Shawna N.M. Barnes is a writer, accessible website designer, and disabled veteran living in Cable, Wisconsin, with her husband. She was diagnosed with seronegative generalized myasthenia gravis (MG) in 2018 after seven years of advocating for herself within the VA’s medical system. She hopes that through her transparency, bluntness, and no-nonsense way of writing about life with her disease that she can help others see that there is hope after an MG diagnosis. Sometimes, we just have to get out of our own way to live our best lives.
Close your eyes and imagine that you’re in a diving suit, swimming in a warm and comfortable lagoon. You find yourself drawn into the depths of the beautiful teal water by a siren. At…
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There’s snow on the ground and a nip in the air. The smell of burning wood fills the air, with smoke dancing from the chimneys. Winter has arrived in northern Wisconsin. It’s different from…
“It really won’t hurt, but it will pull. Your skin will turn yellow. You should be back to normal in a few weeks, but you might not feel 100% for a few months.” What…
‘Tis the season! The last month of the year is filled with various celebrations, parties, and gatherings, depending on your family dynamic and your beliefs. In them, people typically come together and enjoy…
Can you believe we’re in the last week of November? To close out National Family Caregivers Month, I thought it might be fitting to hear from my caregiver, as I’ve written enough columns…
How on earth is it the week of Thanksgiving already? It feels like we were just moving to Wisconsin, which happened back in April. We’re already seven months into this new life of ours,…
Inconclusive: one of the most annoying, aggravating, but reassuring words to anyone with complex health issues. Why reassuring? Because at least it’s not negative. It provides some modicum of validation. Something is showing up…
I’d been home from the hospital after my first myasthenic crisis for about two weeks when my husband looked at me as he’d never looked at me before and asked, “Honey, do you need…
There are days when I feel like every day is Halloween because of the way I must live my life while navigating myasthenia gravis (MG). Is it a trick or a treat? Sometimes…
“I haven’t showered in a week. Can you come over and hang out so I can safely take one?” At 38 years old, these were not words I had anticipated having to…
“I wish I could stay home all day and take naps.” Does anyone else want to reach through your screen and give me a knuckle sandwich when you see that statement? Does it bring…
What do you do when life just gets to be too much? Too heavy? If you’re reading this, then I feel it’s safe to assume that you’re a fighter, so you likely do the…
“My pet Fido makes me feel so much better. Where can I get him a service dog vest?” You can’t. Well, you can, but unless Fido is specifically trained to perform tasks related to…
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