Myasthenia Gravis

My name is Jan and I am 66 years old.  I was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis when I was 58.  The day after Christmas that year I was shopping with my daughter and when we stopped for lunch, I noticed that my right eyelid would not stay open, but was drooping to about half-mast.  At first I thought it was a reoccurrence of Bell’s Palsy, which I had had a number of years before.  After a couple of weeks, I realized that this seemed different, and went to see the ophthalmologist at Fort Sam Houston.  She suspected that I had myasthenia gravis, and a blood test confirmed it.  I was referred to neurology and they also did a cat scan of my thymus, which revealed no tumor.

I have since then been taking Mestinon three to four times a day.  It keeps my symptoms pretty well in control.  If I talk for a long time, my speech becomes slurred, and I sometimes have difficulty swallowing. I also have some weakness in my hands and arms.  I am careful not to overtire myself, as that seems to worsen my symptoms,  I am happy that MG is not painful!  I retired from my job as a community college counselor in 2011.  I am not sure I would be able to work a 40 hour week now.

I have found it very helpful to attend the MG support group meetings.  It is good to hear how other people are coping with the disease and to learn about medical research and advancements in the treatment of MG.  MG is such a rare disease that it helps to know that others share your struggles and we are In it together.  I would encourage others with MG to join us to learn more and share your experience with us.