Thank You — My Story

I am not sure where to begin other than to say that I have been looking forward to writing this note for months. My motivation for writing is to thank you all for posting your stories and providing invaluable information to me. I had what doctors described as a medium severity GBS attack. I felt my first symptoms on January 5th of this year. Over the ensuing 7 days that included several trips to the emergency room and one trip to my regular doctor, I went from feeling fine to being admitted to the hospital in critical care.

I spent 12 days listed in critical care the first four of which countless doctors tried to diagnosis me. I was in immense pain and my blood pressure was at 240 over 160. I came close to being put on a ventilator. After I was diagnosed with GBS, and received 5 days of IVIGG treatment. After 12 days, I was moved to in-patient rehab, where I spent 4 more weeks receiving therapy.

Towards the end of my hospital stay, I began to feel really upbeat. My doctors were telling me that after a month or so of outpatient therapy, I would be ready to resume my normal life. My in-patient therapist was the only one sounding a more cautious tone; my mistake is that I listened to my doctors.

What ensued was a three plus months of frustration and depression. Needless to say I did not walk without assistance. Even with assistance, walking was problematic. Although I could recognize progress (I got steadier with the walker, progressed to cane, then to AFO’s), but it was painfully slow. It was during this time that I often turned to this sight for answers and inspiration. In reading your stories, I often felt like a complainer because many of you had far worse stories then mine. Additionally, I kept telling myself, how could I complain with all of the veterans coming home from Iraq without limbs or blind.

In June, I had to have surgery on both feet to lengthen my heal cords, which had become overly tight due to decreased activity. On July 23rd (an anniversary that I will celebrate for many years to come), I took my first unassisted steps (about 6.5 months). From that day on, it was a matter of just working to get stronger each day. Today, I still have some tingleliness in my toes, but I know that that is just a matter of time. It takes a long time to get down there at a pace of 1mm a day. I can also still feel it every so slightly on my right fingertips, but since that’s where I felt the first symptoms, that may take extra time as well. Since I resumed my work life this week, am getting stronger each day, and I have learned so much from this sight, I now have the patience to wait for a complete recovery.

Once again thank you,

Peter