Astral Abyss
1000+ Head-Fier
Mike, my mom has been dealing with Myasthenia gravis since she was in her 30s. She's 68 now. I still remember all the trouble she would have talking, not being able to walk right... or at all... but then she started having trouble breathing. She ended up in the hospital for months while they ran tests and tried to figure out what was wrong, until some neurologist figured it out. Thank god. I mean, 30 years ago, no one even knew what Myastenia gravis was, and if I tell someone today my mom has that neurological disorder, the inevitable response is, "What's that?" That was a rough time, back then, as me being all of 13 years old thought she was going to die, and she almost did. They ended up doing surgery to remove her thymus gland (which involved breaking her rib cage) and put her on a replacement medication that she's taken for the past 30 years. They put her on a high dose of prednisone initially too, which she stubbornly weened herself off of, which probably would have killed her by now if she hadn't. Don't let them put you on that crap. I'm thankful every day that she's still alive and doing ok.
Here's some things she told me help/worsen her symptoms (which still come back if she gets ill or over-stressed):
- Exercise/diet. She's probably the most fit woman her age, and that's because keeping her muscles strong helps keep the symptoms in check.
- Overwork. Unfortunately, my mom is one of those people that can't sit still and has to be doing something, so it's tough for her, but when she works herself too hard, the symptoms will return, usually the next day, where she can barely do anything and has no energy.
- Sleep. If she doesn't get enough sleep, she gets really weak.
- Medication. She ended up taking medication to help with her anxiety and stress (partly caused by the disease), which helps her deal with her situation mentally and, well, she's just an anxious person, so there's that. (me too unfortunately)
- Awareness. She's learned to know when she's getting over-fatigued and try to ease off, but that's hard for her to do. She's gotten better at it.
- Stubbornness. She's stubborn as hell and mentally she refuses to let the illness get the better of her. I honestly believe this has kept her going more than anything else.
I hope you get a real diagnosis and they don't just push you along hoping you just go away and are someone else's problem. Or worse, doctors don't understand what they're dealing with and really just have no clue what to do. Seen that happen too many times.
Best of luck, and health, Mike. Stay stubborn and keep making great audio gear!
Here's some things she told me help/worsen her symptoms (which still come back if she gets ill or over-stressed):
- Exercise/diet. She's probably the most fit woman her age, and that's because keeping her muscles strong helps keep the symptoms in check.
- Overwork. Unfortunately, my mom is one of those people that can't sit still and has to be doing something, so it's tough for her, but when she works herself too hard, the symptoms will return, usually the next day, where she can barely do anything and has no energy.
- Sleep. If she doesn't get enough sleep, she gets really weak.
- Medication. She ended up taking medication to help with her anxiety and stress (partly caused by the disease), which helps her deal with her situation mentally and, well, she's just an anxious person, so there's that. (me too unfortunately)
- Awareness. She's learned to know when she's getting over-fatigued and try to ease off, but that's hard for her to do. She's gotten better at it.
- Stubbornness. She's stubborn as hell and mentally she refuses to let the illness get the better of her. I honestly believe this has kept her going more than anything else.
I hope you get a real diagnosis and they don't just push you along hoping you just go away and are someone else's problem. Or worse, doctors don't understand what they're dealing with and really just have no clue what to do. Seen that happen too many times.
Best of luck, and health, Mike. Stay stubborn and keep making great audio gear!
