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In the year prior to my diagnosis of MG, I was on Qvar 80 inhalers, Fluticasone nasal spray, a Flovent 250 inhaler, and received the over 65 flu shot, the Prevnar 13 pneumonia shot, and two Z-Pak antibiotics for bronchitis. On January 9, 2015 I had major lower back surgery and was on Oxycodone daily for pain.
On February 13, 2015, I was hospitalized for 8 days, three of them in intensive care, because my speech had become very slurred and I was unable to swallow. During my hospital stay, I had five plasma exchanges and three units of fresh frozen plasma and received prednisone. After three days, I was given my first dose of Mestinon and my symptoms immediately subsided.
It is interesting to note that my symptoms for early MG started approximately one year earlier with double vision that came and went. Later in the year, after I had the Prevnar 13 shot, I developed a droopy eyelid for a few weeks and slurred speech, which would come and go depending on how tired or excited I was.
The muscle weakness that I still have today didn’t start until my hospitalization. At this time, I take two Mestinon per day which seems to keep me going for a fairly normal life. I do get tired by the afternoon, but I plan to start exercising more soon.
It is my belief that all the shots and medications that I had in the year prior to my full blown MG breakdown, as well as the back surgery, the anesthesia, and the pain killers, are what brought on my MG. Put it all together and I think that it was too much stress on my body and immune system.
My son diagnosed my MG even before my doctors. Six months earlier, he told me that he thought that I was putting too much “stuff” into my body.
Today, I lead a fairly normal life except for some muscle weakness and getting tired by the afternoon. I stay busy all day and rarely take naps. I would enjoy sharing my story with others who wish to contact me. I would also like to hear the experiences of other MG patients, since I know that I still have much to learn about MG.