'This is the way it is': How Ita is coping with life-changing condition

This is the way it is: How Ita is coping with life-changing condition

Ita, 83, faces uncertainty with a positive spirit. After back surgery in 2021, she developed symptoms that led to a diagnosis of isolated gait disorder. Despite challenges, she emphasizes staying active and optimistic.

"I haven't walked properly since the back surgery,"

Doctors are unsure if her surgery caused the condition or if it will worsen. Ita now relies on a wheelchair and acknowledges her dependence on others for mobility.

"I'm dependent on other people to help me get around and that's one of the adjustments," she said.

Instead of focusing on loss, Ita highlights the benefits, such as relief from back pain.

"I can either feel sorry for myself and do nothing, or I can take control of my life, as I always have."

However, she expresses frustration over insufficient funding for research into her illness.

"Life is full of detours," she noted.

Ita has completed her twelfth book, Unapologetically Ita, her second memoir and the first written without a full-time job.

"It was a relief to write a book and discover how much fun it is when you don't have to keep leaving it to go back to the job you do,"

she reflected.

Author's summary: Ita shows resilience, focusing on courage and creativity despite a life-changing diagnosis and the challenges it brings.

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The Senior The Senior — 2025-11-07

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