In June of 1997, while working full time, I started having trouble keeping my right eye open. I made an appointment with an ophthalmologist, who sent me immediately to my internist, who sent me on to a neurologist, all in one day. Two weeks later, after running a myriad of tests, the neurologist suggested I go to work, wear myself out, and then give him a call. It was a Friday. I worked at a country club, and was in charge of everything involving food. In June, I was training a new crew to cook at the snack bar as well as preparing for a wedding in the banquet hall for the next day. Wearing myself out was not difficult. Around five o'clock, I called the neurologist, figuring he would be leaving his office soon. He asked me a few questions, and told me to keep working, and call him when I was completely exhausted. Keep in mind that my only symptom was a droopy eyelid. Several hours later, I called him back. He said to meet him in the ER at the local hospital, he was going to do a spinal tap.
It was eight o'clock on a Friday night when I walked into the hospital. I was hooked up to an IV and monitors. The neurologist said he was going to try a few things, prior to the tap. He injected something into the IV. Nothing happened. He injected something else, and my eye popped open, my energy returned. It was amazing. It was a Tensilon Test. Then came the good news /bad news time. Good news, I wouldn't need the spinal tap, and the bad news was a diagnosis of myasthenia gravis.
I went home, turned on my computer and immediately found a chat room on Prodigy for 'myasthenia gravis.' There would be a scheduled meeting the following night.
Saturday night, I entered the chat room, knowing very little about myasthenia gravis, but I met the most wonderful, well-informed, people, who guided me to knowledge and acceptance of this disease. Most of the people in that room, including myself, are founding members of MGnet.
There is a silver lining in every life-changing event. A quick diagnosis, a chat room of myasthenics, and the opportunity to form this wonderful chapter are amongst my favorite silver linings.
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