Tag Archives: matt bellina

Hands On

I have bright purple nails. They will last for at least three weeks, and probably longer. It’s just regular nail polish, not the gel or no-chip kind that is supposed to withstand the tsunami of running a household. I don’t need that kind anymore. When I used to wear regular nail polish, it would chip within two days, helped along by my fluttering fingers that were always in motion. But now, it lasts forever. I don’t cook, I don’t clean, I don’t bathe my child or wash my own hair. I don’t even have the energy to pick at the polish the way I used to, and so my hands always look nice now, my skin soft, the nails short and square. Thanks, ALS.

Sometimes it’s nice to have other people do things for you. I’ve always liked getting my nails done, as opposed to doing them myself. And I’ve never cut my own hair… Wait, I take that back, I did once cut my own hair in my early 20s by putting it in a ponytail and lopping off the tail part. That was pretty satisfying in an I’m going to regret this later kind of way.

But there’s lots of self care that’s just better to do yourself. Flossing, for example. I know I should consider myself lucky that I have an assistant who is willing to floss my teeth, and I do. But still. Read More>

ALS and the NFL: Guest blogger

Former NFL fullback Kevin Turner died of ALS this morning at the age of 46. During his six years with the disease, he worked to raise awareness of the connection between the sport he loved and his ultimate diagnosis.

From an ESPN report:

“Football had something to do with it,” Turner said in 2011. “I don’t know to what extent, and I may not ever know. But there are too many people I know that have ALS and played football in similar positions. They seem to be linebackers, fullbacks, strong safeties. Those are big collision guys.”

Under pressure in the 1990s, the NFL conducted a lengthy study into the relationship between concussions and cases of degenerative brain illness, and concluded that there is no serious connection. Today, as Kevin Turner’s family and friends surrounded him to say goodbye, The New York Times published an article alleging that the NFL’s research on concussions was deeply flawed. The NFL, the article says, omitted findings, including more than 100 concussions that could have skewed the data in a way that Big Football simply isn’t comfortable with.  Read More>

Good Things

I take lots of notes on my phone to remind me of the things that I’m planning to write about. But sometimes I think I overestimate my ability to understand my own shorthand. For example, I have a note for today that just says Relativity. That’s what the blog is supposed to be about, but I have no idea what it means or even if it’s actually the word that I wrote and not just some autocorrection.

Relativity.

Yep, just checking. I have nothing to say on that topic.

Some good things have happened lately, so maybe I should write about those things. I finished a New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle without cheating. I made it through the entire morning of no school without yelling at Scarlett or Otto. Wait, nope. I did yell at Otto, because he was eating all the plants in the backyard. He deserved it, so that doesn’t count.

And I won an award, which happened a little while ago, but I realize I haven’t really acknowledged it yet. It’s a leadership award from ALS TDI, the main organization that my family and I support since we feel that they share our sense of urgency around developing treatments and a cure for ALS. Read More>