I recently read an article about a celebrity that suffered from Dry Eye Syndrome. This syndrome, as the name implies, occurs when the body doesn’t produce enough tears and the surface of the eye dries out. I have to admit, when I first started reading the article, I thought to myself, “how petty?”. With all the terrible illnesses and conditions in the world, why would this person complain about something as trivial as dry eyes?
As I read further into the article, I realized something. To that person, Dry Eye Syndrome was pretty devastating. They had trouble reading their lines and following que cards. It was affecting their livelihood and probably pretty much anything they did. I realized to them, this wasn’t trivial at all, but a major change that was very much impacting their life.
After finishing the article, I took a few minutes to contemplate what I had read and how my mind meandered through the journey it was taken. I had gone from dismissing their concerns as trivial to actually having some compassion for them in having to experience this condition. Further thought made me realize something even more important. This celebrity’s life now revolved around their condition, and if allowed to do so, would consume them. If they allowed Dry Eye Syndrome to become the major focus of their life, it would affect their ability to land roles, their ability to perform, and ultimately, their entire life. It would encompass them.
How ironic that a person who writes a blog about Myasthenia Gravis would look so judgingly on someone with another type of medical condition. Perhaps I’m biased because I consider MG to be more debilitating than Dry Eye Syndrome. Perhaps I did it because MG affects me.
I guess you would call it an emotional bias. I saw MG as something worse than Dry Eye Syndrome. Granted, there are a lot of conditions much worse than Myasthenia Gravis, like ALS, cancer, MS, and a host of others, but I don’t often compare those with MG. Doing so would make MG seem almost trivial as most of us with MG can still live productive lives. Yet, both that celebrity and I face challenges. It’s not up to me to rate the severity. I only need to recognize that lives are often affected by any kind of medical condition, emotional stressors, physical constraints, or environmental factors.
I also realized that just as that celebrity’s life would be overwhelmed if they allowed themselves to become fixated on their Dry Eye Syndrome, my life will become overwhelmed if I fixate on Myasthenia Gravis. Neither the celebrity, nor I, can allow that to happen.
So, how do we prevent fixation? The only way I know is by counting your blessings. When you focus on how blessed you really are, there isn’t time to lament any shortcomings. So, yeah, I have Myasthenia Gravis, but I can still do almost everything I used to be able to do. I’m so blessed that I often don’t even think about the basics; things like food, water, and a place to live.
Want reality? Here are some statistics (thanks to my friend, Grok).
- About 673 million people face chronic hunger
- About 2.3 billion people lack access to sufficient nutritious food
- About 2 billion people lack access to safe drinking water
- About 2.8 billion people lack access to adequate housing
When I look at these statistics, I realize how guilty I am of forgetting how blessed my life has been. There’s very little I really need to worry about. Instead of waking up each morning wondering where my next meal will come from or focusing on how difficult life is due to MG, what if I woke up each morning thanking God for all the blessings He continues to provide? That pretty much changes my whole perspective.
Life is really all about perspective. We get to choose the perspective in which we live. I choose to count my blessings and be thankful instead of focusing on the things that can bring me down. When I awake each morning, I thank God for another day, and I ask Him to help me make it worthwhile. I ask Him to use me in any way He sees fit. Some days He gives me an idea and helps me write this blog.
Am I biased? In some ways I am because I only know and gain experience from the journey I’m on. The good part is I’m learning not to judge or rate anyone else’s situation against mine. Instead, I use my situation to do God’s work by sharing my story and His blessings with you. That’s how I live with MG.