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Hi.
I was recently diagnosed with Ocular myasthenia gravis. I served in Vietnam 1966-1968 in the central highland and was exposed to Agent Orange via spraying, and working in ranch-hand C123’s.
I have been complaining to my Ophthalmologist for more than 5 years about double vision, which would come and go, and of course never when I was at the office. He always said it was dry eye. Last summer it became so bad that I had to wear an eye patch to function. The Dr. said I needed special glasses, so after spending $$$ on glasses, which didn’t work because my eye kept changing, he finally sent me to a Neuro-Ophthalmologist (6 month wait for appointment) who thought it might be Acquired Brown Syndrome, but to be sure he had me do a blood test for MG. Sure enough it was MG. He put me on Pyridostigmine 4 times a day. After about 1 week I was able to stop wearing the patch and my eyes are functioning nearly normally. The brain is correcting for some of the shift (since it still isn’t perfect.
I submitted a disability claim to the VA and the response was “show us scientific evidence”!!!
Have found a few references to AO and other autoimmune diseases. But like so many other things the VA won’t admit that it is connected.
I am hoping I’m in the 15% that doesn’t progress to gMG.
Will fight it with VA Disability Lawyer once I get a formal denial.
John