The muscle weakness from my twin’s MG is worse than I realized
Author Tom Clancy once wrote, “Surviving is much more painful than death.” Realizing how much my twin brother, Aaron, has been surviving with myasthenia gravis (MG) since his…
Me, My Brother, and MG — Allen Francis
Allen Francis is a New York City native, graduate from Marymount Manhattan College, and a former college advisor. He writes from his experience of having a twin brother, Aaron, who has been afflicted with myasthenia gravis (MG) since 1999. From his perspective of a loving sibling, Allen wants to learn more about MG and advocate for more awareness about the rare and medically unknown condition. Allen is also a lifelong comic book fan dedicated to launching his own company writing comic books with his twin.
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MG has limited my brother’s career options, but not his identity
Identity is how we define ourselves, and it can be established through nature or nurture, voluntarily or not. Part of our identity may even be shaped by the person we imagine ourselves to be…
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In wearing sunglasses, my twin was hiding MG, not trying to look cool
Sometimes we say so much about unimportant things that we leave the important things unsaid. Or, we talk about important things using codes or euphemisms. After all, some studies suggest that more than…
My twin works hard to stay active, despite the challenges of MG
One thing that always amazes me about my twin brother, Aaron, is his drive to stay as positive and active as possible. Aaron was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis (MG) in 1999 at the…
My brother and I discuss more eye-muscle surgery for him
“Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want, but the realization of how much you already have.” That quote from an unknown author is one of my favorites. Contentment is a mindset we…
Though he can’t work as he once did, my twin stays positive
Oprah Winfrey once said, “Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.” Others have found their own ways to express this idea. The way we deal with adversity reveals our character. It can…
Coping with myasthenia gravis meant staying silent
“Silence is a true friend who never betrays,” Confucius once said. There is so much modern science doesn’t know about myasthenia gravis (MG). It must be taxing and frustrating for people with MG…
My twin often considers the worst-case scenario in his life with MG
American writer William Arthur Ward is believed to have said, “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a gift and not giving it.” I’m not grateful enough for my…
My twin with MG has learned to curb his anger; I should follow suit
A quote attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, says, “You will not be punished for your anger; you will be punished by your anger.” In other words, no matter how much we…
My twin with MG doesn’t want people to pity him
Author Jane Austen once wrote, “Those who do not complain are never pitied.” I was a mediocre English major in college. I won’t tell you I adored “Pride and Prejudice,” but I’ve always remembered…
My brother with MG is unable to exercise after a recent surgery
My twin brother, Aaron, has always been a fitness nut. When we were teenagers, he routinely invited his girlfriend at the time to come over and exercise with him. Exercise videos on VHS tapes…
I still have much to learn about my brother’s battle with MG
Inside every person we know is another part of them we don’t know anything about. As adults, we often hide our pain, either out of pride or to spare others from worrying. My twin…
