Columns

I’ve learned many lessons about living a happy life. Among the most valuable is the ability to recognize the absurdities daily life can toss our way. I believe we can choose to laugh at these absurdities and prevent them from gaining power over us. We can model the queen in…

The sloth and a snowflake. Why in the world would a person, community, or organization choose those two symbols to represent myasthenia gravis (MG)? Surely there must have been better critters or weather phenomena to represent the one-of-a-kind rare disease that makes us … move … slowly. Huh. Then…

“Useless, useless.” Those were the last words of President Abraham Lincoln’s murderer. After killing Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth fled Washington, D.C. A 12-day manhunt ensued. On April 26, 1865, federal troops cornered Booth in a northern Virginia barn. Military orders were to return him to Washington, D.C., for trial. Against…

“You should drink celery juice and cleanse your body. It will cure you!” “I’m a distributor for this supplement company, and I know it will make you feel better and cure your autoimmune disease.” “Have you tried yoga?” These are the top three “cures” I’ve heard from usually well-meaning…

Being a teen mom, Iraq, husband No. 3, myasthenia gravis, moving halfway across the country, getting a new team of specialists, and a 5k. What do these random things have in common? They’re all hard things I’ve overcome. On the backside of Memorial Day, I find myself reflecting on…

Can the French teach us something new today? According to Perspectives on History, “In French the word anniversaire means both ‘birthday’ and ‘anniversary,’ whereas in English the two concepts require separate words.” On birthdays, we remember when new life came into the world. Should we change how we view…

The good ole Army still has a few things to teach me nearly 12 years after my medical retirement. “Piss-poor planning makes for poor performance” was drilled into my head as a combat medic. When you fail to plan, sh*t invariably hits the fan. But even when you do…

As May ends, I, like many Americans, will pause on Memorial Day to remember and honor our sisters and brothers who gave, as Abraham Lincoln put it, “the last full measure of devotion” in service to our country. In my family, Memorial Day has always been special. Each…

Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with prednisone. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. What is a prednisone taper? Technically, it means to gradually lessen the dosage of the corticosteroid over time. But if…

After years spent journeying around the world, Ulysses, the main character in Homer’s epic “Odyssey,” reaches the safety of home. Changed by the stimulation of dangerous adventures, he finds the tranquility unbearable. Having passed from youth to old age, he decides to spend whatever time remains on a…