Wicked, workouts, & waffle fries

Apr 09, 2024

∙ Paid

One room has opened up (could be a double or single) on my Women’s Yoga and Writing Retreat in Wales at the end of the month 25–28 April 2024. Get in touch if you’d like to move and create with Morven and me!

Art + Culture

Wicked

I first saw Wicked more than a decade ago at Cleveland’s Playhouse Square. Based on the book of the same name by Gregory Maguire, it tells the backstory of the relationship between the popular Glinda the Good and the green-skinned outcast Elphaba, who end up rooming together in college. Elphaba’s natural talent in magical spells and her strong moral compass eventually make her an outcast in Oz as she’s dubbed the Wicked Witch of the West.

The costumes and set pieces were magnificent and the singing was spot on and yet something rubbed me the wrong way with this viewing. Elphaba’s beautiful younger sister Nessarose is disabled and Elphaba casts a spell on her sparkly shoes allowing her to walk—which is short lived as Dorothy’s house lands on her shortly thereafter. I didn’t catch the ableist overtones in “fixing” Nessarose’s disability the first time I saw the show. Representation is amazing, but it would have been even better to have Nessarose played by a disabled actor with a character arc that didn’t end with her being rid of her disability.

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E-stim

I’ve sung the praised of my neuro physiotherapist before and wanted to give an update on a new tool I’ve been using while doing my exercises. I’ve been using electronic muscle stimulation (EMS) to help stimulate the nerves on my weaker left side. I use it for a half hour most days and notice that I can do more reps in better form than when I’m not using it. I put two sticky electrodes below the knee which attach with wires to the handheld device that comes with a belt clip. It’s reminiscent of the early 2000s dad case, protecting the already indestructible Nokia cellular phone, though I’ve yet to test the clip feature.

Electrical stimulation was first used with stroke patients in the 1960s and has been used for MS – mostly for footdrop since the ‘90s. It only works if the nerve pathways are working, just weak, so that fact that I notice an improvement while using it is a good sign. FES can improve symptoms like muscle weakness, spasticity, ataxia, and coordination deficits, all of which I have. It’s still not easy for me to exercise. My muscles fatigue quickly and it’s frustrating not to be able to do the things I used to with ease, but I’m happy to have another tool in my kit.

Oil-Free Plant-Based Cooking

Baked Fries

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Wicked, workouts, & waffle fries

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Wicked

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Oil-Free Plant-Based Cooking

Baked Fries

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial