Classic for Stevieboy and my story
Stevieboy:
I am going to respond to your post, which previously, I was going to get on the board to put my experience out to everyone. Who knows, it may help someone else.
I contracted GBS back about 120806. Hospital with blood plasma, then short physical therapy stay and then home. I was not paralyzed in any way, however, I did lose control of my legs, had that lump in my throat and I cannot forget the light headed feeling. As matter of fact, I did not realize it until recently, but many things people mention to me about the hospital, I have no recollection!!!
When my family began researching GBS and I did also when well enough, we kept reading about duration of recovery, couple of months, a year, two years.
Never gave that much thought because my case did not seem that severe and so I assumed recovery would be fast. Was I wrong!!!
When I first came home from hospital, I took a few more weeks to recoup and by the time I had a doctor appointment in beginning of February I was feeling really good. Here we are in March, and for the past several weeks I have been experiencing the light headed feeling, a very minor tingling or numbness in the feet and fingers and I suppose this is either called a setback or a normal GBS reality that there will be reoccurences.
I need to tell this part of the story. When I first went to rehab, I was fortunate in that one of the medical secretary’s who worked on the floor made sure I got good attention. I happened to speak with her on the phone last week since she called to see how I was doing. She made a comment that I did not have GBS. When I asked why, she stated “you recovered too fast, normally people are in rehab much longer.”
That got me to thinking, there was no question by the medical people that I had GBS. My recovery was fast; but, the real issue is the word “recovery”.
I am starting to realize that those long periods of recovery I keep reading about are very real and people should expect the unexpected. Certainly, I would conclude my existing symptoms are nothing like what they were when GBS was contracted, but, nonetheless, very annoying.
I have not suggestions or recommendations, but what I have done to help myself with GBS and there are 3:
1. Get enough rest and sleep. Exercise, but not to a point where you wear yourself down.
2. When you go to your doctor, you tell him what is going on and do it with conviction. Many doctors have treated very few cases of GBS. As a note,
when I went to my doctor office, one of the other doctor’s with whom I chat once in a while stated to me, “you have GBS, huh?, I recall I had a patient four years ago with the same thing.” Thus, this made me think, you have got to be kidding, you had one patient in the last four years!!!!
3. I did quite a bit of research on the nerves and nervous system and did confirm with a doctor that there is one vitamin that is known to address the health of the nervous system. VITAMIN B12. And, it should be the sublingual type. I take several a day, they taste good and I have to beleive they work.
But, again, this is what I do. If you want to consider it, first ask your doctor if he or she has any problem with B12. As most of you probably know already, most doctors are anti-vitamin.
Well, anyhow, that is my story.
tonya 030