To better understand my twin’s MG, I’m writing a comic book about it

Understanding someone involves so much more than knowledge. I have been learning about myasthenia gravis (MG) and its symptoms over the years, but I don’t know if it’s brought me any closer to understanding my twin, Aaron. MG completely altered his personal life and ended his work life.

I can’t relate to that, but I want to understand, in my own way.

Instead of going in circles researching MG and discovering how much I have to learn about my own twin, I wanted to see how much I currently understand. So, I wrote a short story, the inspiration for a comic book I want to write with Aaron, about a martial arts fighter with MG.

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The MG fighter

Aaron and I grew up idolizing martial arts and kung fu films. We particularly loved Shaw Brothers’ wuxia films. They were operatic films about poor countrymen with codes of honor, spending years learning martial arts to fight government corruption.

Another theme in such films was overcoming adversity at all costs; in some, the bad guy would disable the hero by injuring his hands and limbs. The hero would spend years healing, learning a kung fu style from a teacher in training montages, and then finally get revenge.

I wanted to use that theme in a comic book featuring a martial arts character who overcomes MG to become one of the best. A fighter who is shunned by his classmates because of his MG flare-ups. He is taught extreme meditation skills in long-term isolation to help him master control over his heart rate, breathing, and emotions.

His instructor teaches him kung fu in a remote region where it is cold most of the year. When the fighter ventures into a warmer climate, he always wears cold-vest metal plates to mitigate his MG symptoms. To improve his forearm and grip strength, his teacher makes him train in a room with greased doorknobs that require a lot of tactile contact strength to open.

After a decade of training, the fighter with MG is not cured of the disease, but he becomes the best fighter in his region, regardless. He is known for being unnaturally calm, controlling his anger, and maintaining a surreal poker face as he beats every fighter who challenges him.

I’m still working on the story, which I hope to turn into a comic book with Aaron. I sent him a draft to gauge his reaction and interest in developing it together.

Aaron’s reaction

Aaron loved the idea of an MG fighter training in a cold climate and wearing cold metal plates on his body when he traveled. Aaron actually said it was such a cool idea that he wants to try it! I sent him a study about cooling vests and told him to talk with his doctor about it.

A few years ago, Aaron got locked in a public restroom for several minutes because he couldn’t turn the smooth, round, metal doorknob. I was afraid he would be offended by my writing about a character locked in a room with greased doorknobs until he mastered his arm, wrist, and grip strength for kung fu.

“Hell, no! I loved it!” Aaron responded. He said he got it — the hero always trains with weights. He told me he lifts 15-pound weights regularly to build his forearm and wrist strength.

I want to make the character the ultimate bad guy, but Aaron thinks I should make him a hero; it’s the only point we disagree on. I asked him for further feedback and for him to add any ideas he wanted.

I don’t pretend that writing a comic book story means I fully understand MG. But Aaron appreciated that I am continually trying to learn about how MG affects his life.

Note: Myasthenia Gravis News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Myasthenia Gravis News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to myasthenia gravis.