Strength in Weakness
– Michelle Gonzaba

We’ve all experienced a time in our lives when we missed an important event. Maybe work prevented us from attending a family get-together, or perhaps celebrations were too far away to attend. Regardless of the reason, we’ve all felt that disappointment about missing out on a significant occasion. For those…

For as long as I can remember, my definition of success hasn’t wavered much. It didn’t matter if I was playing in a Little League game or preparing for a job interview, success always meant having the most, conquering others, and being the best. I could argue that my…

I was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis (MG) at the self-centered age of 19. Ah, 19, that beautiful age when we think no one else in the world has worse problems than we do. While I wasn’t a total monster at that age, I was handling my problems in unnecessarily dramatic…

For the past three years of my life, August has been one of the most stressful months of the year. For others, August often is the beginning of that weird time between summer and fall. But for teachers like me, it’s the start of a new school year. From…

Doctors’ appointments aren’t among my favorite activities, but they are necessary when weird symptoms occur. Before I had myasthenia gravis (MG), doctors’ appointments were rare for me. Except for physicals for school, I didn’t go that often. I could claim this was because of my sterling health record before MG,…

While I have never been the most athletic person in the world, I’ve always enjoyed playing various sports. I am a veteran of top leagues, including YMCA basketball and Little League softball. I dabbled in volleyball and had a long, two-day career in track. But as I’ve grown up…

For most of my life, I’ve been wary of meditation, which involves various mind exercises that help to build happiness and shrink stress. Perhaps I could blame my negative attitude about meditation on other factors, such as how it’s portrayed on TV. In reality, I never took the time…

When I was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis (MG), it took me a few months to accept that my body would never be the same again. It took even longer to understand what that really meant. I went through stages of denial, anger, sadness, and every other negative feeling…

Myasthenia gravis (MG) really enjoys hiding from other people. While a droopy eyelid is easy to observe, most of the other symptoms are not noticeable to outsiders. Weakness in the arms, legs, face, and other areas may only be detectable after someone with MG attempts to complete certain tasks.

When I was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, I did what most people would do: I Googled my new rare disease and came to the instant conclusion that I would die within the next 48 hours. Dramatic, yes, but Google searches rarely lead to encouraging news. Before my diagnosis, I…

Some events in life are like a door hinge: They are so transformational that they cause you to swing entirely in a different direction. For example, years before I began dealing with the first symptoms of myasthenia gravis (MG), I suffered the loss of my father. That was the first…

If I asked 10 people to describe what being a “good friend” means, I would probably hear 10 different responses. But while these responses would be diverse, I’d guess that most would think a good friend needs to be empathetic. Throughout my life, I’ve tried to be as empathetic…