‘MG Doesn’t Have Me’

[MUSIC PLAYING] 15 years ago, I was driving. And my wife says, you know, your one eyelid is drooping. The further I drove, the worse it got. And so I went to an eye specialist. He said, I think you have myasthenia gravis.

[MUSIC PLAYING] I was very surprised. I never had any symptoms before. It just suddenly came on me. Well, after my diagnosis, I was given steroids to help have my myasthenia gravis stabilized. I had a hard time.

I mean, there you are-- active. I mean, I played sports. I ran long distance. I had a lot of stamina. And all of a sudden, I didn't have a lot of stamina. All of a sudden, I struggled to play sports. And I still do. So it was a big adjustment.

[MUSIC PLAYING] I think that staying active has helped me. It helps me feel better about myself. I'm not focused on this disease I'm struggling with.

Well, I do a lot of everything. I kayak. I bowl. I golf. I walk. It has affected my ability to kayak a lot. I mean, I kayak but not as much as I used to.

And bowling, it caused me to have a torn bicep and tendon in my right arm. So now I'm reduced to trying to bowl two-handed. And that's a whole new ball game, so to speak.

[MUSIC PLAYING] After I was diagnosed, I thought I would run one last marathon to raise awareness to myasthenia gravis and to try to raise some funds for Myasthenia Gravis Association. I had on my T-shirt. And on the front of it, it said, I have MG but MG doesn't have me.

I just wanted to get that point across. Even though we have MG, it doesn't possess us. It doesn't own us. It doesn't identify who we are. I was the last one. But I did finish the marathon.

[MUSIC PLAYING] A lot of times, being diagnosed with myasthenia gravis or a similar disease can be very difficult for the patient and even family. But it's good to have a support group to help you through that. I know my wife was always there for me and my family.

You do what you can do. And your support team is there for you. And they're looking out for you. We're not in this alone.

I'm going to continue to be as active as I possibly can be. But I don't overdo it. I understand. I understand I have this disease. And I have my limitations. I need to realize-- well, I need to listen to my body, you know? My body will tell me when enough is enough.

I have my good days. I have some bad days. But all in all, I'm doing pretty good. [MUSIC PLAYING] [BOWLING PINS CRASH]