My Story by IMTHANKFUL

My name is Marsha. I contracted GBS in August 2005. I had gastric bypass surgery in December 2004 and did not take very good care of myself. I didn’t eat very much because the thought of food made me sick so I kept getting weaker and weaker and falling down and not having the strength to get up. I thought it was just because I was not eating enough. Also during this time my father was dying of cancer and this added to my stress. He died in June of 2005 and in August of 2005 I collapsed and was unable to move. After spending about a week in the hospital (they did not know what was wrong with me) they sent me to a rehab facility where I basically laid there and hallucinated for about 7 days and tried to get me to to physical therapy. Well that was hard to do since I could not move let alone stand, so after running a fever of 105 degrees I was sent back to a different hospital. There they ran various tests on me for about 10 days and finally came to the diagnosis of GBS. I then went to a Health Care Center by my home and was there for about 5 months where I was given excellent physical and occupational therapy (after I was given medication to relieve the pain). I eventually started to stand, then used a walker, cane, and when I went home I still used the walker and cane when I started back to work. I am driving again, walking without any assistance, doing pretty much everything I did before, though I still have a lot of pain and tingling in my hands and legs and feet, but my neurologist is very pleased with my progress. I still have my “pity parties” but they are getting fewer and far between. I think how far I have come in a little over a year and I thank God and my wonderful therapists, brother, friends. Because without them I would not be signing myslef “IMTHANKFUL”.