Monica Seles Discloses Battle with Myasthenia Gravis
Monica Seles, a former tennis champion known for her remarkable career including nine Grand Slam titles, recently disclosed her battle with myasthenia gravis, a complex autoimmune neuromuscular disorder. Speaking with The Associated Press, Seles revealed that she first recognized her symptoms while playing tennis, experiencing unusual double vision and weakness in her limbs, which made even simple tasks, like styling her hair, a challenge.
Raising Awareness
Three years have passed since her diagnosis, and the 51-year-old athlete expressed that discussing her condition publicly is essential to raising awareness of myasthenia gravis, often shortened to MG. This disease can lead to significant muscle weakness, impacting daily life and is predominantly seen in young adult women under 40 and older men over 60, though it can strike individuals of any age, including children.
Initial Reactions and Adaptation
Seles indicated that prior to her diagnosis, she had limited knowledge of myasthenia gravis, an ailment that was brought to her attention only after seeing a specialist due to her troubling symptoms.
“When I got diagnosed, I was like, ‘What?!'”
she recalled, reflecting on how startling it was to learn about the condition.
Her journey to adaptation mirrors the significant transitions she’s faced throughout her life, from immigrating to the U.S. as a teenager and overcoming the challenges of fame at a young age, to enduring the trauma of an infamous attack, all of which required her to ‘reset’ in various aspects of her existence. Seles compared her current health challenges to these previous life events, acknowledging the need for continual adjustment.
“I had to, in tennis terms, reset — hard reset — a few times,”
she noted.
“But one thing I tell kids I mentor is that you’ve got to always adjust. That ball is bouncing, and you’ve just got to adjust. And that’s what I’m doing now,”
Seles summarized, illustrating her resilient approach to life amid adversity.
