A Good Life with Bad Muscles — Retha De Wet

My health seems to follow a pattern: I’ll start a treatment plan, it’ll go well for a little while, and then I’ll suddenly experience an uncontrollable flare. I’ll stubbornly suffer until my body decides that I should stop. I’m currently at the beginning of that cycle once again after recently…

Life with myasthenia gravis has taken some dramatic turns and created both challenges and opportunities. One of those dramatic moments was having to decide in my early 20s whether I want to have children. Many medications I take have side effects. In previous columns, I discussed the side effects…

I drink a lot of Coke. People have strong opinions about that. For example, “But do you know how bad it is for your health?” Or, “You should cut out Coke and follow this generic diet, and your health will improve.” Or, “Maybe you would feel better if you drank…

I recently completed my university degree and became a speech-language pathologist. I’ve spent several years studying to become a healthcare professional because I want to help people. But little did I know that helping others would become easier after I needed help myself. When I began my studies, I…

A broken promise can often lead to immense disappointment. For someone with myasthenia gravis (MG), a failing immunosuppressive medication can easily lead to a broken heart. Immunosuppressive medications combat the autoimmune nature of MG. Unfortunately, I have refractory seronegative MG. Refractory means that either I do not respond to…

Many things change when the symptoms of myasthenia gravis (MG) start piling onto each other. I become physically weaker, mentally slower, and spiritually drained. I must spend my energy wisely, which means that sometimes I have to give up doing something fun so that I can do an everyday task,…

Living with myasthenia gravis means living in a constant state of doubt from myself and others. Fighting an invisible illness has taken a toll on my sanity. I have both good and bad days. My health constantly fluctuates, and so does the perception of my disease’s severity. On…

Editor’s Note: This column discusses the sensitive topic of suicidal ideation.  The moment doctors diagnosed me with myasthenia gravis (MG), they prescribed me antidepressants. It didn’t make much sense to me at the time. I thought a diagnosis would result in treatment that would restore the life I…

Doctors diagnosed me with myasthenia gravis at the end of my first year at university. I was symptomatic the entire year and running from specialist to specialist begging for a diagnosis. Most of that year is a blur, but one thing made the period bearable and memorable: my…

I might have been dealt an unlucky hand in terms of my general health, but I believe I was the luckiest of all when it came to assigning significant others. I am blessed beyond measure with Tom, who is caring, sweet, and understanding. People can show they care…

A diagnosis of MG inevitably leads to several adaptations in daily life. These adaptations, in turn, result in functioning that is closer to normal. They also ensure a distance is created, prompted by the difference between my peers and me. The difference easiest to hide is a changing diet.

Being diagnosed with myasthenia gravis (MG) is a heavy burden to bear. In the years following my diagnosis, my medication dosages increased and I gained weight. I find it difficult to compare the literal and figurative weight of this disease. As a woman in her 20s, the weight gain was…