On awaking, I could not move or speak which made life very difficult. I was diagnosed with relatively unheard of Guillain-Barre syndrome and after a month, was moved to the high dependency ward. I was back and forth from different wards as I had pneumonia twice. I was due to go for rehabilitation but on the morning I woke with a chest pain and it turned out I had pneumonia again. So, instead of going to rehabilitation, I had to go to a chest ward for about 3 months, before moving to rehab where I started to get limited physio. I did manage to stand up in parallel bars and I went on the bike for a very limited time. Then I was discharged home in June 2013, still virtually paralysed from the shoulders down.
From there, I had limited physio. I had one hour a week, where the physio’s were brilliant as they got me standing and walking with a frame.
I was admitted to an intensive neurological rehabilitation centre in March 2015, where I have had intensive physio and occupational therapy to get where I am now. I can walk very well and they are working on my arms because I still cannot feed myself. Had I been admitted earlier on in my recovery, I think I might have been in an even better position than I am now. I should be being discharged at the beginning of June, with a better outlook on life.
Thanks to everyone for their help and putting up with a miserable sod like me.
Tony Wyatt