Myasthenia Gravis

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For my third neuro-note, I watched a short YouTube video titled, "Sheryl and Myasthenia Gravis: How I Cope!"Myasthenia gravis is a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disease that affects the skeletal muscles of the body and makes them weak. In the video, Sheryl was just 16 years old when she received her diagnosis of myasthenia gravis (MG). Leading up to her diagnosis, she was experiencing symptoms that included weakness in her legs, arms, hands, and blurred vision in her eyes. Upon receiving her diagnosis, she had to make a few life adjustments that included giving up softball, time at school, and other activities that involved movements for a long period of time. Over time, she started to slowly ease back into softball by going to the batting cages and hitting a few softballs at a time before having to take a rest. She also slowly eased back into going to school once the doctors cleared her and gave her the green light. The reason I chose to write about this topic was because I was unsure as to what MG was/is. After watching this video, I did a little more research as to what helps to treat MG and to learn more about the disease. I learned that plasmapheresis is beneficial when treating this disease. Plasmapheresis is when the liquid part of the blood is removed from a body and replaced with something else, typically saline or albumin. The blood is then treated and replaced in your body through a surgically implanted catheter. I found this really amazing since I did not know that this was an actual thing that someone can go through to help make their body feel better after being diagnosed with such a rare disease. I also learned that through life adjustments recommended by OT's and other medical professionals, someone with myasthenia gravis can live a comfortable life even though they have to take movements one step at a time. I really enjoyed watching the video and learning about MG!





References: 

Carter, B. (2014, October 23). Sheryl and Myasthenia Gravis: How I Cope!. [video]. YouTube.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZU2nTf6_cc

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