Columns

Accepting Help and Receiving Kindness

I wrote last week about how the inaction and silence of others can be deafening. The opposite is also true. When help is offered and the offer is followed up on, it can leave you speechless, humbled, and grateful. And those who step up to help often are not…

Setting Realistic Goals and Expectations With MG

Many of my friends, colleagues, and family members set goals for the year in January. Goals can be personal or professional, interpersonal or financial, realistic or not. What makes a goal realistic, particularly for someone with myasthenia gravis (MG)? It’s a tough question to answer, but I’ll do my best.

When a Subtle Voice Becomes a Roar

Welcome to “The Whispered Roar,” a column where I will describe what it’s like living with a neuromuscular autoimmune disease called myasthenia gravis (MG). I was officially diagnosed with generalized MG in 2018, although I had been battling symptoms since 2011. My journey to diagnosis is not an uncommon…

How Caring for a Houseplant Reminded Me of My MG Journey

Like many others in the past two years, I’ve become a first-time houseplant owner. After “extensive” research, which involved perhaps a couple Google searches, I bought a Calathea ornata, or pinstripe Calathea, a beautiful plant with thin, pink-striped leaves. I wish I could say I chose it for…

2022 Will Be the Year I Leave Fear Behind

New Year’s seems to hold a different meaning for everyone. Some see it as an opportunity to chug champagne, while others dedicate their time to brainstorming resolutions. I’ve never been very excited about the holiday. I’m not a big drinker, and have failed at too many resolutions…

How MG Changed My College Experience

As a young teenager, I had a very specific vision for my college years. I imagined nonstop parties, long nights spent studying in the library, and failed attempts at trying to use the washing machine. But I couldn’t have imagined how different my college experience would be. My first year…