When MG brings bad things, we can become better people
Since 2020, I’ve been traveling along the myasthenia gravis (MG) road. Sometimes it’s filled with pain, as it was in 2021. We don’t usually think of MG as a physically painful disease. However,…
Together — Mark Harrington
A Boston native, Mark has spent 25 years on the faculty of the Dallas Independent School District. A believer that what Hanna Arendt termed “the life of the mind” is the richest gift we give the young, Mark continues to find inspiration and joy in teaching. Mark has been published in The Dallas Morning News, The Boston Globe, and various professional publications. His classes have been featured on KERA, the local public television station. Mark knows the MG journey is not solitary. Blessed with wonderful, loving family and friends, he hopes his writing will assist others as they navigate life with myasthenia gravis.
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How studying history can help us navigate life with chronic illness
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…
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Cooking tips to make life easier for those with MG
Chef Marco Pierre White once observed that “a chef’s palate is born out of his childhood, and one thing all chefs have in common is a mother who can cook.” My mother wasn’t…
How the quiet members of a care team provide invaluable support
1 Kings 19 tells the story of the prophet Elijah’s search to encounter God. Elijah looks for God in a great and powerful wind, an earthquake, and a fire, but has no…
Even with myasthenia gravis, all shall be well
Julian of Norwich’s “Revelations of Divine Love” — which she’d originally recorded in 1373 — was first published in 1670. Still in print, this classic of Christian mysticism has influenced unknowable numbers of…
Living with MG can feel isolating at times, but we’re not alone
Note: This column describes the author’s own experiences with several medications, including Ultomiris (ravulizumab-cwvz). Not everyone will have the same response to treatment. Consult your doctor before starting or stopping a therapy. Ecclesiastes…
Myasthenia gravis brings into focus what is essential in our lives
Published in 1759, Voltaire’s satirical novella “Candide” follows the adventures of its protagonist as he travels the world. Along the way, Candide encounters the suffering, misfortune, and ambiguity that is characteristic of human life.
How I handle uncomfortable questions about my MG diagnosis
Throughout history, we can find examples of people getting things wrong. In 1903, a banker said, “The horse is here to stay, but the automobile is only a novelty — a fad.” Science once…
How expressing gratitude improves my life with chronic illness
Recently I noticed that expressing gratitude results in a change in my body. It’s hard to put into words, but I feel warm and peaceful. Something is different — better. I decided to investigate…
Are your conversations too focused on your disease? Just let it be.
When I attended a college staffed by Augustinians, five theology courses were required for an undergraduate diploma. Those classes helped me develop a mature understanding of religion and spirituality. Back then, I couldn’t know…
How I’ve been disarming the awkwardness of heavy sweating
In the Sept. 24 article “Y’all Vs. Ya’ll: Here’s How To Spell It” in Southern Living, the author Grace Haynes writes, “The South is known for its laundry list of unique, quirky, cultural…
MG means that, like Sisyphus, I’m constantly rolling a stone up a hill
In Greek mythology, Sisyphus, king of Corinth, offends the gods and is sentenced to spend eternity rolling a stone up a mountain, only to have it roll back down just as it…
Health insurance woes and more: Have multiple curses befallen me?
Early this month, I spent the seven most stressful and challenging days of my life. Stress of that sort — financial and physical — can severely affect my myasthenia gravis (MG) symptoms. This…
