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What is Ataxia

When the Same Advice Wrecks One Person and Helps Another

Michael MantzJanuary 18, 2026Ataxia Awareness, Overall Wellness, Resilient Voices

Why “What Works” Is Misleading With Ataxia and Neurological Conditions One of the most confusing parts of living with ataxia and similar neurological conditions is how often the same advice produces completely opposite results. Something that genuinely helps one person can quietly wreck another. Sleep medications are a common example. Supplements too. So are routines,...

The New Year’s Chat

Franke JamesJanuary 9, 2026Ataxia Awareness, Resilient Voices

Every once in a while, someone in this community puts words to a feeling many of us carry but rarely articulate. Franke James is one of those people. Franke is a writer and author who also lives with idiopathic ataxia. When she shared this piece with me, it stayed with me. Not because it softens...

The Art of Having a Good Day (Even When It’s Chaotic Out There)

Michael MantzDecember 17, 2025Ataxia Awareness, My Story, Resilient Voices

There’s an art to having a good day. Not a perfect day or a “crushed every goal and left people speechless” kind of day. I mean the kind of day where things go just well enough that you look around at 7 p.m. and think, Yeah… this wasn’t bad. I’ll take it. On paper, that...

Walking on Ice: What Winter with Ataxia Feels When Your Balance Isn’t Automatic

Michael MantzDecember 9, 2025Ataxia Awareness, Resilient Voices

Most people talk about winter like it’s scenery. Snow, lights, football games, family traditions, etc. I used to see it that way too. Then snow and ice became something different: a surface I had to negotiate, not admire. Last week’s storm was a reminder. The sidewalks were technically “cleared,” but if you walk the way...

The Small Things That Make Life With Ataxia Easier (The Stuff I Actually Use)

Michael MantzDecember 2, 2025Ataxia Awareness, Overall Wellness, Resilient Voices

Living with Ataxia isn’t one big dramatic moment. Most days, it’s a collection of small adjustments that help me stay steady, safe, and able to move through the day without unnecessary stress. I’ve never been someone who uses a lot of gadgets or gear. If you asked me a few years ago what tools I...

Thanksgiving, Still Moving: What Gratitude Looks Like When Life Moves Differently

Michael MantzNovember 25, 2025Ataxia Awareness, Overall Wellness, Resilient Voices

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. The food, the football, the time with people you care about. What stays with me, though, is the meaning behind it. It’s one of the few days built around slowing down, taking a breath, and paying attention to what’s still good. Living with a rare condition...

Living in Slow Motion: What It’s Really Like to Move Differently

Michael MantzNovember 17, 2025Ataxia Awareness, Resilient Voices, What is Ataxia

Some people live life in fast forward. Chasing, planning, sprinting toward what’s next. And I used to be one of them. Then life handed me a slower rhythm. I tried to fight it for years, but as anyone with a progressive condition knows, eventually, you can’t “run” anymore. It wasn’t by choice, and it wasn’t...

Troriluzole Decision: When Hope Pauses for Ataxia

Michael MantzNovember 11, 2025Ataxia Awareness, Research and Development, Resilient Voices

This morning, I opened an email I wish had said something different. The subject line read: “FDA issues Complete Response Letter for Biohaven’s VYGLXIA (troriluzole).” Read Here In short, it wasn’t approved. For most people, that headline might scroll by unnoticed. But for those of us living with Ataxia, or part of the early access...

One Step at a Time: Why Small Wins Matter More Than Big Leaps

Michael MantzNovember 3, 2025Ataxia Awareness, Resilient Voices

We live in a world that celebrates extremes. Scroll through social media and you’ll see dramatic before-and-after photos, stories of people climbing mountains against all odds, or ads promising overnight transformations. Those stories are inspiring, sure—but they also set a false expectation. They make it seem like progress has to be loud, obvious, and measurable...

Confusion and Brain Fog as a Symptom of Ataxia

Michael MantzOctober 28, 2025Ataxia Awareness, Resilient Voices

Ever walk into a room and forget why you’re there? Now imagine that fog lasting all day. That’s what brain fog in Ataxia can feel like. I’ve been there. As my Spinocerebellar Ataxia (SCA) has progressed, these moments have become more frequent. It’s like starting the day with your headlights dimmed — you can still...