About Kate

Kate is living with MS and is the Director of Mission Delivery, Partnerships at MSAA. Kate was born in Denver, CO and holds a master's degree in Organization Development from the University of Denver. She currently lives in St. Augustine, FL with her two boys and loves being outdoors (escaping to the mountains whenever possible).

Embrace the Weird

Posted on October 10, 2025 by Kate

“We’re all a little weird. And life is a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness—and call it love—true love.”

― Robert Fulghum

I’ve loved this quote for many years, and an argument could be made that my “someone” is my art.

Over the past three years, I’ve been working through a new medium—collage. Smirk all you want. It does sound like something 14-year-old me would enjoy: sifting through Tiger Beat and Teen People, finding the best photos of Usher and JTT and plastering them together for my latest bedroom installation.

But 39-year-old me has found a peaceful challenge in creating something new out of vintage pieces of paper. And it’s weird, and it’s satisfying, and I love it.

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Finding Clarity in Transition

Posted on September 5, 2025 by Kate

Our blog theme this month is transitions, and that feels very appropriately timed for me. My kids are back in school (HOW IS MY BABY IN 1st GRADE?!) and I’ve recently found myself single. So, this is a tough post and maybe a little too vulnerable, but here we are.

Needless to say, there’s been a lot of reflection (and therapy) lately, and honestly, I’m feeling pretty darn good about it. Every time life throws me a curveball (see also: MS diagnosis), I’m given an opportunity to step back and really evaluate my life, my relationships, the roles I play, how I spend my time, and the attitude I bring to all of it.

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Knowledge is Power, and so is Self-Advocacy

Posted on June 4, 2025 by Kate

Living with multiple sclerosis often means navigating a complex healthcare system, where self-advocacy becomes essential. Recently, I experienced firsthand how crucial it is to stand up for yourself in medical settings.

About 6 months ago, I made the decision to switch to a new neurologist, mostly due to the cost of my annual MRIs. I did my research and found an MS specialist 1.5 hours away and decided to give him a try. I arrived at the office, was pre-screened, and all seemed well until the doctor came in and I found myself being questioned and patronized in a way I have never experienced in a medical setting (or any setting really). Despite living with MS since 2016, doing well on the same DMT for 6 years, and working for MSAA for the past 3 years, the doctor asked me to justify my treatment and explain its benefits in detail before he was willing to continuing the conversation. I never received a physical examination, he never once asked about my lifestyle, and the entire interaction felt like a test. I guess I passed because he did end up ordering my next MRI and continuing with the same treatment path I was already on. The experience left me feeling unheard and disrespected.

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The Scrooge-Guided Christmas Tour I Never Knew I Needed

Posted on December 6, 2024 by Kate

Last year, while wandering St. Augustine’s Nights of Lights, I witnessed something truly…um…festively unforgettable? Yes. Let’s go with that. There, weaving through the crowds of holiday revelers in a slightly unhinged, and somehow intact golf cart, was Scrooge, shouting insults at anyone within earshot and driving as if he’d just discovered the gas pedal. Naturally, I knew immediately: this was a Christmas experience I’d have to have a front row seat for next year.

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Self-Care on the Wings of a Goldfinch

Posted on September 30, 2024 by Kate

I’ve already written this blog post once and I’ve decided to scrap it. This is a page one rewrite. My initial post was preemptive. I was writing about something I had yet to experience and now I’m on the other side. Isn’t it funny how much we can project onto something that is yet to be? Better to live in the present, but what a challenge that is for me.

Our topic this month is self-care, and my ultimate self-care starts with a 20-year desire and ends in a goldfinch. On Friday the 13^th I got a tattoo of a goldfinch on my forearm. It’s not my first tattoo and probably won’t be my last, but this little guy is the most meaningful to date. The goldfinch is a symbol of finding happiness in challenging times. It is seen as protective, devoted, persistent, and carries good fortune on its wings. What more could you ask for in a little cheerleader when you’re living with MS? It may seem strange that I consider this new addition to my skin as self-care, but I can’t honestly think of a more direct way to honor and treat myself.

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The AC Staycation

Posted on August 5, 2024 by Kate

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’m a single mom of two young boys (5 & 6) and we live in St. Augustine, FL. It’s hot here. Really hot. Typically, May through October are well into the 90s, and bouncing from one airconditioned space to another is essential even for my non-MSers brethren. To be fair, I like to escape north to the Blue Ridge Mountains when I can, but that only happens once or twice a summer, so I’ve had to get creative on how to spend all of that indoor time. I’m not great at generalizing how I think you should fill your time, so I’ve decided to list out a few things I’ve found to be highly enjoyable as an artsy nerd mom.

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Positivity, MS and AI?

Posted on June 10, 2024 by Kate

By: Kate Durack

This month we are focused on staying positive while living with MS. I’ve written in the past about the positive outlook MS has provided me and I thought it might be interesting to pick the brain of someone (thing?) else on this topic to see if it generates anything new for me. So, I asked our new friend ChatGPT its thoughts on the matter. Here’s what it dished out:

Kate:

Why is it important to stay positive when living with multiple sclerosis?

ChatGPT:

Staying positive when living with multiple sclerosis (MS) is important for several reasons:

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Reflections on Motherhood & MS

Posted on May 15, 2024 by Kate

By Kate

My journey to motherhood was pushed into warp speed when I was diagnosed 8 years ago. In 2014, I had just gotten married and started having vision and grip issues which led to my eventual diagnosis of MS. Before any treatment was considered, my initial doctor (a lovely human) asked what it was I wanted for my life. I told him I wanted to be a mom. His response: “GREAT! You have 8 months to get pregnant, and if you don’t, I suggest we start treatment and reassess how and when to stop treatment in order to try again in the future.” This was good news, but like, no pressure, right?

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Always Evolving

Posted on December 6, 2023 by Kate

By Kate

Sure, I can tell you about how frustrating it is to be too fatigued to play with my kids outside or what it’s like to worry that the drink in my right hand might end up on the floor (or on me). I can tell you about my fears about being able to be the mother my kids deserve and what it feels like to forget key information when I’m speaking to someone at work. It’s a lot and it’s constant, but that’s not what I want to focus on. I’ve been diagnosed with MS for six years and since then I’ve had two children, moved out of state and back, gone through a divorce, and started a new job. My world has changed and so have I. There are so many things I’ve read about the dark sides of MS and I certainly don’t want to downplay those aspects in the least, but I do want to also draw attention to something I hadn’t expected upon diagnosis – I woke up.

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