Being a teen mom, Iraq, husband No. 3, myasthenia gravis, moving halfway across the country, getting a new team of specialists, and a 5k. What do these random things have in common? They’re all hard things I’ve overcome. On the backside of Memorial Day, I find myself reflecting on…
Can the French teach us something new today? According to Perspectives on History, “In French the word anniversaire means both ‘birthday’ and ‘anniversary,’ whereas in English the two concepts require separate words.” On birthdays, we remember when new life came into the world. Should we change how we view…
Misha Page learned to embrace mindfulness and to change her response to stress after she was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis. (Courtesy of Misha Page) This is Misha Page’s story: It all began when I was diagnosed with a rather fancy sounding, but incredibly debilitating, autoimmune condition called…
International MG Awareness Month begins today and the MG Foundation of America (MGFA) and other organizations are working hard to put myasthenia gravis (MG) on everybody’s radar with a host of events and activities. MGFA is set once again to “Turn Awareness Into Action” with its Dare…
Despite current treatments, myasthenia gravis (MG) still poses a moderate burden on patients, according to data from a digital study of MG communities around the world. Emotional and/or psychological coexisting illnesses also had a considerable impact on the participants’ quality of life, work, and studies,…
The good ole Army still has a few things to teach me nearly 12 years after my medical retirement. “Piss-poor planning makes for poor performance” was drilled into my head as a combat medic. When you fail to plan, sh*t invariably hits the fan. But even when you do…
As May ends, I, like many Americans, will pause on Memorial Day to remember and honor our sisters and brothers who gave, as Abraham Lincoln put it, “the last full measure of devotion” in service to our country. In my family, Memorial Day has always been special. Each…
The rate of death from myasthenia gravis (MG) generally increases with age, but it peaks among teenage boys and older adults — in both men and women — according to a study from China. Researchers also observed that the rate of death is showing an increasing trend over the…
The single breath count test (SBCT), a noninvasive and inexpensive pulmonary function test, may help evaluate respiratory function and identify when symptoms worsen with myasthenia gravis (MG), a review of several studies has found. A cutoff value of 25 or higher in the SBCT was indicative of normal respiratory…
Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with prednisone. Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. What is a prednisone taper? Technically, it means to gradually lessen the dosage of the corticosteroid over time. But if…
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