What's New on December 18, 2001

DECEMBER 18, 2001

Today was my endocrinologist appointment... a follow-up to the bone density test. We had it right. It showed my spine was actually better but my hips are worse. But that is not the bad news.

He thinks I may have Myasthenia Gravis which is an autoimmune neuromuscular disease of generalized muscle weakness. It affects primarily the muscles of the eyes, mouth and throat making chewing, swallowing, talking, and breathing either difficult or impossible. A third of those with MG live a somewhat normal life of muscular weakness, a third require a respirator and a third die.

His suspicions come from my *spells* where I can't hold my head up and my speech slurs and my eyes cross... and the inability to lift my arms over my head. What little reading I have done since getting home seems to describe my symptoms quite well. He ordered the test but it will take a couple weeks before it is done and then a week or two for the results.

Well, there you have it. It will be a rather tense couple of weeks.

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You are listening to Memories from the musical Cats, written by
Andrew Lloyd Webber and T.S. Eliot. I felt this song was a perfect selection
for this site because of the affiliation I feel with Grizabella. Although for her,
it was age and not health issues that changed her, neither of us are who we
were before, on the outside, and it can affect how we feel on the inside.

Disclaimer:
The author of this page does not promote, support, or recommend any
particular treatment or medication for any medical condition. The opinions
expressed in stories or links are the responsibility of their authors.
No treatment should be undertaken without the supervision of a physician.