I am Fr. Leon Flaherty, a Roman Catholic priest, a person with MG (dx '98). It was quite a shock for me in June of '98 when my doctor and a neurologist told me that I "probably" had Myasthenia Gravis. My response was "what's that?" My work as a priest was to travel to various parishes in the Midwest and give parish retreats. After a time, I began to find it hard to get out of chairs, and to walk up the aisle of a church and sing. I attributed it to being overweight. Then a series of things began to happen in the spring of '98. Double vision hit me suddenly in March. My doctor ordered and MRI, and when the results came in she sent me to a neurologist.

Their diagnosis was that I might have had a mini-stroke. They told me to continue working to see what would come next. In a few weeks I was having trouble breathing, so they ordered new tests on the treadmill, chest x-rays and a pulmonary test. Everything showed up normal except the pulmonary test. Each time I blew hard on the tube, my lungs shut down, but they could not tell me why that was happening. I went back to work and within a week I was talking through my nose, and woke up with my right eyelid drooping. This was when my doctors told me that I possibly had MG. Four days later I was in the emergency room and the tensilon test confirmed it.

As I was lying in my hospital bed I was rather upset and even angry with God. Why me, and why this strange disease? It wasn't fair! I glanced up at the wall and saw a crucifix up there, and could almost hear his voice saying "I know it; tell me about it". Then I noticed that the body of Jesus was scotch taped to the cross and not nailed. "Yeah", I said, "with scotch tape you can just shake loose and get off your cross; I am stuck for life."

I have since come to accept the advice I have given to other people. God does not need a perfectly healthy person in order to work through that person. What God needs is someone who is open and ready to let God work through the person, no matter what his or her health condition is. So I made the offer of my weakened body to God telling him that He could work in and through me no matter what physical shape I was in. I did have to give up my traveling work and settle down in a parish where I am an assistant to the pastor.

With the help of good doctors and neurologists I am able to keep up a good, but slower pace. I have tried to educate the doctors and nurses in the local hospital; sent some material on MG to the local fire department; and was interviewed for the last MDA telethon (move over Jerry Lewis, Flaherty is coming on). I have found a support group in the area, and join with them each month (when I remember). We usually have a speaker come in, and have snacks and a good time.

I am not sure how much longer I can continue in active ministry, but I will go on as long as I can. At age 69 I would be coming up to possible retirement anyway. However, at times, I still find it a bit depressing not to have the strength I used to have. When I talk to other MG people, however, I find many of them in much worse shape that I am, and I am thankful that my early doctors diagnosed me so quickly. One of my tasks now is to pray for all of our MG people.