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.
A repetitive nerve stimulation test can be a fast and accurate diagnostic tool for myasthenia gravis patients undergoing a myasthenic crisis. The study, “Repetitive Nerve Stimulation Test in Myasthenic Crisis,” was published in Muscle & Nerve. Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disorder that affects the muscles’ ability to…
Thymectomy — removal of the thymus gland — provides clinical benefits to non-thymomatous myasthenia gravis patients for as long as five years after the procedure, according to a follow-up study. The study, “Long-term effect of thymectomy plus prednisone versus prednisone alone in patients with non-thymomatous myasthenia gravis: 2-year extension…
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…
Patients with myasthenia gravis (MG), who are positive for the acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody, respond effectively to influenza vaccination, even if taking immunosuppressants. Also, influenza vaccination is safe, and does not exacerbate MG symptoms in these patients, according to a study. The study, titled “A prospective,…
Last year, I had a port fitted. This is a small medical device placed under the skin just under the collarbone. It allows for drips to be set up without nurses having to dig around for a vein. It also frees up my hands and allows me to easily…
Among myasthenia gravis patients (MG), males and those with a higher body mass index are at a higher risk of obstructive sleep apnea, which is similar to what has been been reported in the general population, a study shows. The study, “Characteristics of obstructive sleep apnea in myasthenia…
Scientific literature clearly establishes that weather, particularly temperature, can influence the severity of myasthenia gravis symptoms. Cold weather is infamous for being worse for pain and hot weather results in reduced muscle strength. Living in Africa, hot weather is no scarcity. This means that I dread the coming of…
A team of French researchers may have found a new therapeutic target, the IL-23/Th17 signaling cascade, to control tissue inflammation in patients with myasthenia gravis. The study, “Il-23/Th17 cell pathway: A promising target to alleviate thymic inflammation maintenance in myasthenia gravis,” was published in the Journal of…
For the past two years, pipes have been sticking out of my chest. I have had a port beneath the skin just under my collarbone. Many treatments have caused me to catch numerous infections floating around, so I have had to wear a medical mask when in public. I have experienced…
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