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Humor in the madness of MG
I was diagnosed with MG in 2022 shortly after learning that the chronic chest pain I had been having was not the anxiety my primary care physician kept trying to attribute to me as a then 46 year old woman but rather due to a peach-sized tumor sitting in the center of my chest (thymoma). 2 years and 1 major surgery later I can thankfully look back and reflect on my journey with MG. I now realize that I was fully symptomatic for at least a decade before my diagnosis. Sure, there is plenty to cry about, but when you’re already dealing with a fatigue causing disease that just seems like a waste of energy. I instead choose to laugh at the countless moments of sheer ridiculousness that could only happen to someone completely unaware that everyone else in the room wasn’t as tired, clumsy, visually impaired, or likely to choke as they were. As an attorney, wife, and mother exhaustion was a given, but MG level exhaustion and muscle disruptions are what I now blame for my countless I Love Lucy like moments in my 30s and 40s. I thought it normal to drink 2 full pots of coffee per day. My digestive track was such a mess that it caused horribly loud growling noises without warning. I once was asked by someone on the phone in court to repeat my question when my stomach growled loud enough for the mic to pick it up but the caller couldn’t make out what it said…lol. I’ve fallen down stairs while trying to make a graceful entrance, started out walking straight with a group only to unintentionally and inexplicably veer off completely to the left while still talking to them, dropped my carry-on bag on my coworker’s head after my arms suddenly gave out while traveling for business, struggled reading basic English in front of a large conference crowd because the letters on the paper I was reading kept moving, and choked for dear life (loud, disgusting, tear inducing choking) in the middle of speeches at my husband’s awards dinner…only to name a few. If ever there was someone who lived by the saying “this too shall pass,” I’m her. It’s unbelievable it took me so long to catch on that something was seriously wrong with me. I can’t help but to still laugh about it all. I hope sharing my embarrassing moments helped to put a smile on your face.
I would love to hear some of your pre-diagnosis blunders that you now know were early signs of MG. There’s nothing funny about this disorder but there’s always humor in how anyone gets by in this crazy life.
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I’ve been treated for MG for +4 years. I was diagnosed in March of 2020 and then realized I had symptoms for about 1 year prior to diagnosis. I’m a college instructor and spend a lot of time at my home office on my desktop computer. It was never an issue until I started resting my neck and falling fast asleep in my chair. My wife started catching me asleep in the chair. She assumed I was getting board with my classes or students and started mentioning that I should find something more interesting to teach. I enjoy teaching hospitality management courses live and online but I couldn’t shake the tiredness. Thankfully I never fell asleep in a live classroom.
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