[Community Member]

I’m age 71yr old male and was diagnosed with MG in Feb 2023. I’ve been on Vyvgart, four weeks on with a four week break since the beginning. I’m also taking pryridiostigmine 60mg 4x daily, but have recently stopped taking it at bedtime to see if it helps reduce nightime leg cramps. In early 2024 my neurologist discussed the option of me having a thymectomy. Even though the Thymus gland no longer functions as we get older, he said having the remaining tissue removed could benefit me 1+ years after the surgery, possibly reducing the number of infusion cycles per year. I agreed to have robotic assisted surgery. The thoracic surgeon gave me a 90% success rate on having the surgery. While the surgery successfully removed the thymus tissue, my right phrenic nerve was damaged during the procedure which resulted in paralyzing my right diaphragm. The damage is irreversible. The result is profound shortness of breath because my right diaphragm doesn’t pull air into my right lung. I’m now living with MG and this additional breathing complication. In hindsight, I would have been better off without having the thymectomy. While my physical stamina has been greatly reduced, my faith is strong as ever. I live my life one day at a time and leave the rest in God’s hands.