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Pain is a big part of my life. I have been in daily pain for the last 10 years. The only medical reason I have for it is myasthenia gravis (MG). I highly value science. When I was diagnosed in 2013, there was still little evidence online that pain was…

While I have never been the most athletic person in the world, I’ve always enjoyed playing various sports. I am a veteran of top leagues, including YMCA basketball and Little League softball. I dabbled in volleyball and had a long, two-day career in track. But as I’ve grown up…

Throughout my thymectomy recovery, I am learning that we need to accept help when we need it, even if our lives aren’t precisely what we’d imagined. Consider that we want to keep growing into the most whole version of our potential selves. In that case, we have to…

I started working as a speech therapist at a large academic hospital in January 2020. I was excited to start, and my passion for the job was coming out of my ears. But lurking behind the joy of getting such a thrilling job was a buildup of anxiety, shame, guilt,…

For most of my life, I’ve been wary of meditation, which involves various mind exercises that help to build happiness and shrink stress. Perhaps I could blame my negative attitude about meditation on other factors, such as how it’s portrayed on TV. In reality, I never took the time…

Shortly after I was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis (MG), the neurologist suggested I have a contrast CT scan of my chest. This would determine whether or not a thymectomy was necessary. My only memory of the CT scan was that the contrast made me feel like I’d peed my…

When I was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis (MG), it took me a few months to accept that my body would never be the same again. It took even longer to understand what that really meant. I went through stages of denial, anger, sadness, and every other negative feeling…

It’s a lot more difficult agreeing to a scar than receiving one by accident. We often become comfortable with ourselves over time, and not knowing what we will look like post-surgery can be scary. We may worry how the physical changes will impact our lives and our interactions with…

I tend to laugh a lot, which can serve many different functions. A nervous giggle can indicate anxiety, a belly laugh may follow a moment of hilarity, and sometimes laughing is the only way to deal with an overwhelming or uncomfortable situation. My name, Retha, is derived from Margaretha, which…

Myasthenia gravis (MG) really enjoys hiding from other people. While a droopy eyelid is easy to observe, most of the other symptoms are not noticeable to outsiders. Weakness in the arms, legs, face, and other areas may only be detectable after someone with MG attempts to complete certain tasks.