Reply To: Be Encouraged

I was diagnosed early February 2016 and am still recovering as well, except it’s been changed to CIDP due to the relapses and plateaus I’ve experienced. When I first went to the ER, they put me on IVIG for 5 days right away. Symptoms progressed. Two weeks later, they tried plasmapheresis, which filters out the IVIG too in the process. I regained mobility in my left hand after the third treatment only to lose mobility again and the two treatments after did nothing for me. GBS claimed my respiratory system and I was ventilated and eventually trached in early March. I became paralyzed from the neck down. Throughout my recovery I had multiple IVIG treatments, steroids through IV, and tried Prednisone with no success. GBS just had to take its course. Once I started regaining strength in late April, IVIG treatments finally started to help speed things along. I experienced relapses where I lost mobility not due to overexertion. I also kept experiencing plateaus in progress until the next 5 rounds of IVIG treatments each month so I was finally put on Prednisone in addition in mid-November and it is the reason why I’m walking today. I’m tapering off the corticosteroids to the point where I won’t experience the side effects. I still receive my 5 rounds of IVIG monthly.

Jamie