I wish I could say my dad's thymus is saving his life, quite the opposite. He was discharged from the ICU/hospital yesterday after he nearly died from a "myasthenic crisis"—an event that most people with Myasthenia Gravis (MG) will experience. From what I understand, his thymus produces antibodies that destroys receptors connecting the nerves and muscles. He can't keep his head up, eyelids up, can't swallow and during the crisis could not breathe.
Interestingly, a small portion of MG patients have an enlarged/tumorous thymus and end up getting it removed, though there aren't necessarily clear benefits. It's also a quite invasive procedure they wouldn't perform on older folks like my dad (he shows no signs of it anyway).
Overall I agree with you though—this article is not saying anything new. As a concerned son who's spent more than his fair share of time trying to understand what's going on here, I wish it did. I also wish there were some treatments for my dad that worked. For now, exercising, eating healthy, lowering stress, and a healthy dose of steroids are currently keeping him with us. If anyone has advice, I'm all ears.
Interestingly, a small portion of MG patients have an enlarged/tumorous thymus and end up getting it removed, though there aren't necessarily clear benefits. It's also a quite invasive procedure they wouldn't perform on older folks like my dad (he shows no signs of it anyway).
Overall I agree with you though—this article is not saying anything new. As a concerned son who's spent more than his fair share of time trying to understand what's going on here, I wish it did. I also wish there were some treatments for my dad that worked. For now, exercising, eating healthy, lowering stress, and a healthy dose of steroids are currently keeping him with us. If anyone has advice, I'm all ears.