More Reasons Why I Love MG

Yes, you read that correctly.  More Reasons Why I LOVE a chronic neuromuscular disease with no cure.

There truly are reasons.

First and foremost, this disease has taught me what REALLY matters in life.  I used to worry about EVERYTHING.  To the point of making myself ill.  I would worry and fret and lose sleep over things I had absolutely no control over.  Part of it was untreated anxiety and depression, but even after that was treated, I still worried.

Until I got sick, and almost died.  When you literally come back from the brink of death, what Bobbie Sue Rosepetal thought of your prom dress isn't quite as important as before.  When you almost reach the end of your life at the ripe old age of 29, "fitting in" with the "cool kids" isn't worth a hill of beans.

You know what matters?  GOD.  Getting to know him on a much more personal level and knowing without a shadow of a doubt that HE IS.  And that even if the "worst" this world has to offer happens...and I die.... I will be in heaven, for eternity, with a new body and no fears and no tears and no pain or sickness or grief.  No more hurting.  I can't see how that is a bad thing.

FAMILY.  A husband of six weeks who decides to stand by his word, his vow, and truly live in sickness or in health.  A miracle son born to a woman who in no medical way should have been able to conceive, let alone carry, a beautiful child.  Parents who stayed days at a time when I was in the hospital 150 miles away so my husband could work 4 days a week and be with me the other three.  For almost three months.

FRIENDS.  Good, real, true, friends.  The kind that are left when everyone else is tired of your illness.   The kind that you've known for 20 years, or 20 minutes.  The saddest thing was learning that "old" friends don't mean "true" friends.  But the best thing was learning that people you hardly knew at all loved you and would commit to helping you, and follow through with it.

And the second best thing about this despicable disease is the amazing people that I have met along my journey.  My friend Karen, in California, who as I write is probably getting a horrible wound cleaned and repacked, who is in insufferable pain, and yet sends ME a card thanking me for being a friend.  Karen has MG.  She had a port for treatments, and it "got lost."  It detached from where it had been surgically implanted, and she had to have more surgery to find it and reattach it.  And it got infected.  Badly.

They finally had to remove it, and she has a horrible gaping wound in her chest which is raging against her body with a terrifying infection.  And yet she still encourages others and thinks of others and is giving and the most generous woman I know.  Gracious.  Generous. A living, breathing example of how to live, despite her pain.

My sweet sistah Cindy, who is truly a sister in every way that matters.  She has MG.  She has a full time job working with addicts and helps them on their way to recovery or afterward, wherever they are in their journey.  She has the biggest heart, and is one of the most amazing women I've never met.  (I can say that for another 31 days, then I will BE with her in North Carolina!! Whoooo-Hooo!!!!)  I KNOW that I can call her in the middle of the night and say "I need to talk" and she will listen.  Really, truly listen.  And understand.  You can put a price on that.

The people I have met on this path have, 98% of the time, been wonderful and positive.  There are always a few that, well....you know. {wink wink}

And so I am grateful I have this disease.  My life is richer because of it.  Do I have bad days?  Oh my gosh, yes.  Do I hate it sometimes?  A lot of times.   Do I cry and rant and scream and pout and complain about it?  Yup.

But OVERALL, I'd like to think that I'm more positive than negative about it.  I have MG.  And what I choose to do with that is all up to me.  I could spit in God's face and rail at the heavens shaking my fists. (And I probably have.)

Or I can get up every time I fall and take His hand, and soldier on.  I can take what I've been given, and use it to help other people, to motivate, or encourage, or whatever I can do to help other people's lives be just a little bit better.  Even if only for a moment.