I don’t recoil at the sight of a scar left by a transsternal thymectomy — the surgical removal of my thymus gland — three months ago. I’d prefer it wasn’t there, of course, but I’m starting to embrace it. The scar reveals a little about who I am, like…

Shortly after I was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis (MG), the neurologist suggested I have a contrast CT scan of my chest. This would determine whether or not a thymectomy was necessary. My only memory of the CT scan was that the contrast made me feel like I’d peed my…

It’s a lot more difficult agreeing to a scar than receiving one by accident. We often become comfortable with ourselves over time, and not knowing what we will look like post-surgery can be scary. We may worry how the physical changes will impact our lives and our interactions with…

On the inside of my right arm, just above the bend of my elbow, I have a small, circular scar. It’s a shade lighter than my skin tone and about the size of a peppercorn. It isn’t very noticeable, and I think I’m the only one who can…

Living with myasthenia gravis means living in a constant state of doubt from myself and others. Fighting an invisible illness has taken a toll on my sanity. I have both good and bad days. My health constantly fluctuates, and so does the perception of my disease’s severity. On…

If I wear a high-cut top or a scarf, you won’t see the 15-cm (almost 6-inch) line plunging from my neck to my cleavage. The scar is a big giveaway that I am not a medically stable person. One of the reasons I don’t feel very self-conscious about my…