Has anyone's doctors suggested these?
Hi all, recently my MG team have started bringing up a couple of things/ideas and I wondered if anyone had any experience with any of these. One was a temporary port for infusions and blood draws (to give my veins a chance to heal because of how frequently they are being invaded). Another was the idea of a service dog. I hadn't heard of any of those in the context of MG. Does anyone have any experience with either of these? Thanks
The following articles on our site discuss a temporary port: https://myasthenia-gravis.com/plasma-exchange-ivig, https://myasthenia-gravis.com/medication-side-effects, and here are two experiences from members of our site: https://myasthenia-gravis.com/forums/plasmapheresis-cessation, https://myasthenia-gravis.com/stories/my-myasthenia-start. I've seen temporary ports mentioned frequently over the several years I've been an MG moderator, and people usually say they are lifesavers for blown own veins.
---
Here are some articles about service dogs with MG: https://guideposts.org/positive-living/friends-and-family/pets/service-animals/mission-pawsible/, https://www.servicedogcertifications.org/disabilities-qualify-service-dog/, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6598092/, https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/local/2018/11/25/4-paws-links-service-dogs/8292992007/
---
The following discusses therapy dogs used for emotional support: https://myasthenia-gravis.com/living/emotional-support-dog. Here is some more information on companion dogs: https://k94life.org/about-our-dogs/.
---
During the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America's Annual Conference in April this year, a therapy dog foundation gave a talk in which they shared how these programs are all across the USA and other countries, where you can request visits from their therapy dogs to get the physical and mental health benefits they can bring without having to own one yourself.- Jodi, Team Member
