Together — Mark Harrington

Six years ago, before my myasthenia gravis (MG) diagnosis, I decided that I wanted to be more focused and intentional. To assist with this, I bought an app for my Apple Watch that reminds me every two hours to pause and spend a minute focusing on my breath. During…

Many companions accompany us on life’s journey, but perhaps the most constant of these is uncertainty. None of us knows what curveballs may come our way from one day to the next. Most people can relegate thoughts of curveballs to a dim recess in their minds, but those of us…

On April 14, 1912, shortly before midnight, the Titanic struck an iceberg that would sink the ship and bring more than 1,500 people down to watery graves. Decades later, on Dec. 28, 1978, United Airlines Flight 173 circled in the sky south of Portland International Airport…

Living with myasthenia gravis (MG) doesn’t always involve big, cinematic moments of triumph. Instead, progress often comes in small victories. Some days, just finishing the laundry or making a grocery run that doesn’t necessitate a nap constitutes a major achievement. Once upon a time, I wouldn’t have considered such…

Carole King gave them a tune. My closet bears witness to their different requirements. Winter, spring, summer, and fall divide our years and give rhythm to our lives. But I’d like to add a fifth season, one that those of us living with chronic illness know too well.

Despite being a key figure in early American history, his story isn’t taught in most American history classes. His name was Chief Opechancanough and he played a pivotal role in the struggle between the Native Americans and English colonists. Even without his military and political accomplishments, he still deserves a…

Author and essayist Anne Lamott once wrote that “faith includes noticing the mess, the emptiness and discomfort, and letting it be there until some light returns.” In the five years since I was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis (MG), uncertainty has become a mess that calls for daily accommodation. My…

Six years ago, I knew little about myasthenia gravis (MG) and nothing about COVID-19. I traveled, drove a high-end German car, and had a cleaning lady who kept things tidy. My lifestyle was definitely comfortable. However, I knew it wasn’t due to me being superior to anyone else. Like…

When I was 8, I developed epilepsy and doctors prescribed me phenobarbital. For 24 years, I lived unaware of the drug’s side effects. My childhood and adolescence would have been very different without it, but I’m alive today thanks to the medication. Five years ago I was diagnosed with…

Living with myasthenia gravis (MG) tends to make one familiar with the world of medicine. Since my MG diagnosis in 2020, I’ve researched many different aspects of life with the disease. Along with the medical triumphs that have improved many patients’ lives, I’ve discovered that successful treatment requires an…

I grew up in Malden, Massachusetts, surrounded by history. According to the City of Malden’s website, “In 1640, the Puritans settled in Malden on land purchased in 1629 from the Native American Pennacook Tribe.” On May 27, 1776, the citizens of Malden declared that, should the colonists…

My dad was born 100 years ago June 20. It’s funny that June is Myasthenia Gravis Awareness Month, as he lived the last 10 years of his life with the condition. Before that, Dad spent 40 years in the classroom teaching English. He was born a teacher. His years…