MGA News Autumn 2003

One thing that I have learned about MG in all its forms, is that the way it can affect an individual is infinitely variable, both in degree and as to which muscles are affected. For some patients the myasthenia is under total, if drug dependent, control. Whilst being ever vigilant, they can lead a pretty near normal life. Others are quite severely affected and are very restricted in what they can do. Then there are those like me, who seem to be on a roller coaster, enjoy periods of relatively good control and then, often for no immediately obvious reason take a dive. I say no immediately obvious reason, because if you dig deep enough there is often an identifiable cause. In my case it’s usually pushing my luck, ignoring Mrs Gravis’ words of caution, attempting to do too much and becoming over tired or stressed. Sometimes it’s an infection, probably quite minor, picked up on an ill advised visit to somewhere like the Village Hall during the winter months. As I have remarked so often, our local branch of ‘Bugs you Like’, all well know brands of infection on offer.

I said that MG seems to affect different muscles in each individual. I can usually tell when I am going to be myasthenically challenged, because in my case it is my tongue and lips that weaken first. I develop what I like to think of as a charming Toyah Willcox lisp. Mrs Gravis says it sounds more the result of having being in the Dentist’s Chair and the anaesthetic not yet worn off, but then I am a Toyah fan and she is not. When I do start to lisp I can usually take the appropriate action and ward off the worst of a myasthenic relapse.

We were going nicely into early summer this year when I suddenly started to become all Toyahish (a new word for the Oxford English Dictionary?), but couldn’t think what could be setting things off. Then the sudden loss of a crown from one of my teeth made it all clear. I will refrain from describing in detail the unpleasant matter that came out from behind the crown, but those that have been there will know what I mean. A quick, if expensive visit, to our dentist saw the infection cleared up and revealed that I had a couple of other problems as well. These too were soon rendered harmless. Within a day the myasthenia started to fall back to its normal background level and strength returned to my lips and tongue. Once again I could eat normally and Mrs Gravis could understand everything I said.

As part of my ongoing campaign of MG awareness, I have made a point of keeping my dentist up to date with MG information sheets and my own condition, so I naturally asked him what else I could do to avoid the recurrence of such a problem. Mrs Gravis the elder brought me up to be fanatical about cleaning teeth and washing behind my ears, so that I was already being very careful about my teeth. The first thing he suggested was to use an electric toothbrush, rather than my faithful old hand scrubber. Regular readers will know and Mrs Gravis will confirm that I am a sucker for gadgets, but I had always regarded electric toothbrushes as too way out even for me. The Dentist assured me that they are good and so I bought one (Electric tooth brushes are widely available at all good Chemists and Drug stores). I have to say that my experience has proved it to be very effective and my mouth feels cleaner.

Regular flossing was the second thing he emphasised. The important thing is not to allow food and plaque to build up between the teeth, providing a home for bacteria and decay. There are many types of floss available, so chose one that suits you, if in doubt ask your dentist. Use it carefully so it cleans without dislodging crowns, fillings or fragile bits of enamel. As I have found, this can be costly.

The final piece of advice was to continue with my six monthly check-ups. He reckons to be able to spot any trouble in the early stages, before infection and decay set in. I made the next appointment and now have some thing else, apart from Christmas, to look forward to in December.

MGA NEWS Autumn 2003

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