Like Snowflakes, We Expand With Each Cloud

Snowflakes never meant much to me. As a kid, I would catch them in my mouth as they fell from the sky and cut their shapes out of construction paper. Now, after my myasthenia gravis (MG) diagnosis, I look at snowflakes with a newfound admiration and wonder.

A miraculous process begins up in the cold clouds. Water droplets attach to ice crystals and freeze, forming snowflakes. In ice crystals, water molecules line up in a pattern that results in a hexagon. Have you ever noticed that all snowflakes are six-sided?

Just as all snowflakes are formed through the same process, so are all humans created in the same general way. Two Homo sapiens of different sexes reproduce via a viable fertilized egg. They are the only organisms capable of producing a human offspring.

But amazingly, although trillions of snowflakes fall each winter, and there are nearly 7.9 billion people alive in the world, no two snowflakes or humans are identical!

Even if people, like snowflakes, continue to remain unique, the human population will still have a great deal of room for variation.

Myasthenia gravis has taken on the nickname “the snowflake disease” because it affects each individual differently. Hence, medical professionals must design a personalized treatment plan for each patient.

I always hear about the connections between snowflakes and MG’s characteristics, including symptoms, triggers, muscle weakness, physical ability, and treatment. However, I feel it’s essential we look to snowflakes for their wisdom in demonstrating our ability to remain unique throughout life after diagnosis.

After we share our diagnosis with others, we are often treated differently. Some may be positive and supportive, but we may confront others who label us as “sick” or “disabled” without permission. Society places us into a box based on stereotypes. The sides of the box are the limits of where people are willing to accommodate and understand us.

Like those of us with MG, each snowflake swirls and spirals down a different path to the ground. It advances through layers of clouds differing in temperature and moisture. The snowflake’s descent molds its shape and size, making it unique.

Snowflakes demonstrate that we emerge complete and beautiful at the end of our journeys. It won’t always be easy to grasp this during our battles. But our trials are teaching us the same lessons as the snowflakes, even when we are unaware.

We are not the same as everyone else with MG. We don’t have to accept others’ opinions of what is best for us without advocating for ourselves. We never have to linger within the stereotypical lines projected onto us. We can set our minds to accomplish more than our medical teams tell us we will be able to. And we will always overcome people who try to stop us.

We need not get caught up longing for a day when we are fully enlightened. We will never appreciate it because we achieve the wisest version of ourselves at the very end. Drift through life’s dark clouds and rainy days without hesitation, remembering they are shaping us into personally crafted crystals. Savor reflecting on your progress periodically.

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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.