A New Language
When most families join the world of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, they have a new language to learn – the language of medicine.
Even though the “language” can be challenging to learn, those multisyllabic words with Greek and Latin roots soon become commonplace in the Duchenne household. Those words, in fact, now represent an integral part of their lives.
For newly diagnosed families, extended family and friends, though, it’s often hard to keep up with those crucial medical conversations. The article Speaking Muscular Dystrophy is a great tool to help bridge that gap. It’s a helpful glossary that “translates” common muscular dystrophy medical terms into plain language.
While this list explains terms common to the entire muscular dystrophy world, all the terms on the list (apart from “electromyography” and the definitions of specific muscular dystrophies) frequently appear in the Duchenne world.
Whether you are related to an individual with Duchenne, or are friends of the family, it can be so meaningful to them if you familiarize yourself with these terms. Not only does it show that you want to stay involved in their lives, but it also shows that you are willing to put in effort to adapt and grow with them as well.