Myasthenia Gravis: The snowflake disease

June is Myasthenia Gravis awareness month and in light of this, the News would like to share a few facts about this rare chronic autoimmune neurological disorder.

There are between 25 to 142 people out of a million living with Myasthenia Gravis, which has resulted in the disease being listed as rare. There are identified causes for this disease, and there is no known cure either. The symptoms include high levels of muscle fatigue and poor endurance of involuntary muscles, which results in difficulty walking, moving, and performing of everyday tasks, swallowing, speaking, breathing and drooping of eyelids.

Candice Mes, a Krugersdorp resident, has been living with this disease for the past nine years, after experiencing symptoms of muscle weakness approximately one year before being diagnosed. Almost a decade later, she lives with generalised Myasthenia Gravis. Generalised Myasthenia Gravis means that it affects her entire body.

She needs to take a handful of tablets every day and engages in mindful activities to balance her stress levels. Her family and friends have been her biggest support and are one of the biggest reasons for her coping on a day to day basis.

Once you have been diagnosed, a neurologist will start a course of immune suppressants and cholinesterase inhibitors looking for the combination that will best suit the individual case. Myasthenia Gravis has been labelled the Snowflake disease, as the people that have been diagnosed with this disease have such diverse symptoms and treatment options.

The administration and prescription of Myasthenia Gravis medication is more of an art than a science and needs to be closely monitored.

If you would like to find out more about Myasthenia Gravis, visit Candice’s blog at www.snowflakesandspoons.blogspot.com.

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