Attacking Myasthenia Gravis: A Key in the Battle Against Autoimmune Diseases

Using his insight as a longtime physician, Dr. Ron Henderson describes the productive life he lives despite having a rare autoimmune disease known as myasthenia gravis (MG). He also provides a forum for three other MG patients to share their inspirational stories. A disease unfamiliar to many, myasthenia gravis means "grave muscle weakness" and causes severe weakness and loss of strength in voluntary muscles in various parts of the body. Often debilitating, MG falls into the category of "autoimmune" diseases, which all involve problems related to the immune system. Explaining MG symptoms, treatments, research, and disease-management tips, this book becomes a useful guide for MG patients, their families, and their physicians. And the book goes further. Using MG as an example, Dr. Henderson and others provide tips to all who suffer from chronic health problems for which there are treatments but no cures. Forced by MG to retire eight years ago as an obstetrician-gynecologist, Dr. Henderson now enjoys improved health but realizes he can never expect to be well unless a cure is found for MG. In this book, he announces plans to expand research into MG and other autoimmune diseases through his founding of the International Autoimmune Disease Research Foundation.

Ronald E. Henderson, M.D., has been a medical leader and an entrepreneur for three and a half decades. An OB-GYN specialist, he was the founder of Henderson & Walton Women’s Center in Birmingham, Alabama; of a health maintenance organization; and of a physician practice management company. He cofounded a professional liability insurance company and the Birmingham Surgical Center. He also served on the governing board of and helped reorganize the Alabama Department of Public Health. Forced to retire from his medical practice in 1994 due to myasthenia gravis, he devotes his time to the battle against MG and other autoimmune diseases. He is president of the Alabama Chapter of the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America, Inc. Currently he is establishing another foundation — the International Autoimmune Disease Research Foundation — that will focus on research in MG and other autoimmune diseases. Dr. Henderson lives with his wife, Beth, in Birmingham and Prattville, Alabama. They have three children and four grandchildren.