Taming The Mg Dragon: Journey Through A Myasthenic Crisis.: One Woman'S Story Of Her Life Threatening Experience And Recovery From Myasthenic Gravis, An Autoimmune Disease.

Manawatu woman who died and came back to life when a rare neuromuscular disease put her in intensive care for three months is fighting for more time with her family. Six years ago, she was at death's door, seeing only a flicker of light" as she grimly clung to life. Now, Mereti Taipana-Howe, from Feilding, is opening up about her battle with myasthenia gravis so others who may be suffering know they are not alone. Her book Taming the MG Dragon is released next week and shares her courageous fight since being diagnosed in 2011. The hard-to-diagnose and long-term disease leads to varying degrees of skeletal muscle weakness by destroying the junction between nerves and muscles. This prevents nerve impulses from triggering muscle contractions and, in Taipana-Howe's case, affects muscles in her eyes and face. Although the symptoms can be contained through medication, the disease's onset can be sudden and, for six years, she has battled double vision, drooping eyelids, and trouble talking and walking. The disease puts Taipana-Howe, 61, under a constant cloud of uncertainty. It can be triggered by extremes in temperature, stress and certain foods, but she often doesn't know what could spark a reaction until after it happens. Nearly six years ago, she developed symptoms known as diplopia, ptosis and facial muscle weakness. As time went on she couldn't see properly. The constant double vision interfered with everyday life and, in hindsight, she knows it was caused by her eyes being out of alignment due to the weakening of the ocular muscles ..."--Stuff.co.nz.

Author: Mereti Taipana-Howe

Publisher: Rangitawa Publishing

Publication Date: Jun 29, 2017

Number of Pages: 166 pages

Language: English

Binding: Paperback

ISBN-10: 099414900X

ISBN-13: 9780994149008