Juggling Myasthenia Gravis and Other Health Conditions

Traveling the world, mountain and rock climbing, skydiving, deep sea fishing, going to an arts performance, or simply going to a sporting event or tourist trap ... these are all things I have always wanted to do.

Maybe things will turn around and I get the opportunity to do some of them! But for now, because of myasthenia gravis (MG), everything has come to a screeching halt.

My other health issues

It is just normal for anyone, even without myasthenia gravis, to slow down and have some general aches and pains as they age. I'm saying this as someone who is in their 60s. However, I have had symptoms of MG since I was 10 years old. I've had several flares over the years, yet did not get a diagnosis until I was 58.

A few years before my MG diagnosis, I was diagnosed with obstruction of sleep apnea and type 2 diabetes. After my diagnosis of myasthenia gravis, I found out I had a Chiari malformation, which is when the brain herniates into the spinal column. There are many ways to end up with a Chiari, and they can have similar symptoms to MG.

I was also diagnosed with osteoarthritis throughout my body, degenerative disc disease, bone spurs, and stenosis in my spine. Lucky for me, my spinal column is actually larger than most. The orthopedic surgeon told me that most people would have required emergency surgery for my issues ... but no surgery for me yet!

I know I'm not alone

When you have MG and you're battling several other health issues, it really makes life difficult. Several of my issues involve the nerves and the muscles, so it's very hard to tell what is causing what sometimes.

I know other people are fighting different health issues along with their myasthenia gravis, and I can imagine those condition are just as hard to cope with.

My newest diagnosis

My left side has always been my weakest. I had a non-cancerous tumor removed from the side of my neck a few years back. It was the size of a golf ball. I've had 2 hernia surgeries, one on my left side, and one at my belly button on the left side.

But just a couple months ago my left shoulder and arm hurt like no other (and I have a high pain tolerance.) I literally had no use of my shoulder or arm. I found out I had 4 different tears in different muscles, tendonitis, bursitis and yes ... more arthritis.

When your body is not functioning correctly because of myasthenia gravis, it sure does affect the other health conditions. Now I take 60 milligrams of Mestinon every 2 hours while I'm awake and occasionally some during the night. And no ... the Mestinon does not help the other issues.

Managing my MG and other issues

Now I can't get too hot because my MG does not react well to heat or humidity. It also does not like the extreme cold. So, I have to find a happy medium between the 2 which is usually a little on the chilly side.

However, my shoulder likes ice so I'm having put ice packs on it every couple hours. However, my back and hips like the heat, so I use a heating pad. It's a real juggling act!