Update & Residuals

Hi Everybody,
I just wanted to provide an update on my story after contracting mild GBS about 5 months ago (May 2006) after receiving a Dtap vaccine. I’m 38. Before the shot, I was jogging and in excellent shape. By June, I could hardly walk. My case was considered “mild” and I saw 2 neurologists who refused to give me any treatment, insisting that this would resolve naturally, and that I needed to “relax”. This has been the longest and worst few months of my life and I am still not back to my old self yet. I have a lot of residual pain in my legs mostly. I would describe them as deep aches or “twanging” sensations. The pain moves from one spot to another. When I am tired or stressed out (which I am easily now), a throbbing sensation in my head returns. In the initial stages this throbbing on my right side of my face along with numbness bothered me greatly. After a clear cat scan and mri, I stopped stressing about it but it was still a cause of major annoyance. I have started to go on longer walks but I still tire easily. Despite being greatly fatigued all the time, the GBS made it difficult to sleep at night. I have just recently started sleeping better. Overall I feel a thousand times better than I did in those first couple of months, but it has been a very long and difficult journey so far. In that dark period, I have to say the ONLY thing that made me feel better emotionally was this discussion board, and reading the true stories of others gave me hope and comfort. I think otherwise I would have gone mad, and I am so grateful to all of you that shared your experiences. I know every day will make me stronger and time will help. I have come so far from that awful place and each day takes me further away from it, and I want to give the same message of hope to anyone going through it….hang in there, it will get better!!