Myasthenia Gravis

 "Sheryl and Myasthenia Gravis: How I cope!"

 B. (2014, October 23). Sheryl and Myasthenia Gravis: How I Cope! Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZU2nTf6_cc

This video is about a 17 year old girl named Sheryl who was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis at the age of 16. Sheryl described her initial, noticeable symptoms being her eyelid drooping and the muscles in her mouth not working properly, which caused her to have difficulty with eating and keeping liquids in her mouth. She then noticed that her eyes had gotten worse so she went to see a specialist. The specialist did a specific test where they put ice on the eyelid, and if the muscle is weak, it brings the eyelid back up, in individuals with myasthenia gravis, and it worked with Sheryl. He told her she needed to get tested to confirm, so she did. 

I chose to do this assignment on myasthenia gravis because my grandfather was diagnosed with this disease, years before he passed away. I was very young when all of this took place, and I have always been curious as to what exactly myasthenia gravis was. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to learn more about it, because now I am old enough to understand, and I am pursuing a career that will amplify that understanding. This is also how I furthered my learning on this topic, I spoke with my dad about some of the symptoms my grandad had to see if they correlated to what Sheryl reported. My dad said that my grandad had the drooping eyelids, just like Sheryl, and he would also report weakness in his hands and fatigue very quickly after exertion. 

I have learned that myasthenia gravis is a chronic autoimmune neuromuscular disease characterized by varying degrees of weakness of the skeletal muscles of the body. The skeletal muscles are voluntary muscles which means these are muscles that work when you tell them to, you voluntarily use these muscles, and they are part of your somatic nervous system in your body. The skeletal muscles that can be affected by myasthenia gravis are the eyes, mouth, arms, legs, fingers, neck, and other muscles. A neurotransmitter is a chemical in the body that is responsible for human behavior. There is a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine that is associated with the voluntary muscles of the body. Acetylcholine has receptors that are blocked by this disease which can keep the muscle from working properly. 

According to Sheryl, once a person with myasthenia gravis uses their muscles, and becomes fatigued it is difficult for them to "recharge their battery" so they may need to go into the hospital for what is called a IVIG (intravenous immune globulin) which is a sterile solution that contains concentrated antibodies from a donor. This solution can be used to treat immune disorders and enhance immune response to illnesses. However, it is not always recommended because it has a short term affect. Another treatment for myasthenia gravis is plasmapheresis. This is when blood cells and plasma (found in the blood) are separated and the abnormal antibodies are removed from the bloodstream. 

Sheryl reports that this disease has affected her life with some of the things she likes to do such as softball and school related activities. As an OT student, these terms relate to me as ADLs and iADLs. These are the activities that are meaningful for Sheryl and that is what the OT could work on with her, if she were to see one.  

This was an inspiring story, and I loved seeing how positive she was about having to alter some of the activities she likes to do. However, just because they had to be altered, didn't mean that she stopped doing them altogether which I thought was very brave and worth recognizing. If you would like to take a look for yourself to learn more, you can find Sheryl's story on YouTube by typing in the title provided above.