Like many, my only knowledge of MG was the car brand, yet in early 2021 it had a whole new meaning: myasthenia gravis. Prior to diagnosis I had endured three months of generalised myasthenia gravis symptoms: weak neck muscles, inability to chew, a droopy eye and eventually the inability to swallow. Despite losing two stone in weight, it was put down to stress and it wasn’t until I got covid in January 2021 that I was eventually diagnosed.  

The diagnosis for me was a complete unknown that I spent hours researching, which led me to myaware. Myaware were quick to answer any question, no matter how small, and linking up to one of their zoom calls immediately made me feel as though I wasn’t on my own in any respect, navigating this new world. The Facebook page was invaluable and so were the documents on how to live with the disease. They are my go-to reference for anything from drugs to avoid to how to cope in general.

Unfortunately, within a week I was also diagnosed with a thymoma. Having cancer and myasthenia gravis and getting to grips with medication/surgery all within a few weeks was not how I had pictured my life at 31.

Fast forward 18 months and my myasthenia gravis is relatively stable, the cancer gone. Of course, like many of us I have some good days and bad. But the diagnosis never slowed me down. I ran another marathon in October 2021 and this year I summited Mt Kilimanjaro. I hope to fundraise for myaware in the future once I have decided on my next adventure.

Everything is possible, even with a myasthenia diagnosis – it just requires a little more perseverance. 

People's Stories