My Bitter & Best Friend: MG — Sarah Bendiff

I lived for 19 years before I ever heard the words “myasthenia gravis” (MG). For the next seven years after that, I learned how to live with it, advocate for patients like me, and eventually accept it. Now, I find myself back in a place of uncertainty. During a…

For years, I had a big goal: to run a race, a trail, or maybe even a marathon someday. It wasn’t because I particularly love running, but because I wanted to prove to myself that, even though I live with myasthenia gravis (MG), with the right training, I could…

Writing this column is the best job I’ve ever had. It gives me the chance to cry my heart out every week about a situation that nobody around me truly understands. I can have a peaceful exchange with complete strangers about a chronic problem we have in common: myasthenia…

I’ve watched movies about many medical conditions. Cinema has explored dramatic accidents, disabilities, and illnesses in beautiful and heartbreaking ways, helping to raise awareness and show how different perspectives can exist around the same struggle. We see the experience of the ill person, but also of their loved ones, their…

You should rest. You should sleep. You should take care of yourself. Lose weight. Don’t run. Don’t complain. It’s all in your head. You can fight it. These are comments I often hear from friends, family, and loved ones, and honestly, they are not helping. I know people mean well,…

My sister has been accomplishing incredible marathons and runs ever since the two of us failed a running attempt during an event with our yoga club. I can’t help but feel both proud and jealous of her accomplishment, but it hurts even more when I tell people I was there,…

I can proudly say I have never given up because of my condition. As a child, I kept running everywhere, despite the bruises that never seemed to disappear, and I never stopped exploring, even if I literally collapsed from exhaustion or walked straight into a wall because of diplopia.

One of the first things that tends to happen when you stop being physically active is you gain weight. It’s not automatic for everyone, but I know many curvy beauties will relate to this. There are some bodies that seem obsessed about storing fat, as if it would help them…

I met someone who looked ravishing and well put together, with great posture, beautiful hair, and impeccable makeup, and I had my usual thought: “That’s what I would’ve looked like if I didn’t have myasthenia gravis.” But this time, something clicked, and I told myself: “This is not a…

My worst fear happened this week. The antibodies whose presence often helps diagnose myasthenia gravis (MG) disappeared in my latest blood test. My heart felt like it had stopped. Not because I felt better. Not because something changed in my body. But because I was suddenly afraid of losing…

While staying at home and resting are a go-to piece of advice when living with myasthenia gravis (MG), I’ve always loved challenging that idea and trying to live life to the fullest. But what are the real limitations imposed by MG? What’s the list of things to never do…