Kristina Rogers doesn''t let anything control her life. Not even a condition that threatens to take over her body.

Two years ago, Rogers was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease that affects the transmission of nerve signals to the muscles. Initial symptoms of myasthenia gravis may include difficulty speaking and swallowing, drooping eyelids and double-vision. Shortness of breath and generalized weakness may also occur.

"At first I felt like there was a huge weight on my head," Rogers says. "After two weeks the symptoms hit me like a brick wall."

Myasthenia gravis left Rogers unable to work or perform activities of daily living. When current medications didn''t alleviate her symptoms, Rogers was referred to Muhammad Taher Al-Lozi, MD, Washington University professor of neurology and director of the Neuromuscular Medicine Program at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

Dr. Al-Lozi prescribed higher doses of immunosuppressive medications, including steroids and methotrexate, and recommended a thymectomy to better control Rogers'' condition – successfully driving it into remission within a month. "Symptoms of myasthenia gravis can be successfully managed but flare-ups may occur spontaneously," Dr. Al-Lozi says. "Ms. Rogers has educated herself about the disease and is determined to control it instead of being controlled by it."

Rogers still gets the occasional flare-ups but exercises daily and attends kickboxing classes twice a week to maintain muscle tone and function. "I''m determined not to let it get me down because I have things to motivate me," she says.

Rogers is thankful to Dr. Al-Lozi for enabling her to get back to spending quality time with her children – supporting her 4-year-old daughter, Alexis, through ballet and tap dancing lessons and attending soccer practice with her 6-year-old son, Nicholas.

"When I get frustrated with my flare-ups, Dr. Al-Lozi is quick to respond to my concerns," she says. "I can trust him to manage my condition but he makes me responsible for my own care as well."