Columns

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 or hope to become. A vocation, career, or profession can also be a mark of identity.

Some people think disabilities are just excuses and free-pass cards that come with countless advantages. After a recent experience, I’ve realized they might be right sometimes — but not in the way they think. Before you think I’m crazy, let me explain. I’m not talking about financial aid or priority…

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with several medications, including Ultomiris (ravulizumab-cwvz). Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. Ecclesiastes 3:15 (KJV) reads in part, “That which hath been is now; and that which is to…

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 diagnosis in 1999 when he was 24 is painful for me. He lives in New York…

Traveling was one of my biggest fears after my myasthenia gravis diagnosis in 2019. If I got tired at home easily, what would navigating an airport and exploring a bustling city feel like? A few years ago, when my father suggested my sister and I visit a European country…

Published in 1759, Voltaire’s satirical novella “Candide” follows the adventures of its protagonist as he travels the world. Along the way, Candide encounters the suffering, misfortune, and ambiguity that is characteristic of human life. A college philosophy course was my introduction to this masterpiece. I can visualize myself walking across…

Living with a chronic illness like myasthenia gravis (MG) is no walk in the park. Sometimes I roll. Some days, just getting out of bed feels like a herculean task worthy of a medal. Yet among the challenges that come with living with MG, I’ve discovered some unexpected…

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 90% of human communication is nonverbal. What is unsaid or implied sometimes carries more weight than…

I must be transparent with you from the start: I’m not writing this because my cat isn’t cuddly and doesn’t love me the way I love her. I’d like you all to meet Philotte, the Persian cat I consider my daughter. I never used to be a cat person, or…

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 age of 24. It was a heartbreaking diagnosis. Aaron was a young and very active…