Columns

During a recent weekend, I did something special: I took my son’s girlfriend out for her very first pedicure as a birthday present. It was a treat for her — and for me. It was my first pedicure since my myasthenia gravis (MG) diagnosis in 2018. With MG, trying…

I started traveling as a backpacker when I was 19 years old, back in the 1990s. I spent a semester studying in London in 1997. As a naive kid from the South Bronx in New York City, I found it mind-blowing to be in countries where people spoke English but…

Seventeen years of living with myasthenia gravis (MG) has made me a pro at navigating daily life. I’ve learned how to handle both routine tasks and high-pressure days because being sick doesn’t mean I get to sit out on life. Over the years, I’ve worked on big projects, organized…

It wasn’t my intention to write a column about exhaustion, fatigue, and the part they play in my life with myasthenia gravis (MG). But here’s what happened. I woke up yesterday and went about my usual routine. I ate breakfast, showered, shaved, and dressed. Then I sat at my…

When I was a toddler, I tripped and fell into a wall. The impact caused a small wound on my forehead, and I cried out in pain. My twin brother, Aaron, who was napping at the time, woke up wailing, as if he were also in pain. My family told…

When I was a kid, I had a list of things I wanted to do when, as the adults used to say, I’m “old enough.” I haven’t forgotten that list, because now I am old enough. At 26, I’m still young, but I’m an adult, and plus, I have my…

In the years since my myasthenia gravis (MG) diagnosis, I’ve learned to live with certain remarks that, though well-intended, can be hurtful. In conversations with other MG patients, I’ve heard about experiences like mine. No matter what we do — buying groceries, tying our shoes, breathing — someone is…

Living with myasthenia gravis (MG) means making daily adjustments, and getting dressed is no exception. What used to be routine is now strategic. Every piece of clothing has to pass the test: Is it comfortable? Will it make my symptoms worse? Can I put it on without feeling exhausted?…

Do you ever use a phrase often without fully appreciating its meaning, especially its meaning to others? I’ve been thinking about the phrase “seeing double” for some time. My twin brother, Aaron, was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis (MG) in 1999, and he lives with a lot of its…

During the month of Ramadan, Muslims all over the world fast from dawn until sunset, meaning no food or drink for anywhere between eight and 12 hours, depending on the region. It’s the holiest month in the Islamic calendar — a time for dedication, reflection, and sharing. But what does…