The final lines of Voltaire’s “Candide” are some of my favorites in literature. As the story concludes, two of the main characters reflect on the “concatenation of events,” some of which were unpleasant and difficult, that ended in happiness for all. After a summation of their journey, the…
For the first time since my medical retirement from the U.S. Army in 2011, my myasthenia gravis (MG) is stable enough that I felt comfortable traveling 12 hours to North Dakota to go see my folks. By myself. The last time I got to see my mom was at…
The eye roll. The “I’m not listening but want you to think I am” head nod. The silence. The outbursts. Any or all of these have been responses I’ve received from people who are, or used to be, in my network when I provide updates on my life…
“Umm … are you OK? Why does it look like you’re having a stroke? It sounds like you’re drunk. What’s going on? Why are you choking on our dinner?” When your date has to ask these questions, it’s past time to mention that you have myasthenia gravis (MG).
“No man steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” — Heraclitus “It’s the paradox that the more you allow yourself to accept that change is inevitable, the more likely you are to change intentionally and adapt.” —…
My hygiene sucks. All of it. It’s better now, but that’s because I swallowed my pride and admitted to my husband (and caregiver), Justin, that I needed more help than I was asking for. He made it easier for me to admit this by asking, “Honey, do you need…
The U.S. healthcare system is broken. There’s nothing earth-shattering in that statement. However, every day, people — our friends, neighbors, and family members — die as a result. Recent events in my life brought this home with painful clarity. Prior to my myasthenia gravis (MG) diagnosis, I believed that…
Sixty-one days, 8.7 weeks, two months, or one-sixth of a year — that’s how much time I spent at medical appointments in 2022. When I stop to look at the numbers, it’s no wonder I’ve been experiencing medical burnout. This type of burnout is real and brings a…
“The older people get, the more positive they are about aging and the more adaptive they are to their limitations. Social science tends to define old people by their disabilities. But people don’t define themselves that way.” — Laura L. Carstensen, founding director of the Stanford Center on Longevity, as…
Neon green snot runs out of my nose and down the back of my throat. A cough sounds like I’ve been smoking two packs of nonfiltered cigarettes a day. Exhaustion hits a bit differently than it normally does. My eyes are sunken. Crap. I’m normal people sick. Defining degrees of…
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