On a recent visit to New England, I attended a mass at St Christopher’s Church York. http://www.stchristopheryork.com/church.html
This is a lovely modern Church with some stunning stain glass windows, a one lady choir with the voice of an angel and a charismatic pastor, the Rev John Skehan.
The service brought home to me the seriousness of my illness and unknown to me my sons organising the last rites in the early days of my paralysis. This must have influenced my mind to adopt Rev John’s slogan of ‘let go, and let God surprise you’.
I certainly let go, I couldn’t do anything else given the state I was in and the activeness of my mind.
And God did surprise me by the restoration of my health to near normality.
It’s interesting to read of other fellow sufferers experiences and still feel lucky that I had minimal pain as a result, I suspect, of excellent nursing, although I am unable to stop my mind going over the experience I had especially the hallucinations. Luckily my husband does’nt mind hearing the same story over and over again!
Almost three years on from the outset of GBS and I am able to dress and undress myself, if a little awkwardly with the need of a low armless chair.
I am able to travel and am extremely grateful for the assistance shown towards disabled passengers on all the forms of transport I use. So fellow sufferers and friends, remember that this is truly a God Blest Syndrome. at least it was for me.
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June 1, 2012 at 1:51 pm
Barbara Brandt
It’s interesting that you’ve posted this, because just recently I had somewhat of similar revelation. I was having lunch with an old (and continuos) love, who a dear dear friend, who I hadn’t seen for 8 1/2 years. So not only had I not seen him since before I was ‘struck’ with GBS almost 3 years ago, but since I ‘got sober’.
He was asking me all kinds of questions about the experience and as I was relaying not only what it was like, but some of the specific incidents with family and nurses and such, I realized we were laughing heartily. Especially about the hallucinations (they were really quite strange). And I talked about how close my once distant sisters and I had become, and how I realized that I could love people who can sometimes drive me absolutely CRAZY, to which he responded, ‘and be loved by people you drive absolutely crazy!’ Can you tell he is a psychologist?
Then, I said, without thinking about it, ‘More good came out of me being sick than bad, even though this illness stole 11 months out of my life by being paralyzed and in the hospital, and I will be disabled the rest of my life. More good came…” And I had never thought that thought before that very moment.
And once again, my entire life changed in an instant.
July 30, 2012 at 8:56 am
Robin
What a remarkable and enlivening recitation of the myriad experiences you each have with this GBS, which is surely one of Nature’s more exacting “teachers”. With your permission, I would like to copy some of your Blog entries to share with an online friend who, like myself, has the evil sibling condition of GBS ~~ C.I.D.P. , the chronic version of GBS. My friend, Eric, and I both participate via Facebook in discussions of these maladies @ CIDP’ers Sharing” (an online discussion page open, by request, when you visit the Facebook page with that title). I’d invite both of you to join us there! Your story-telling and writing are inspirational and so engaging! With Hyatt much said, I send you my very best wishes for continued progress in recovery and eagerly await details of your current insights and circumstances. Thank you very much for the rich and moving account of this daunting journey. Sending you my best, Robin Potter, Maryland, USA
August 16, 2012 at 3:06 pm
jemsec1
Thank you for your kind words. Whilst I am happy for anyone to access my blog, I am not of the generation that understands the workings of Facebook.
I do hope both you and your friend are making good progress towards recovery. As far as I am concerned I am now into my third year since the onset of GBS and look forward to every day as a new experience from the memory of a very nasty experience.
With every good wish. Jennie UK
August 16, 2012 at 8:29 pm
Barbara Brandt
Robin,
You certainly may quote me, and if I can help anyone in anyway, just let me know. I am only a little over 3 years out from diagnosis, but have volunteered and hope to be accepted officially as a GBS Foundation liaison for Northern VA
Best,
Barbara
bsbrandt@gmail.com