Love is in the air! For this month's Feature Friday, we spoke with Joey and Jena Henderson. This power couple embodies the true meaning of "in sickness and in health." Read about their shared experience and the lessons they have learned from MG as partners.
What are your names? Where are you both from and where do you currently reside?
Jena Fouraker, born in Nebraska; raised in Wamego, KS; currently in Lake Waukomis, MO.
Joey Henderson, born and raised in Kansas City, KS; currently in Lake Waukomis, MO.
What are your roles in the MG community?
Jena - patient support
Joey - patient
What are your roles outside of the MG community?
Jena - Social Worker
Joey - Nursing Home Administrator
Joey, how long have you been living with MG?
Joey: My first symptoms started in January 2018 and I was diagnosed in June 2018.
Prior to being diagnosed, had either of you ever heard of MG?
Joey: When I sold LTC and Life Insurance, there was a question on the application that asked if you had Myasthenia Gravis. I had no idea what it was and never had a single client say they had it.
Jena: I had never heard of it. It took me several months to even say it correctly.
Joey, how does MG currently affect you today? (symptoms/treatments/etc.)
Joey: I am lucky in that my symptoms are mostly nonexistent at the current time. Other than taking daily medication and semi-annual neurology checkups, I feel like my day-to-day activities are no different than they were prior to my symptoms starting. Mostly, it adds anxiety. I’ll never forget what it was like when my symptoms started and progressively got worse in a short amount of time. If I get a little double vision late at night, or I have trouble swallowing something, it always crosses my mind that the symptoms could be coming back.
How has myasthenia gravis impacted your own life (other than being physically symptomatic)?
Joey: I had always been relatively healthy. When my symptoms started, I had not been to a doctor in about 10 years. Since diagnosis and treatment started, I feel like I try to be more aware of my overall health. I also feel like after going through this, I have more empathy towards others and what they are going through.
Jena, how does MG affect you and/or how has it impacted your own life?
Jena: When Joey was diagnosed we were not sure what to expect because we learned that the symptoms can be different for everyone. For several months, his physical abilities decreased and we modified the way we did things. Adjusting to life with chronic illness creates fear of the unknown and a level of vulnerability that can be uncomfortable. Thankfully he’s done well on medications and day-to-day activities are back to normal but we know that could change again at any time.
Has MG affected your relationship in a positive way at all? If so, how?
We’ve faced a lot in our relationship that has been out of our control, the most significant have been health issues. The things we can control like how we treat each other, speak to each other, and support each other are our biggest strengths. It makes all the external factors easier to navigate together. We are stronger and have learned to love each other deeper.
What do you both see as the biggest need in the MG community? Awareness.
Has myasthenia gravis taught either of you anything?
This was the first major diagnosis that required a treatment plan and ongoing monitoring for either of us. We then went through it on a different level with Jena’s cancer diagnosis a couple of years later. After going through these times, you always remember what it was like going through it, and it’s always in the back of your head that it could come back at any time. It’s taught us to live in the moment more and be grateful for the good times and experiences we have had since.
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