Mito, Mel and MELAS

I am affected by a mitochondrial disorder known specifically as MELAS.

Aside from the disease that wants to bring me down, I have two "sidekicks" that say "take that; you ugly disease" and give me the joy to push forward. You see, my sidekicks are Pugs. A fawn colored pug that is mine and a black pug that is my wife's. Both carry names that poke fun at the terrible disease that wants to rob me of energy, joy and life's basic needs. Here is the fun we have:

TerryLou captured my pugs in acrylic shown above. Mito is on the left. Mel is on the right. There is a story behind the names...

Like I said earlier, MELAS tries to rob me of my energy and my life. Mito (the pug) gives me the energy to move ahead. Her name is also an acronym:

More Intelligent Than Owner. There is a lot of truth to that!

My other female pug was named by my grandkids; 2 boys and 5 girls. My oldest daughter was brave enough to have six kids; 5 girls and 1 boy. They chose Mel because it is short for MELAS. My grandkids are a smart bunch. They understand how much I need my pugs. 

Soooooooooooo... I look forward to meeting others here at Disaboom that are affected by mito disorders. I always hate the reason we are brought together but I am equally happy to meet so many nice and caring folks. I'll be looking to hearing others stories how mito has affected them and how each of you all manage to find the energy to get to the next day. By working together to support one another, we not only encourage others but can also help others from reinventing the wheel. Many of us have already been there and done that. Just ask!

Your fellow mito friend,

Dave