One Year Aniversary of my GBS

One year ago today I walked in to the hospital and then did not walk at all for 6 months. However all things considered I’m doing fantastic. After 8 months I returned to work (with a walker) and now am doing very well. Dispensed with the walker after a month back at work. I now work a 9 hour day (software development) and do a 2 hour roundtrip commute on top of that. I walk fairly well (although I lurch side to side a bit when tired). I can run (sort of) for short distances although it is a bit comical to watch. Not bad considering I was told I’d probably never walk again.

I do have residuals – the bottom of my feet, my knees and my abdomen are tingly. However I am working and still swim whenever I want and am back riding my motorcycles. Fortionately I don’t seem to have too many problems with exhaustion although I am tired after the 11 hour day with the commute. However I was tired from that before I got GBS.

Interestingly I have met 3 other people who have had GBS among my circle of friends. Two of them I had known for years and didn’t know they had had it. Both of those were fairly mild cases involving only a few weeks of paralysis. The third person I met after contracting GBS and they had it very bad over 20 years ago. I don’t think it’s as rare as they keep telling us.

For those of you that have come down with GBS recently – Keep fighting. It truely is “Getting Better Slowly” and its a long hard fight – however it’s worth it to get back whatever you can.

John Graham
Jupiter, FL