weight and GBS: could walking be a problem?

hi sam,

anyone requires more effort to walk if they weigh more. weight loss would not hurt her except you must look out for the following…

hunger can be a stress to the body &, if she feels it too much, can slo her recovery. take care. be well.

gene gbs 8-99
in numbers there is strength

Hi sam,

I am 39 now, and my height is 5.6. When I was diagnosed with GBS I was 18/19, and of course was faaaar thinner then than now. Just as Gene said, obviously extra weight can be a hinderance no matter the circumstances. However, this should definitely not deter her from trying her hardest. btw. 80kg x 2.2 = 176 pounds. Now, personally, at 5.6 I wish I was at that weight, but I dont know how short when you say short. She will first have to start on physical therapy, if she hasnt started already. Her limbs will need to strengthened and be manipulated before she will be asked to stand or even try to walk. I really dont believe she should even think of her weight, as I personally dont think it features to much at the moment in her recovery. Gene made a valid point, she should not stress out about it, and also, she should not try and diet at the moment. Eating a healthy diet, if she is able to, is so important now, as she needs all the strength she can get, and stress will hinder her recovery.

Hi! When I was diagnosed with GBS, I weighed in at about 170 pounds. I am 5 foot 2 inches tall. I was trying to lose weight and had lost about 10 pounds by then. While in the hospital, I lost weight. I left rehab at about 155 pounds. I lost a little more after getting out of the hospital and now have gained most of it back. I am still trying to lose the weight.

I didn’t have any trouble trying to walk again. I was paralysed, toes to head, and on the vent. The day I started rehab, I hadn’t even been able to stand up, much less walk. But, 4 weeks later, I walked out of rehab with a walker.

I feel, that if your sister didn’t have any trouble walking pre-GBS, she shouldn’t have any trouble learning to walk again.

Tonya Correll

hi..boy are you brave asking a woman how much she weighs…

I am 5’1 and weighed about 160 when I was diagnosed with gbs..i have continued to put on weight and it really stinks. my weight is mainly in my belly. i have even had others ask if i am pregnant. i didn’t lose any weight in the hosptial but i wasn’t eating anything..i have no idea how to lose the weight now and it is frustrating and depressing. so now you know i am short and fat…:D so any suggestions on how to get rid of it.

sherry

hai..sam………i am 38 years old and 79kgs,5’7″ height…..iwas diagnised for gbs on 5th of june’06 at that time i was give IVIG for 5 days and when i came out my weight was redused from 78 to73 kgs as i was only on liquid diet may be. i was also not able to stand at that time, i was taken home were i was treated by a PT daily for one month and gained back my original weight because of the regular diet. I was able to walk with awalker after three days of my PT course and was able to walk with support of two persons the next day and was on my own after a week. The only thing i realise at that time was the will power which makes us to do all the things and the goo diet and the PT of course…………. so pls dont bother about when to start walking…….first take goos diet……have PT………have ur confidence level high.which motivates and give ur sis themost moral support of ur family and friends…………byeee and i pray for ur sis to recove soonnnnn.

Sridhar.

Yes Sam, PT means Physical Therapy. That would be a trained medical professional who will work with you to get your muscles and limbs stronger. In the beginning, they should come in while the patient is still paralysed and do things like lifting the legs, seeing how high they can lift, moving the arms, maybe massaging the limbs and body. Later, they will help in trying to help strengthen the legs by showing special exercises to be done, and helping with that. Teaching the patient as they get stronger how to move, sit up, walk etc. Does that help you understand a little better?

If you dont mind me asking, where are you from Sam?

Hi Sam
Sorry about that.:D in our country it is a joke when someone asks a woman what she weighs. for some reason women don’t want to tell there weight.. Me I say I am short and round..;) but anything to help out a fellow gbs’er. as others have said, much rest, therapy and a healthy lifestyle. Good luck.

sherry

Hey Sam, Im South African 😀 , far in distance, but still from the same continent.

When I was diagnosed I was at 5’10”, 175lbs., 24 and in real good shape. Now I am in a wheelchair and weigh in at 190lbs. and am 26 years old. When I was vented I was also on a feeding tube. Within about 3-4 weeks I was weighing 125lbs. After I finally got off the tube my taste buds changed and started eating sweets and fatting food. I never did that before, I was always healthy and went to the gym all the time. I can’t seem to get my weight off but am confident I will when I can walk more. Your sister will get better but will take some time. Hope everything works out. Take care.

Steven

Sherry, you’re very pretty. Don’t be so hard on yourself, sis.

Sam, my fiance Ben is short, slender and muscular (okay, he’s a hunk) and was walking after three weeks of rehab. His doctors told him he owed his quick recovery time to being in excellent physical condition before GBS. Since he had a very severe case of GBS, they predicted he’d be in a wheelchair for 1 – 3 years. Were they ever surprised when he walked on his own into the doctor’s office a month after being released from the hospital!

Good luck to your sister!

Love,

Shannon

Sam,That is what exactly PT means as told by ali. It gives relif to the body. The doctor makes the joints of the total body to get relaxed by twisting as much as the patient can and puts pressure fo the muscles to get the lost strength. Other than that make the patient to keep their arms and feet in the warm water for atleast for 5 mnts daily twice. That give the tinging and numbed things relaxed.(PT means Physio Therepy)