My Guillain-Barré Syndrome Story

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July 2015 I had a cough.  A few days later I was weakening in my hands and feet.  The tingling started.  After a few days, it moved to my elbows and knees.  Once it did that, I went to the doctor, then the ER, and then was admitted.  

They were chasing GBS from the start.  However, it appears mine is atypical.  My lumbar puncture came back clean.  My reflexes never left completely.  On July 23 at midnight, I went paralized within ten minutes.

I was put through plasmapheresis in the ICU, my lungs and heart never were paralyzed, although the staff told me after-the-fact that it was weakened and I was on the line for a breathing tube.  After two days of plasmapheresis in the ICU I had very broad, very poor movement back in my limbs.

I used a walker.  I relearned to walk again.  I was out of the hospital in roughly 8+ days.

I've had two reoccurances since then.  IVIG has helped me get out both times.  Physical therapy helped, to a degree.  There's only so much you can do with this disease.

I struggle with leg weakness and hand weakness.  I'm not on any meds and I'm just trying to stay on my feet.  On bad days, I wear wrist and hand compression sleeves to help me hold them up.  I've recently started wearing calf/ankle/foot compression sleeves to help me get around.

I still suffer from dead-leg syndrome, pins and needles, burning sensations, cold sensations, numbness, lack of coordination, weakness, and stiff pain.  My main problem areas are hips, knees, calves, ankles, soles of my feet, toes, wrists, thumbs, and palms.