Columns

My bitter and best friend myasthenia gravis (MG) takes up a lot of space in my life: in my relationships, my daily routine, and my career choice. I’ve also realized that it’s completely transformed my appearance, as well. Can you believe this disease can affect our sense of style…

Blue used to be my favorite color. After I was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis (MG), I found myself being drawn more and more to the darker shades of teal. A beautiful blend of blue and green, teal holds a special place in the hearts of many,…

Oprah Winfrey once said, “Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.” Others have found their own ways to express this idea. The way we deal with adversity reveals our character. It can betray flaws, but it can also demonstrate strength in overcoming problems. After getting divorced in my…

The first thing I did when I started college was to search for clubs and associations where I could volunteer. Back then, I believed that even if I wasn’t wealthy, I had my health and time to share. Volunteering was my way of contributing to the world, of proving to…

Throughout history, we can find examples of people getting things wrong. In 1903, a banker said, “The horse is here to stay, but the automobile is only a novelty — a fad.” Science once accepted that cigarettes helped relieve stress and that germs were an idiotic concept. What we know…

There’s no denying it: Living with myasthenia gravis (MG) can make a person feel insane. One minute I’m celebrating a new physical milestone achieved, and the next I’m lamenting and grieving how much I lost when I got sick. It’s these constant emotional ups and downs that make…

“Silence is a true friend who never betrays,” Confucius once said. There is so much modern science doesn’t know about myasthenia gravis (MG). It must be taxing and frustrating for people with MG to explain the disease and its symptoms to family, friends, and others who may have…

We all like to observe others in subways, buses, or streets, and when I do it, I find myself asking, “What are they thinking about? How is their life going? Do they have the same problems as me, or are theirs worse?” I’m confident that many of you think of…

American writer William Arthur Ward is believed to have said, “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a gift and not giving it.” I’m not grateful enough for my relatively good health. I’m overweight, don’t exercise enough, and use the stress of my freelancer life…

Last year, I woke up to terrible news: One of my colleagues had passed away. Although I didn’t know her personally, I knew she’d lived with a chronic illness and was an advocate for those with her condition. Her death was sudden and unpredictable, and I felt numb and choked.