How studying history can help us navigate life with chronic illness

I grew up in Malden, Massachusetts, surrounded by history.

According to the City of Malden’s website, “In 1640, the Puritans settled in Malden on land purchased in 1629 from the Native American Pennacook Tribe.” On May 27, 1776, the citizens of Malden declared that, should the colonists declare independence from Great Britain, they “will support and defend the measure, to the last drop of their blood, and the last farthing of their treasure.” Maldenites fought at the battles of Lexington and Concord and Bunker Hill.

Today, it’s a place where past and present live side by side. As a child, I walked to school past a graveyard where soldiers who served under George Washington are buried. I still visit the grave of my great-great-uncle Shadrack, a veteran of the Spanish-American War. From where he’s buried, you can see the graves of those who fought in the Civil War.

These links with the past — the struggles, failures, and triumphs experienced by those who lived before us — have always fascinated me. Majoring in history was a natural fit and led to my teaching career, where I shared my passion with others.

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March 3, 2023 Columns by Mark Harrington

Reflecting on history can make living with MG a little easier

The value in studying history

Five years ago, I was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis (MG). At the time, I couldn’t have foreseen how much this would change my life. My teaching career ended abruptly. Gradually, I lost my independence. Overwhelming fatigue, difficulty speaking and swallowing, and other MG-related symptoms turned my days into struggles.

I was caught off guard by the emotional toll of MG and began to feel like a stranger in my own body. As once-routine daily chores morphed into challenges, depression often settled over me like some noxious cloud. The sadness caused by all of this was almost more difficult than the physical pain.

I discovered that one way to understand the MG experience and mitigate the emotional pain it brings is to turn to history. In the past, we can find strength, perspective, and something akin to companionship.

Something Winston Churchill once said sums up the value of history to me, and it might resonate with others challenged by chronic disease: “The longer you can look back, the farther you can look forward.” History isn’t a collection of dry facts, but a record of how people just like us faced challenges just like the ones we confront.

When we read how Franklin Roosevelt confronted the physical and mental challenges of polio, refused to succumb to them, and went on to lead the nation through the Great Depression and World War II, we’re filled with awe.

Study Elizabeth I and how she led her country through existential threats, navigated the religious turbulence of the English Reformation, and is now recognized as one of the great leaders of world history, and you can’t help but be inspired. Elizabeth lived at a time when women weren’t seen as intellectually capable of anything without the guidance of a man. She was aware of this misogyny and didn’t let it stop her.

Historian David McCullough, another New Englander, wrote, “History is a guide to navigation in perilous times. History is who we are and why we are the way we are.” That thought helps me see that illness does take away things that we value and cherish. What illness doesn’t do is make us less of who we are. Instead, it can reveal our hidden parts.

Life with chronic illness can cause isolation and loneliness and leave invisible scars and wounds. History is filled with the tales of people just like us who faced seemingly insurmountable odds, refused to be defeated, and ultimately became stronger, more compassionate, and more fully human.

Historian Howard Zinn wrote, “I have no right to despair. I insist on hope.” Studying history reminds us that hope has always been the most valuable weapon in the fight against insurmountable odds. Get a good history book and read it. You may be pleasantly surprised. Email me if you’d like some suggestions. Do it today. Don’t wait. Hope is just a few pages away.

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.