Jazmin Clayton

Hello, Jazmin here. I was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis (MG) when I was 17 years old. I had just graduated high school and was starting my freshman year of college. My symptoms started back in 2012. Little did I know my life would change forever.

First symptom: I woke up one morning and could not brush my teeth properly. I had problems holding my toothbrush, moving my tongue, and spitting. I figured it was early in the morning and my body hasn't fully woken up yet, but this continued to happen for a few days. Second symptom: I started having difficulties chewing and swallowing (food, water, my own spit, etc.). By the second symptom, that's when I notified my parents but they both told me to stop acting.

Third symptom: I started my first week of college and I had to commute an hour and a half back and forth to school. While driving I started experiencing double vision. I wasn't sure what was going on but I continued to drive to school anyways. I decided to keep this to myself because I was scared to tell my parents. I figured they wouldn't believe me anyway.

Soon I came to the conclusion that driving was unsafe considering I couldn't see properly. After a week or 2 of the double vision, I looked in the mirror and saw my eyes starting to separate. A few days later I had developed droopy eyelids. Fourth symptom: This is the one that made me cry. I developed slurred speech. I sounded like a newborn baby trying to speak her first words.

I thought my life and future career were over since I'm a theater major. My looks, my voice, my ability to move is what my career was centered around. I came to my parents crying telling them everything that I've been going through for that month.

My mom still thought I was faking it, but it was my dad that told her, "I think something might be wrong with her." My mom finally took me to the hospital and after 3 months of constant doctors appointments, shots, X-rays, CT scans, and different drug trials ... I was diagnosed with MG on December 3, 2012. My life hasn't been the same since.

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