I Need Help Healing

On September 5th I got diagnosed with an extremely rare nerve disease called Guillain'Barre​' Syndrome (GBS).  This syndrome causes your immune system to attack your nervous system and if it goes undiagnosed long enough it can kill you. As it isn't very well known, it can get missed until symptoms progress to the point that the patient ends up on a respirator and can be in a comma for an extended period of time. While there is no cure for this, they do have two treatments that can help offset the extent of the symptoms but they are rather expensive.

I was fortunate in the sense that I saw a doctor that was familiar with this syndrome that he thought this may be what was happening. Less then one out of every 100,000 people get diagnosed with this. After extensive tests and being referred to the Wyoming Medical Center in Casper, it was confirmed that I do in fact have GBS. The treatment that they gave me seemed to be helping and they had projected that I would be going home on the 10th of September, however on the evening of the 8th, my body flared up and things went downhill. By the 9th of September, I could no longer walk, nor pull myself up. As my lungs were beginning to shut down on the 10th and they were preparing to put me on a respirator. With a change to my medication and blessings from God, I was able to overcome the flare up and regained the ability to walk, although shaky and very weak, I could now get up and move. With the new physical limitations that I was experiencing, the doctor wanted to send me to inpatient rehab in Casper so that I could regain the ability and strength that I had lost. However, the insurance has denied any coverage for inpatient care and so the doctor sent me home so that I could pursue outpatient physical and occupational therapy.  At this time I returned home on September 13th. Just the extra walking and activity from leaving the hospital, I was physically taxed and found that it took me two days to bounce back.

With GBS, I experience good and bad days. One day I will wake up and be able to move with minor complications and the next day I can't hardly stand. They refer to this as peaks and valleys. Stress can trigger symptoms to worsen and can ultimately hospitalize me. I have a long road ahead of me and with insurance no longer covering my treatments, I am looking at extensive medical bills moving forward. I'm already sitting at $275,000 for the hospital bill.

I will be returning to school with the understanding that I have to take breaks and lay down once I feel tired. At this time, I'm not sure how fast I will be able to get back into the routine as I have to listen closely to my body so I don't overdo it. Pushing myself beyond can re-hospitalize and possibly kill me. I'm hoping that I can start regaining enough strength and stamina that I can also return to work but it is going to be a long road ahead of me before I will be back to where I was prior to this diagnosis. Given that I can keep flare ups to a minimum and continue my therapy, the doctor is projecting six months to a year before I am back to normal.

It is projected that through continued care and therapy that I will make a full recovery with the exception of the reflexes in my legs. Those probably won't ever return due to the damage from the GBS.

I appreciate and thank everyone who has reached out and offered support. I would also like to thank everyone who offers to help me meet the financial demand that this is causing. May God bless you and your family for your generousity. I only ask that you continue to forward this on.