I had to bite my tongue when my twin told me about a risky home project

My twin brother, Aaron, who has myasthenia gravis (MG), recently engaged in a physically intensive task. He explained over the phone that he had been cleaning his room when he came across some old wooden planks from a forgotten home project. He decided to finish it by sawing an inch of wood off one of the planks.

Even using a big handsaw, this took him 90 minutes. His intense focus drained all his energy and left him with severe muscle weakness.

“My arms are burning,” he told me. “I’m barely holding the phone now.” He said it felt like he’d done 1,000 push-ups.

He needed a full day to recover and ended up taking the rest of the week off from going to the gym and running errands. He didn’t even feel like playing video games, despite being an avid gamer. He just rested and recharged at home.

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As he spoke, I kept thinking about how dangerous and reckless this project was, given his MG. Would the project have been worth it if he’d had an accident? The risk was maddening to think about.

I wanted to admonish him, to warn him to be more careful and avoid taking such chances. I could tell he was low on energy, but we kept chatting about current events and the upcoming Green Lantern TV series. I think I was stalling. I wasn’t really listening — just waiting for my turn to talk and judge him.

But Aaron is an adult who obviously misses his former independence and handyman skills. He was careful and accomplished the project safely. I had to aggressively tackle my thoughts to stop myself from saying them out loud. It’s not my place to tell him not to do such things.

After decades of not talking about his MG or how it affects him, I’m just glad he’s now opening up to me.

Sometimes, it’s fine to simply listen. I keep forgetting that.

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.