There's a season of life we all go through when your friends start getting married, buying their first homes, landing promotions, and starting families. It's a stage of life that's full of celebrations and milestones and forward motion. It was during this stage of my life, as everyone around me was accelerating, that I felt like I was caught in a state of inertia.I was in a health crisis. I was watching the world move around me while I stayed still. It was during my mid20s after countless unexplained visits ...

Disease Overview - Myasthenia gravis is a chronic autoimmune disorder affecting 1 in 5,000 people, causing muscle weakness and limited control [3] - The illness is hard to diagnose, taking months or years due to its reliance on subjective feelings of muscle weakness rather than external signs [6][7] Personal Experience - The speaker experienced initial symptoms at age 14, including muscle weakness and loss of control, eventually diagnosed as myasthenia gravis [1][2][3] - The speaker underwent a thymectomy to remove the thymus, an organ that misdiagnosed connections between nerves and muscles, leading to the immune system attacking those connections [11][12][14] - Post-diagnosis, the speaker faced challenges in explaining the invisible illness to others, leading to feelings of isolation and self-doubt [16][17][19][20] Coping and Empowerment - The turning point came when the speaker realized her strength in battling the illness at a young age, leading to increased engagement in activities [22][23][24] - The speaker aims to establish a nonprofit organization to support young individuals grappling with invisible illnesses [25] - The speaker emphasizes embracing personal battles to realize inner strength and live life to the fullest [23][27]