Living with Guillain-Barre Syndrome

While eating with my 2 best friends, June 13, 2007, I felt my feet were getting a little numb and told them I was never getting shoes from payless again..I went to bed that night not thinking anything about the numbness but when I woke up the next morning I knew there was something really wrong. the numbness had now started up my legs..

I work about 100 miles form home and I ride the commuter van..I heard God tell me to get up and get a shower, get dressed.I needed to get the van that morning.I was obedient, got to the van..When we arrived at my work sight I needed help to get off the van. By the time I got to my office (it took me about 15 minutes to get there because of the weakness)I was not able to turn the computer on because the paralysis had now started in my arms.

My chairperson came in early that day and took me down the street to Sparrow Hospital.When I arrived in the emergency room they thought I was having a stroke

When they took me upstairs that evening a young resident came by early that morning about 3AM. She looked at me and said “you have GBS”. Of course I had no idea what that was..She did an external exam and they rushed me to the intensive care unit. They said I needed to have a spinal tap first thing in the morning because the protein in the spinal fluid would confirm the diagnosis.

By this time I had no movement in my body except my lips and i could move my eyes.. everything else was shut down. Well the tap was done by a wonderful doctor but the protein was not in the fluid as they thought it would be. They still started the plasma removal and within about 7 days there was beginning to be some movement.

They were the kindness group of people I had ever met. I was treated like their mothers and sisters. I was taking physical therapy even when I could not control my head movements. I left that ICU and went to physical therapy on June 26 2007. The first day in physical therapy I was determined I was going to conquer this GBS

I knew that God got me to the place where people were kind and compassionate. The therapist was amazed how well I did on my first day..On July 3, 2007..I was discharged from Sparrow hospital and rehab. It was an amazing journey to somewhere I never thought I would have to go.But during the whole process I never lost faith and I trusted God..Don’t you lose faith because the same God that brought me though will bring you through too.