Snowstorms

Sometimes life brings snowstorms, like the one headed towards my grandkids today. They are expecting anywhere from 12″ to 16″ of snow. Of course, school is cancelled and most businesses have closed. It’s one of nature’s surprises, but they’ll get through it. It’ll be a great day to stay inside their warm house and maybe have a cup of hot cocoa as they watch the snow accumulate outside. When the blizzard passes, I’m sure they will be out playing in the snow and life will be wonderful again.

Myasthenia Gravis can be like a snowstorm. Its symptoms often come out of nowhere and can be quite severe. Hopefully they don’t last too long and we’re able to tough it out. Once the symptoms let up or are under control, we can return to our normal lifestyle.

Actually, those of us with MG have it pretty easy. In most cases, our most onerous symptoms eventually let up. For many other diseases, there is no let up. Some people, like those with ALS, MS or MD are permanently confined to a wheelchair. Some with cancer are fighting for their lives. The snowstorm for these people never lets up. In fact, it often continues to just get worse.

I’m certainly not saying we should be grateful we have Myasthenia Gravis, but we should be thankful it isn’t any worse. It could be a different type of disease with much more severe and debilitating symptoms. That’s why we need to stay focused on what we’re able to do instead of complaining about what we can no longer do.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s no fun having Myasthenia Gravis. There are times when I become so fatigued, I literally can no longer function. My legs become so weak, they can’t hold me up. My voice becomes so weak and hoarse that I can only squeak out a whisper. My eyelids droop so bad, I have to tip my head back in order to see. I ache so severely, even going to bed doesn’t relieve the pain. During those times, that’s when I need a little help. That’s when I turn to God for strength. My faith helps me through because I know God is always there for me.

When I find myself complaining, I realize I need to do a quick about face and be thankful for how lucky I actually am. I can still take care of myself. I can still function. I can still do almost anything I want to do. So, when a snowstorm (severe symptoms) hits, I know I only need to wait it out and do so with attitude that doesn’t negatively affect others. Once it’s over, I may even feel like going out and playing in the snow.

Speaking of snow, have you ever wondered where the white goes when the snow melts? That has always perplexed me.