Monica Seles breaks the silence: her diagnosis changes everything!

Monica Seles breaks the silence: her diagnosis changes everything!

Monica Seles, the former tennis legend and nine-time Grand Slam winner, has in an interview with the news agency "AP" about her autoimmune disease Myasthenia gravis. For three years she has been ill with this nervous muscle-related disease, which ensures that her muscles quickly tire and become weak.

myasthenia gravis blocks the transmission of nerve stimuli to the muscles by antibodies, which makes everyday tasks difficult. Seles reported that she partially sees double images when playing tennis and has difficulty hit the ball. These symptoms not only affect their game, but also simple steps such as hairdressing their hair, which increases the stress in everyday life.

experience and influence of the disease

Seles explains that she only found out about her illness through a neurologist and had never first heard of Myasthenia Gravis. In order to increase awareness of this disease, she now speaks publicly about it. With the support of the immunology company Argenex, she works at the "Go for Greater" campaign to make the disease more visible in public.

In the early 1990s, Seles was a dominant figure in tennis and held the title of number one in the world for over 170 weeks. However, her career path took a drastic turn when it was attacked by a mentally disturbed fan with a knife at a tournament in Hamburg in 1993. Despite a comeback in 1995 that ended with a final of the US Open, she could not regain her earlier shine.

The challenges with which Seles is confronted are not new. In 1998 she suffered the loss of her father, which was another difficult blow for her. Even now she is looking for ways to adapt to the changes in her life, and especially encourages young people to also show adaptability.

lifestyle and nutrition

The effects of a disease like Myasthenia Gravis extend not only to the physical condition, but also to eating habits. Scientists advise a nutrition that avoids being overweight, since overweight can put a great strain on joints and ligaments in combination with low muscle strength. For those affected by Myasthenia Gravis there are no special nutritional recommendations, but it is advisable to pay attention to a balanced food to avoid possible complications.

It is known that changes in eating habits or meal times can reduce side effects of medication, especially when taking cortisone that can increase blood sugar. Monica Seles and other affected people are advised to carefully monitor their blood sugar level, as an increase could affect the effectiveness of certain immunotherapies. In addition, with long-term cortisone therapy, the administration of vitamin D is recommended to prevent bone loss.

Monica Seles' courage to make your personal diagnosis publicly helps to raise awareness of Myasthenia Gravis and to encourage other people affected to openly share their challenges.