closer to Nature and getting more than my usual Vitamin N dose. Shortly after I...

It's the May Movement Challenge ! This episode explains all you need to know about the #MayMovementChallenge2021 featuring Stanford University's Research Physical Therapist, Tina Duong. Tina's worked with both children and adults with spinal cord injury, stroke rehab, and neuromuscular disease. She talks about stretching, diaphragmatic breathing, and how to take care of yourself when starting a mo...

Telling a patient story can be a highly emotional task for anyone. Thankfully, there are people who can help. Emily Newberry - author , speaker, coach - at the Kaiser Permanente in Oregon, is one of those people. Emily was a natural story teller having spent part of her youth helping others tell their stories through song. Over the years she's perfected the craft and simplified the process. It's n...

Self-Care, or radical Self-Care, is the theme for the 5-year anniversary of the Glass Half Full podcast. This short episode features my brand of self-care -- daily routines that are my sustenance, not just an end-of-the-week treat. Whether it's nutrition, movement, or attitude my waking hours are spent minimizing symptoms associated with a progressive neuromuscular disease and maximizing a limited...

A contemplative practice includes meditation, prayer, mindfulness, yoga, tai chi or qigong, journaling or anything that helps ground you. Some people uses affirmations while others use music to help them ease into a more tranquil state. Shameka Andrews (pictured above) shares her meditation experience with individuals and organizations and even at a local farmer's market in upstate New York. Posit...

Do you see images of yourself reflected in popular media? As a person with a chronic health condition and/or disability, is your life reflected in movies, television, print, or social media? In this themed podcast episode you'll hear from Christophe Zajac-Denek -- an actor, musician, surfer, skateboarder, and little person -- whose podcast, I'm Kind of a Big Deal , explores the unique lives of peo...

If Emma Goldman were alive and experimenting with the virtual life, she may have said something like this. Why not dance through the pandemic? It's good physical exercise, ignites oxytocin, and can bond you with a community. Several accessible dance organizations have brought their talents online and thus expanded their reach nationally and internationally. One organization, Dance for All Bodies ,...

Loneliness is a public health issue. It was before the COVID-19 epidemic forced us into social isolation. Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy called loneliness a "growing health epidemic," and even wrote a book about it - Together: Why Social Connection Holds the Key to Better Health, Higher Performance, and Greater Happiness . In the United Kingdom they take this issue very seriously and now...