I was in the hospital/in patient re-hab for 7 and 6 days respectivley. Upon discharge there was a period of about 8 weeks where some things seemed to get a little worse, ie hand, upper body strength, and fatigue. At the same time my ability to walk was slowly increasing. Now 5 months into it virtually all things are getting better (much slower than I would like). When this deterioration occurring I called my nuero and was really concerned the GBS was coming back, after a visit he said it is ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING you need to watch but it could be that you did not hit bottom until after being discharged.

I had IVIG only and did not experience much of a lift from it either and my time frame was about the same as yours. I think you are on the right track in getting an opinion from a nuero at a big hospital that sees more of these cases. Make sure he is getting plenty of rest and not over exerting himself which is very easy to do.

Take care and keep us updated.

Good to see you found this site.

I was dx’d in early Oct 2010 used a walker for about 2 months (outside the home). I had a very similar experience with a cane…I just could never get the hang of it. Tried a couple of times, but could not get it to work fo me where I felt comfortable. In early January I got to a point where I could get up from the floor without holding on to something. Once I was able to do that I felt a lot more confident being out and about. Prior to that point I think a cane would have been benifical.

Was dx’d just about 4 months ago and rec’d IVIG about 2 weeks after the 1st symtoms appeared. After being released from the in patient rehab I still experienced some deterioration in my hand strength (2 weeks after discharge) 4 weeks after IVIG. When I questioned my nuerologist about this he indicated the IVIG won’t STOP the damage immediately but will lessen how “deep” you will go before you bottom out. Not sure if he was right or wrong? Hope this helps

Take care

It’s been just about 4 months since GBS dx and some good things have happend in the last week or so.

1) Today I walked 8 laps (1 mile) at the rec center. Took a couple breaks but made it
2) Able to get up from the Floor w/out holding on to anything
3) Put on Jeans for the 1st time in 120 days (still can’t do buttons though)

Seems like the hands are trailing everything else but starting to show a LITTLE progress.

You’ve been a big help to be since I was dx’d almost 4 months ago. Really made me feel like i was not alone in this and taught me about patience.

You’ve come a long way and have helped others along the way which is something to be proud of.

take care and keep healing

Not knowing your brothers physical condition it’s tough to say what he should or should not be doing but I thinks most would agree that a certain amount physical activity is important. Totaly understand what you are saying about the cost of PT. But even if this is not an option there are plenty of info on the web concerning exercises you may find helpful. Here is one….

[url]http://physicaltherapy.about.com/od/typesofphysicaltherapy/u/Rehabilitation.htm[/url]

Also, depending where you live you may want to look into any swimming/wellness programs offered by towns in your area. I have found these very beneficial and the cost is reasonable.

hope this helps