We're Not So Different After All
One of the more significant points about Stupid Cancer that continues to inspire me is that we were one of the very first disease-agnostic grassroots nonprofits in oncology.
To quote our manifesto, "It's not a contest about body parts, and the playing field is leveled when stupid cancer comes along."
Essentially, if you wanted disease-specific vertical support, your team is over there and, regrettably, in many cases, engaged in a "suffering contest" as to whose got it worse.
Another saying we had back then was: "It's not about what you have, it's about what we have in common."
Why am I saying this? Well, after listening to "Out of Loneliness: Finding Connection with MG | Untold Stories," I will reinforce that understanding our common threads is the most basic human marker of compassion and empathy, something this country too often sorely misses out on.
So, while I—thankfully—have not faced Myasthenia gravis (MG,) Morgan's story hits hard. First off, she is a young adult in the prime of her life. (It's hard enough to be that age when things are going right.) Secondly, she is facing identical psychosocial issues as other YAs, regardless of medical shenanigans: isolation, fear, anxiety, identity, stigma, judgment, relationships, caregiving, careers, insurance, and possibly reproductive and family planning issues.
(FYI — MG is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes weakness in skeletal muscles. It occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy muscle cells, preventing them from receiving messages from nerve cells. MG has a prevalence of approximately 14-40 per 100,000 individuals in the United States.)
Megan's story is one of redemptive courage, taking ownership of the crap life deals you, leaning into the fire, channeling your inner creative spirit, and, to the best of your ability, mustering the inner fortitude to "get busy living" every single day.
Have a listen, and please share your reaction in the comments.
https://pharmacypodcastnetwork.podbean.com/e/out-of-loneliness-finding-connection-with-mg-untold-stories/