Good morning, Mya. Welcome to the forum! Happy Mom's day, too!

MG can start slowly in some people. Ptosis (toe-sis) or droopy eyelid (or eyebrow) is one of the most obvious, first signs of MG.

The hallmark of MG is fatigable muscle weakness. It means that muscles become weaker with activities and relatively better with rest. MG is unique in this characteristic, which is why it is often easy to spot.

Did you have headaches before after drinking coffee? Chances are that your neck/head muscles are weak as well if you have MG. MG often begins in the head/neck muscles and progresses downward from there. You might notice those muscles cramping up if you laugh for a long period of time.

That was one of my first clues. I was laughing at a meeting and the back of my neck and a bit of my jaw "tensed up" and felt cramped. I had no clue that I had MG at that point.

It's good that you noticed the ptosis! That's what it looks like from your photo.

MGers can have something called "Enhanced Ptosis." You can lift up on the dominantly drooping eyelid for ten seconds. What usually happens is that the eyelid goes up while the other one goes down. They can seesaw like that for a bit.

You could also try to put a cool washcloth on the droopy eyelid to see if it improves. An ice pack is a bit too cold to use! But they call it the Ice Pack test and is used in an ER if they suspect MG. You could always take photos before and after that as well.

In the long-term, extremes of heat and cold can make MG much worse. Now that we're having warmer weather, this is the time to be careful. Being hot (no matter the cause) makes my MG exponentially worse. If you do get overheated, cool down as soon as possible, especially the core muscles (breathing muscles).

In the beginning of MG, muscles can become weaker slowly. So slowly that you might just adapt and not notice it.

Try to keep a journal of any symptoms and when they began. It will help both you and your doctors.

A good neuro-ophthalmologist can thoroughly assess your vision and eyelid muscles. They have visual tests they do that regular ophthalmologists don't. Do you know if you have double vision? More than likely you do because of the one-sided ptosis.

Put your pointer finger out in front of you eyes. Without moving your head (only your eyes), move the pointer finger back and forth in your field of vision, from left to right, slowly. Do you see one or two fingers? If you see two, does it go away after closing one eye? MG double vision (DV) is called binocular, and when you close one eye the DV goes away.

There are many causes of ptosis. You might not have MG. But keeping MG in the mix is important because, if you do have it, it can be life-threatening if not adequately treated or known about. Don't panic over that fact though! Just take it easy until you have a diagnosis and be as informed as you can.

MG is treated with drugs, but managing weakness on a daily basis is equally as important. That would mean not pushing the body to extremes, getting enough sleep, etc.

If you do have more symptoms, such as difficulty swallowing, breathing, or moving around, then go to an ER. MG can progress rapidly as well. Even if you don't have a diagnosis yet, it's best to seek out help in those situations.

I know it's overwhelming to think about being sick, let alone such an odd disease!! But so many of us are just fine. Well, we have a "new normal," even if some days we're so weak that we just want to sleep!

Naps, BTW, are another initial sign of MG. When the body/brain is running low on acetylcholine (which is the neurotransmitter involved in MG), it can make us sleepy or put us to sleep. There are times after running an errand where I have no choice but to sleep.

A drug that is given for MG is called Mestinon (mess-tin-on). It's called a cholinesterase inhibitor (CI). Caffeine is a CI, too. So your body might be craving that coffee for very good reasons!

I hope that info helps. And I hope you can get some answers soon. In the meantime, please take things easy. MG often progresses beyond "ocular MG" into "generalized MG," so don't push yourself!

Annie