My disease remission ended as my journey into motherhood began

Retha De Wet enjoyed three happy years in remission from myasthenia gravis, during which time she gave birth to her daughter. But her symptoms have recently reemerged. (Courtesy of Retha De Wet) This is Retha De Wet’s story: I have always wanted to be a mother. I’ve always wanted…

Jasmine Nathan was diagnosed with generalized myasthenia gravis with thymoma in 2018, but now has her gMG fully managed. (Photo courtesy of Jasmine Nathan) This is Jasmine Nathan’s story: It was the summer of 2018 in Chicago. I was trying to balance everything. I had a husband, a stepson,…

I don’t have kids. It’s a decision I don’t regret. However, I come from a large family consisting of nine children, 10 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. It was a large household, and with a few exceptions, most of my siblings live relatively close to each other. I was surrounded by…

There’s a French saying I’ve always loved: “croquer la vie à pleines dents,” which literally means “to bite into life with full teeth.” It’s used to describe someone who lives passionately, who devours every moment of joy, adventure, and beauty with intensity. That expression has always defined the way I…

Using tears to test for self-reactive antibodies to help diagnose ocular myasthenia gravis (OMG) is more accurate than using blood samples, according to a study that found nearly all patients who tested negative for these antibodies in the blood had a positive result in tears. “Tear-based testing offers a…

Remegen’s telitacicept has been approved in China as an add-on treatment for adults with generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) who are positive for antibodies targeting the acetylcholine receptor (AChR) — that’s approximately 80% of all gMG patients, per the company. The decision, by the country’s National Medical Products Administration…

A rare form of myasthenia gravis that manifests in childhood and adolescence called juvenile myasthenia gravis (JMG) affects roughly 30 out of every 1 million children in the U.S., and may be more common than previously thought, a study estimates. The study also found that JMG is more common…

I abhor asking for help. That doesn’t mean I’ve never asked for help in my life, though. Far from it. As a grown man, I pride myself on trying to do the best I can on my own. I like believing in this ideal, but it is far from the…

Before I was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis (MG) in 2019, my symptoms led me to think that my body was lacking vitamins and nutrients. After my diagnosis, I blamed my weight gain on MG, even though hormones played a big role, too. I’ve tried several diets over the years,…

Vyvgart (efgartigimod alfa-fcab) may be safer and more effective than intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy in elderly people with generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG), a study shows. In elderly Chinese patients with gMG who were positive for antibodies targeting the acetylcholine receptor (AChR), Vyvgart eased symptoms after four and…