Monica Seles, a legendary tennis player, is talking about a chronic neuromuscular ailment that she has been coping with for a few years.
Selestold Greetings, AmericaShe was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, or MG, three years ago this week. It’s an uncommon autoimmune disease.
Before being diagnosed with MG, the 51-year-old, who is a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, sought medical attention because she felt something was off with her body.
“I returned to the [U.S.] Open thirty years ago… It was like a reset, and that’s one of the reasons I chose to disclose my myasthenia gravis to the world. It’s been a major reset in both my personal and professional lives as a tennis player, Monica Seles told GMA.
I began to have symptoms including double vision, arm weakness, and severe leg weakness. This is really rare, I recognized. It was both a hardship and a comfort to receive my diagnosis. In the past, it would have been obvious to travel, even to come here now. I needed packing advice now. I had to adapt to living with MG.
With 59 event victories over her career, including nine Grand Slam titles, Monica Seles is among the greatest women’s tennis players of all time.
At the age of 15, she became a professional player, and by the time she was 18, she was the best player in the world. She formally retired in 2008, having played her final professional match in 2003.
Seles is currently working to support people with MG and to increase public awareness of the illness.
I had no idea what myasthenia gravis was when I was diagnosed with it. “I found it difficult to pronounce,” she said.
“I want to use my platform in a positive way to help others learn more about the disease and really just to not feel alone,” Seles said on Good Morning America.
Dealing with that has been quite difficult, Monica Seles stated. [But] I have benefited greatly from knowing that there is hope and a wonderful community out there.
Regarding myasthenia gravis, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke states the following:
A chronic neuromuscular condition called myasthenia gravis results in voluntary muscle weakening. The muscles in the face, throat, diaphragm, and that attach to a person’s bones are all considered voluntary muscles. They are necessary for breathing, swallowing, and facial motions, and they contract to move the arms and legs. Being an autoimmune illness, myasthenia gravis occurs when the body’s defense mechanism unintentionally targets healthy cells or proteins that are essential for regular operation.
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