Guillain Barre Syndrome – my experiences.

By

David Russell

Page 10

I had done it. It seems such a small goal, looking back, but at the time it could just as well been Mount Everest.  I had achieved my first goal since contracting the condition. I was well enough to leave hospital! A quick phone call to Ann, and I gave her the news. She agreed to bring in some clothes for me to wear when I left.

Saturday morning, it was raining, I didn’t care, I had had my breakfast. Two helpings of porridge, as usual. I got dressed and sat on my bed waiting for Ann. The morning dragged. I was raring to go, now! I kept looking out of the window. Ann arrived about 11.00am, the traffic had been heavy. I said my goodbyes to the wonderful staff and walked, virtually unaided out of the hospital, 41 days after I was admitted.  It sounds lame now, but I felt so proud to have beaten all the pronouncements of doom and gloom. I had kept the promise made to Ann when I had first been admitted; ‘Don’t worry love, I will walk out of here’. I wasn’t completely cured, but I would be! Of that I had no doubt.

The traffic out of Cork was particularly heavy that Saturday morning. The journey to Eleanors’ normally took 50, today it took nearly 90. We arrived at  about 12:45. Ann pulled up outside the gate, and I tentatively climbed down from our 4x4. As I opened the gate, to walk down the drive, the front door burst open and everyone was there cheering.  Emily, my niece, and Alanna, my two year old grand-daughter, both ran towards me. I bent down to hug them. I wanted to scoop them up into my arms, but I wasn’t strong enough, yet. The hug still felt good. ‘Why have you got a plaster on your glasses?’ asked Alanna. I had forgotten that to ease the double vision problem I had placed a sticking plaster over the lens of my right spectacle. I must have looked really strange to her.

After a quick cup of tea, we were off to the church. I walked slowly up the steps into the church. The ceremony was quickly over and the priest said a few kind words for me, and not for the first time, I felt humbled.  I was just so thankful to be there. We went from the church to a local Country House hotel. This hotel was famed for its restaurant and had been chosen for the post-christening celebration. Asked what I would like to drink, I replied 'glass of Guiness'. (I thought I should start slowly.) The first sip... Ughh!!! I couldn't believe it. It tasted of chemicals. I looked around expecting to see everyone else screwing up their faces, but no. It was just me. Hmm! I sipped at it a bit but hardly made a dent by the time we were called into the dining room. Now, I was also looking forward to a glass of red wine. Mark had chosen the wine, and I knew it would be good. Here again, though, I had an unpleasant surprise. All I could taste were chemicals. This was a disaster! I have always been a person who lives to eat and drink. I enjoy good food and wine, and the thought of losing this enjoyment was not good. Next, I tasted the starter. It was a spicy prawn concoction. This was better. The tastes exploded in my mouth and they were pleasant. The rest of the meal was delicious. OK, it seemed I had lost my taste for drink, but good food was still enjoyable. So my taste buds had been affected somehow. I resolved to work at the wine problem, of course. One other noticeable thing was that my sense of smell seemed heightened. So much so that I found myself gagging at the Body Odour of one of the waitresses.

The next day was beautiful, and I wanted to see how the house building was progressing.  Our plot was just 100 metres away from Eleanors’, so it was a simple walk. I knew I couldn’t rest on my laurels . I had to push myself to exercise so I talked Ann into driving to Mitchelstown and purchasing an axe and a small chopper. I think she thought they would lie around in the cottage for a few weeks but I had other plans. We had had to have several trees felled from the site and the tree surgeon had cut these up into pieces. These pieces were too big to fit in a stove so I intended to chop them up into logs. Simple! I took the axe and found a piece of tree trunk. This would be easy, I thought. I tried to lift the axe over my head. No good, I wasn’t strong enough. I managed to lift the axe about two foot off the ground and bring it down onto the tree trunk piece. It split as I intended. I repeated this with another three tree trunk pieces, and then gave in. I was knackered. Ann kept telling me to slow down, but I kept replying; ‘my body will tell me when it’s had enough’. My stupid stubbornness must have been so exasperating for Ann.

The Community nurse called a couple of days later. She gave me an examination, entered some notes on a form and told me she would see me again in two weeks time. As it happened, we left to return to England before I had chance to see her again, but I don’t think it made any difference.

The ferry was uneventful. Ann drove with her usual confidence. I was itching to try driving myself but my double vision was still very bad, so I made myself be a model passenger. At least I tried.. We arrived home in Kent 16 days after being discharged from hospital. There were no fanfares, no welcome party. It was just accepted. Friends and neighbours began calling in to see me. I bored them all silly with tales of my experiences.

I was keen to get working. The web site that Mark and I had been working on was barely started, so IU had something to focus on. It was with some relief that I found myself back in full swing, programming. I had resolved to continue with the exercise regime, and to that end I started riding my bicycle at least once every day, not very far, just a mile or two at most. My good friend Dick Osborne had also just had a scare and a serious operation and was now convalescing. We saw each other most days for coffee, supporting each other. It was therapeutic to share experiences.