Reply To: Acupuncture / Traditional Chinese Medicine?

Here’s a follow up, one year later after my initial diagnosis of GBS. I feel quite fortunate about my recovery. I was diagnosed with GBS at the end of May 2014 and spent the summer first in a hospital and then in a rehab clinic for physiotherapy. At my lowest point: I couldn’t stand up or walk, I lost all my facial muscles, eyes would only close halfway, arms were weak but still working, lower digestive track shut down (had to plead for enemas), wild blood pressure fluctuations (mostly upwards), and I was generally uncomfortable with various pains including pins and needles in legs and feet. But – I was never on a ventilator, although my chest muscles were weakened.
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I received IVIG right away. My arms and hands recovered rather quickly, and after much therapy and exercise, I’ve had a productive year 2015 with safe driving, cross-country skiing, bicycling, running — I ran a full marathon in April, with an uphill mountain marathon coming up at the end of July. My face has taken the longest to recover, and though my lips don’t fully smile yet, I’m optimistic. When I meet new people, it’s no longer obvious that I am/was ill, so I don’t have to explain myself any more. In addition to standard physiotherapy as an outpatient, I also did acupuncture and took daily Centrum vitamins and also a vitamin B supplement. I feel that all of these helped.
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Now my therapists and acupuncture doctor say I’m done with their treatment and am more or less cured, although I still do some facial massages myself. I have minor residual pins-and-needles in my toes but rarely notice it – I started wearing “rubber footsie shoes” to expose my feet to the environment more and this seems to help.
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My brother-in-law was very impressed and used my story in a corporate speech:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyzEMBrmPpA