Being a Patient Is Hard Work

It takes serious work to be a patient, regardless of the disease you have. The lay person’s portrayal of chronic illness and the subsequent clinical perceptions of patients leave a lot to be desired in their inadequate awareness, and, at times, acceptance of our reality. These impressions barely scratch the…

The first thing I was forced to learn very quickly after falling ill is that doctors are only human. It does not matter if they are specialists, general practitioners, or retired; human nature is bound to catch up with them at some stage. As we all know, human nature is…

The thymus may play a central role in the regulation of autoimmunity that drives the coexistence of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and myasthenia gravis (MG), as well as in treatment response of patients with both disorders, a case series suggests. This finding resulted from an analysis of four…

Early support from a diverse team of clinicians is key to successfully managing pregnancy in women with myasthenia gravis, particularly if a pregnancy is complicated by pre-eclampsia, a case report highlights. The report recommends that pregnant women with the disease receive…

During my most critical year with myasthenia gravis, I spent an inordinate amount of time in the emergency room and on various hospital floors. A good deal of the ER staff soon got to know me by name and, while clueless as to how to help my rare but potentially deadly…

I am approaching my 25th birthday, and due to my poor health, I have had to extend my studies a few times. This has contributed to both the academic success I have maintained and the grief of not graduating with my classmates. As a lover of all animals, I decided…

Surgical removal of the thymus to treat myasthenia gravis (MG) patients without a thymoma — a tumor in the thymus — seems to be more effective than medications, according to a new review study from Brazil. The study, “Thymectomy in nonthymomatous myasthenia gravis — systematic…

When I was diagnosed in 2004, it was a shock to my entire family. We had never heard of this disease and had no idea what it meant for my future. I had to take a year off school due to hospitalizations, treatments, and a thymectomy. I felt like…

Weekly infusions of Rituxan (rituximab) for four consecutive weeks followed by a monthly infusion for two months may be more effective than other Rituxan regimens in treatment‐resistant, MuSK antibody-positive myasthenia gravis (MuSK MG) patients, according to a small Spanish study. The study, “The impact of rituximab infusion protocol…

I have always believed that we can either allow our circumstances to shape us or we can shape ourselves to better deal with our circumstances. There are few experiences in life that we cannot learn from — we just have to be willing to learn those lessons. The latter is…