Snowflakes and Spoons

When diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis, your neurologist will start to search for the best treatment for you. One of the more drastic treatment approaches you may be faced with is a thymectomy.  I underwent my transsternal thymectomy in 2009, two years after being officially diagnosed. Here are some tips to better prepare you and your family for this operation. Please note this is from personal experience and should not be taken as medical advice. Make sure to listen to your doctors and disclose all information needed prior to this operation. Pre-operation Buy pj's that button in the front for when you come out of ICU.   Make sure you have some socks packed in for ICU as it can be chilly. Wash your hair. You won't be able to do this until stable and that will be with assistance. Neaten up below. They will be inserting a catheter and may have to shave the area to stick the tubes down. Try some deep breathing or meditation to help relax.    See your assigned hosp

The finer things in life Many tasks that we need to do involve intricate movements of our fingers. Our fingers are controlled by 34 muscles originating in our forearms and palms. These muscles connect to our finger bones by tendons. The fingers actually have no muscles in them! With 34 muscles needed, it’s no wonder that controlling fine motor movements can become an issue when diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis. Tips when suffering from fine motor impairment:  ·          Avoid extended use of these muscles and plan ahead When I write, I notice that my handwriting can start out relatively neatly, but then goes downhill into a scrawl. By limiting the use of these muscles, you can preserve them for the things you need. If you know you are going to need your fine skills for a task make sure you doing it your 'strong' times. For some, this is in the morning and for others about an hour after they have had their Mestinon.  ·          At work implement an er