Hold On
Q: What do you do for a living? A: I’m a professional patient. Truly. That’s why I do with a lot of my days. I go to the doctor. Q: Do...
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Dec 2, 20211 min read
"Brain on Fire" interview
I'm going to interview "Brain on Fire's Susannah Cahalan" on March 1st thanks to my dear friends at Humanities North Dakota!!...
Sep 8, 20214 min read
One Toke Over the Line
“Jackie, that’s how I know you’re healing. That’s how I see true inner peace coming from you.” My counselor told me that the other day,...
Aug 24, 20213 min read
100 Years
I watch about 3 movies every 10 years. But one of my absolute favorites is Lonesome Dove. Though 6 hours long, I used to watch it every...
Jun 23, 20216 min read
That's How Your Love Makes Me Feel Inside
“Be thankful for stumbles, they prevent falls.” I saw that on a church’s marquee at the corner of a busy street. It was the day after it...
May 26, 20216 min read
Change
"If you knew that you would die today If you saw the face of God and love Would you change?" I’ve spent the better part of three years...
May 20, 20214 min read
The Times They Are A-Changin'
To keep or not to keep? To do or not to do? Stay right here in this place or go somewhere new? My life feels like a Jeopardy board. But I...
May 4, 20213 min read
Why Pt. 2
I once heard Hunter Pinke say that he doesn’t ask, “Why me?” rather he asks, “Why not me?” (If you don’t know Hunter’s story, Google him,...
Apr 15, 20215 min read
Skyline Pigeon
My counselor recently asked me to start a gratefulness journal – to write down daily thankful thoughts. But since my diagnosis and...
Apr 7, 20213 min read
Masters of War
You came onto me so fast. Like a sick lover. But, we were never meant to be. Me and you. You’ve been away for years now. Yet, you linger...
Mar 3, 20213 min read
Here Comes The Sun
I read an opinion this morning in the New York Times, about how nurses are being overworked to serious degrees. Covid has strained these...
Mar 1, 20211 min read
'21 Bismarck Brain Walk
78 Brain Walkers! Yes, you read that correctly, seventy-eight people were red-y and walking for #Red4WED, in the second annual Bismarck...
Feb 13, 20213 min read
Enter Sandman
“Everything is worse at night. Everything.” Said my mother to me yesterday, after I had a particularly awful night, which led to an...
Jan 21, 20219 min read
Fire and Rain
“Princesses, they’re just like us.” My friend Christina once commented that on Facebook, under a picture of Princess Kate. You know, the...
Jan 15, 20211 min read
Bismarck (virtual) Brain Walk
February 22, 2021, is World Encephalitis Day (WED)! In honor of WED, please join Jackie in the second annual Bismarck Brain Walk. Last...
Dec 31, 20203 min read
Better Days
While I was in the psychiatric ward, and could still write a little, I wrote: “BETTER DAYS AHEAD.” It was more me trying to convince...
Nov 24, 20203 min read
Kind and Generous
*The turkey artwork is courtesy of my Kindergarten son.* When I was in college, the United States was involved in conflict in the Middle...
Nov 6, 20203 min read
Fight Song #MaskUp
This photo of me was taken at the Mayo Clinic, on November 6, 2018. It was at the height of the dark days of my recovery from autoimmune...
Nov 6, 20201 min read
Brain Fever Ratings
After releasing ONLY their 8th episode of the autoimmune encephalitis podcast, Brain Fever, Jackie and her producer/co-host/husband,...
Nov 6, 20201 min read
Book Jackie to Speak!
Recently, Jackie enjoyed speaking to law enforcement administrative support professionals and University of North Dakota nursing...
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