Neuro Note #4: Guillian-Barre Syndrome

 For this Neuro Note, I chose to focus on the rare, autoimmune disorder Guillian-Barre Syndrome. I chose this disorder because I had never really heard about it until this course, and I wanted to learn more. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Guillian-Barre Syndrome is an autoimmune disorder in which a person's immune system attacks its own nerves, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis. The cause of this disorder is unknown, but people often make a full recovery.

I learned more about this topic through the Youtube video, "Carissa Simmons - Guillian-Barre Syndrome". Carissa begins the video speaking on how she was an Assistant Golf Professional at the age of 28. Her activities each day included being out on the golf course, hiking, spending time with her family, and living an active lifestyle. Eventually, though, all of those activities were suddenly taken away from her. She describes how one night her feet began to tingle, which then progressed to her legs becoming completely paralyzed. After a lumbar puncture, the doctors informed her that she had Guillian-Barre Syndrome.

She was admitted to the critical care unit, where her symptoms only continued to worsen. After a week, she was completely paralyzed and lost her ability to breathe. She then to have a tracheotomy for a ventilator. Although her experience with this sudden illness was traumatic, she goes into detail about how thankful she is for her nurses, doctors, and therapy team that took such great care of her throughout the entire process. She spent 37 days in bed unable to move and never even got close to having a bed sore. She also states how every single staff member assigned to her care gained her trust. Any time they entered the room, they had the ability to immediately make her feel better. As a result of their genuine care for her, they gained her trust and pushed her to get better.

She eventually started to see small progress each day. She started to regain feeling in her extremities and was eventually to move in bed on her own. After 77 days, she was able to walk out of the rehab facility with her walker. Carissa has now regained full use of her body and is back performing the activities that are most important to her. 

From this video, I learned the signs and symptoms that are associated with GBS and how sudden these signs actually appear. I also learned how critical and important it is to create a strong therapeutic relationship with a client. Carissa was strong and brave throughout her entire recovery, but the therapy team that was assigned to her made her even stronger. Carissa's story inspires me to create those strong and trusting relationships with each of my clients, and to always provide genuine and optimal care. 

I was very inspired by this video and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in GBS!

Carissa Simmons - Guillain-Barré Syndrome - YouTube. (n.d.). Retrieved August 10, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3Y3oDId5ew

Guillain-Barré Syndrome. (2019, December 20). Retrieved August 10, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/campylobacter/guillain-barre.html