Neuro Note #4 (Myasthenia Gravis)

For my fourth neuro note, I watched a YouTube video by Kristen Graham about her life with myasthenia gravis. I didn’t have a firm grasp on what this disease entailed, so I chose this video to learn more about what it’s like living with this disease.

In the video, Kristen talks about her life with myasthenia gravis, the mistakes she has made, and how she has improved her quality of life.  She was diagnosed at age 11 with myasthenia gravis. Her mother initially thought that she had Bell’s Palsy because her face was drooping. Doctors decided to remove her thyroid gland shortly after the diagnosis to help with the symptoms of the disease. About a year after surgery, she didn’t have any symptoms of myasthenia gravis. Health professionals told her to take care of her body to reduce the chances of relapsing. In her late teenage years, it was clear that she didn’t listen to her doctors.  She didn’t eat healthy, she drank excessively, and experimented with drugs. In addition, she had a stressful career where she spent her day around chemicals. 

At age 21, she was once again diagnosed with myasthenia gravis. She had to quit her job and work somewhere part time because of her symptoms. She had double vision, fatigue, and a loss of appetite. She started to notice her symptoms were getting worse and worse so she decided to stop taking her medication to see if that would help.  She felt much better once she stopped taking her medication. In addition to this, she ate healthy food, did yoga, and monitored the chemicals that she put on her body. She has been feeling a lot better since she made these changes. My take away from this video, was that everyone is different and everyone’s bodies need different things to be healthy. It’s important to listen to your body. In addition, I liked that she placed an importance on healthy eating. Food is fuel for your body so it’s important to give your body good quality food to stay healthy no matter your current health status. 

Graham, K. (2014, October 27). Retrieved May 24, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhWyE-Ddazs