My name is Kristy Edmonds, and I was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis (MG) 11 years ago at 18 years old. My symptoms started when I was 13 years old, so I went undiagnosed for my entire high school career. I have a lot of photos from that time, as many teenage girls do, and in nearly all of them I was unable to properly smile for the camera.
MG caused me extreme fatigue and severe muscle weakness, which impacted my ability to talk, chew and swallow, and hold my head up. MG caused drooping eyelids, double vision, and facial weakness that left me unable to make any facial expression for longer than a few seconds. I experienced physical exhaustion that left me lying in bed on evenings and weekends. At times, my ability to use my arms and legs was limited.
Before I was diagnosed, I ignored or wrote off many severe symptoms simply because I did not know what MG was. I did not know that young women like me could even get an incurable neuromuscular disease like MG. I had no idea what was wrong with me, but it was even more difficult to face the fact that something WAS wrong.
When I finally was diagnosed, I had answers, but I felt like my life was over before it even started. Resources like the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America were there to tell me that there are treatments, community, and hope.
Since my diagnosis, I have played four years of college volleyball, become an All-American, been inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame at the University of Montevallo, completed my bachelor and master’s degrees to become a board certified behavior analyst, met and married the love of my life, and I smiled my real smile on my wedding day.
Next, I plan to run 13.1 miles, my first ever half-marathon, in March of 2025, and I plan to smile all the way, too. My life as I know it would not have been possible without the effective treatment of my disease.
My symptoms have improved so much over the years thanks to my doctors, but that isn’t good enough.
Right now, there are fellow MG patients who are housebound, bedbound, and even hospitalized, unable to breathe on their own due to MG. Some may pass away from their fight with this disease. MG is still incurable, and those of us who have it will be fighting this fight for the rest of our lives. There are no MG survivors, only MG warriors.
I am choosing to fundraise for the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America in hopes of spreading awareness to others about MG and to support research in treatment and diagnosis. I truly believe that myasthenia gravis can be cured in the next 20 years. But, that won’t happen without researchers, scientists, and doctors who can dedicate time to finding a cure.
My fight with MG has gone my way so far, but I won’t be satisfied until it’s over.
Join me in working towards better treatments, faster diagnosis, and a cure. None of us fight alone, and your support means so much.
Support Kristy’s run! Make a gift to the MGFA: https://supportmgfa.myasthenia.org/campaign/running-shamrock-classic-for-mgfa/c653828