As Tennis star Monica Seles reveals myasthenia gravis diagnosis, what is it, when was she stabbed?
Former tennis champion Monica Seles has shared that she has been diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis (MG).
Former tennis star Monica Seles has revealed her Myasthenia Gravis (MG) diagnosis. In a video interview from her home in Florida with the New York Times, she said: “I thought, ‘OK, just push through it,” and also went on to say that “But a couple of instances happened when — on court and in daily life — I realized there was something going on.”
Monica Seles first knew that “there was something going on” back in 2019 but it took time before she was referred to a neurologist due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Following tests, she was then diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis (MG).
According to the NHS, “Myasthenia gravis is a rare long-term condition that causes muscle weakness.It most commonly affects the muscles that control the eyes and eyelids, facial expressions, chewing, swallowing and speaking. But it can affect most parts of the body.
“It can affect people of any age, typically starting with women under 40 and men over 60.”
What are the symptoms of Myasthenia Gravis (MG)?
Symptoms of Myasthenia Gravis (MG) include droopy eyelids, double vision, slurred speech, difficulty making facial expressions, problems chewing, difficulty swallowing, weak arms, legs or neck, shortness of breath and occasionally serious breathing problems.
The NHS also states that “The symptoms tend to get worse when you're tired. Many people find they're worse towards the end of the day, and better the next morning after getting some sleep.”
According to the NHS, treatments to help keep the symptoms under control include” avoiding anything that triggers the symptoms – some people find that things such as tiredness and stress make their symptoms worse
There is also medicine to help improve muscle weakness and surgery could take place to remove the thymus gland (a small gland in the chest linked to myasthenia gravis).
Celebrities with Myasthenia Gravis (MG) include Emmy Award winning actress Suzanne Rogers and the late shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis. According to reports, myasthenia gravis is believed to have contributed to his death from respiratory failure at the age of 69.
Was Monica Seles stabbed?
Yes, Monica Seleas was the victim of a stabbing on April 30, 1993. She was 19-years-old at the time and was stabbed in the back during a quarter-final match in Hamburg.
The BBC reported that “Gunter Parche, a 39-year-old unemployed lathe operator, was convicted for the stabbing of Monica Seles in October 1993.
“He was described as a loner, whose obsession with seeing Steffi Graf regain the world no.1 ranking prompted the attack. He was given a two-year suspended sentence.”