Myasthenia Gravis

[Chris]

Hi
For those of you with Myasthenia Gravis, may I ask where your weakness started and how you were diagnosed?
Thanks so much!!

[irish]

Hi, My myasthenia started with intermittent generalized weakness. I would have to rest a lot. I had a skull fracture and concussion when I was 21 and after that I was totally exhausted and frequently weak. I thought it was from the injury but it didn't seem to go away.

This went on for years. I eventually started having more weakness but still would recover enough that I could work and get my work done--but it was getting harder. I had times when I could not get myself out of the tub without a lot of hard work. I eventually started taking showers to rsolve that problem. I thought it was from my bad knees.

I would have trouble at time getting my legs up over the edge of the tub when I took a shower. I would have to lift my legs up and over the edge. That would go away also and I blamed the weaknes on the fact that I was having shortness of breath from newly diagnosed asthma.

Then came the times when I felt like I was going to stop breathing. I would tell the doctors and they just ignored me. I was labeled a nut case and I bet it was on my chart in big print. As the years went by I just learned to adjust my schedule of chores at home around how I was feeling. I was always exhausted. Eventually, I weas having trouble blowing up REsusiAnnie at work when we did CPR class. I never thought a thing of I but later learned it was from muscle weakness in my cheeks. I had not been able to blow up a balloon for years.

One of the later symptoms was swallowing food and having it go up into my nose due to weakness in my palate. Peas and lettuce were big problems. This is a common problem with myasthenic patients. My breathing became more of a problem in the last years before diagnosis and the droopy eyelids were the last symptom to develop.

Also, the last years I started having problems lifting my legs and feet when I walked. This would happen when I was having the weakness and I would wear shoes so that I could shuffle myself along with hardly lifting my feet. When I would go shopping this was really a problem and I will always take a cart when I shop so I can lean on it and support myself. I don't think I could shop without a cart.

I had asked doctors for years if I had myasthenia and they would just pooh-pooh me. Well, I fooled them didn't I!!! Also, I am positive antistriated muscle antibodies but negative acetylcholine receptors.Good luck. Irish

[Chris]

Thank you Irish!!?

[Joe S.]

Thank you Irish.