Sheryl's Perspective

            I was not for sure what Myasthenia Gravis was until hearing Sheryl’s touching story. She was a young girl, only 16, when diagnosed with MG. She was going about her childhood when she started noticing symptoms. She was very active in softball and had many friends. She started to experience extreme fatigue in her arms legs and hands. Then she started to notice a droop in her eye that kept getting worse. She was also having difficulty chewing foods and keeping her mouth closed when eating. She went to the doctor where they couldn’t really diagnosis her because they didn’t know for certain what was going on. She went to an eye doctor because her eyes continued to get worse. The doctor knew something was not right and wanted to do an ice test in the office to test for myasthenia gravis, it was then that he was for sure that was her diagnosis. They later sent her to the hospital to confirm her myasthenia gravis diagnosis. 

            She had to learn how to adapt to some things she was so used to doing. She had to give up playing softball because it was too much exertion on her muscles. She was not able to attend school for a few months because her body was so weak. She was so excited to finally be attending school again, it gave her a routine. She liked to stay busy and to be involved, it made her feel like a normal teenager again. Even when she had to go to the hospital for treatments, she stayed in touch with her friends to keep them updated and they gave words of encouragement. She also talked about how she still likes to go fishing, ride four-wheelers, and even take her sister for short walks because the long ones make her tired. She also has a bunny that she loves to take care of because it keeps her from thinking about her disease.

            She gave a great insight on what the disease meant to her and how to explain it to others in terms that could be understood. She talked about how her symptoms were being shown and how they would differ each day. She also talked about the different treatment plans and how one worked better for her than the other. 

Just because she was a teenager didn’t mean that she didn’t have a voice. Each story is unique in its own way and as therapist we need to observe the person as a whole, not just by their diagnosis. Each client will be involved in many occupations and all have different ways to handle things. Each client will also have different symptoms and different limitations. Listening to the whole story and giving them a sense of independence along with meeting their needs could be the most important thing in their life. 

Just like Sheryl, she knew some days were going to be better than others, but all she cared about was being able to have a meaning in life and enjoy a life like her friends. I truly encourage others to watch this video. This video explained Sheryl’s outlook on Myasthenia Gravis, and it helped to understand that each client has a story and different symptoms. Therefore, understand the person and their story and not just their disease.

Reference

Carter, B. (2014, October 23). Sheryl and Myasthenia Gravis: How I Cope! Retrieved July 31, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZU2nTf6_cc