[QUOTE]It's true that we can't always predict serious and life-threatening complications, but many times early recognition and awareness of physicians and patients for ominous signs can prevent them.

Myasthenic crisis requiring respiratory support rarely just happens with out previous warning signs. There are steps that occur with respiratory muscle weakness. At first there is a feeling of breathing difficulty, compensation with rapid breathing and only after this is exhausted is there a gradual decompensation. At first leading to CO2 retention and only at later stages also hypoxemia, which untreated can lead to irreversible brain damage or even death.


I can understand your opinion regarding this subject, however, it didn't bother me at all. She has explained things to me over the years and I just asked the question to see if there was something new I didn't know.

I am informed about my medical condition and the minute I get weakness I pop a mestinon and sit down and rest. I have learned over the years how my body reacts and how fast it recovers. I take 15 mgm of mestinon at a time cause a whole tab makes me feel a little weird. If I don't start to recover from the weakness within a certain amount of time I will take the other half of the pill and that usually does the trick.

Some days I will have enough weakness that I just sit on the couch and rest. Other days I may just have a few tabs and that is the end of it. Some days I don't need any at all.

I live in a smaller community and have made sure that my hospital/clinic records are up to date with my myasthenia diagnosis so they know if I come in with severe weakness and respiratory distress that I am in crisis.

I also have a very good sense of humor and have found that it is the one thing necessary to live this life with chronic disease. Besides having about 5 autoimmune disease diagnosis and low t-cells I also have a hubby with celiac disease, microscopic colitis, COPD, Lung cancer 2009, CVA 2010 (atrial fib), who has also survived 2 back surgeries with resultant 4 severe infections (meningitis, cellulitis, discitis, septicemia all at once) which resulted in 75 days hospitalization. He was much later diagnosed with hypogammaglobulinemia. He has some other serious surgeries that resulted in me caring for him for many months and I am still hie caregiver even though he is up and about.

We have had a pretty sick household for many years and have learned to endure. I don't get too bent out of shape these days about most things. There is no way one can control all their health issues and sometimes to laugh is the only way to exist and cope. I am very thankful for my nursing background which has prepared me a lot for all that has transpired.

I have been a moderator on another forum at one time prior to being inundated with all the health issues of hubby and I. I am not trying to be a smarty pants, but just want you to know that I probably operate differently than some people. I don't know it all by a long shot, but I have learned a whole lot in the past few years just by virture of personal and family experience. The possibility of death has been present several times in our marriage and though not desired it is accepted as the possible/probable result of some of the illnesses. Thank you for taking time to respond to my post. gto