For this neuro note, I wanted to learn about Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). I chose this topic because I honestly don't think I have ever heard of this disease, much less know what it is. I wanted to broaden my horizons and learn about GBS by watching a Youtube video entitled "Andrew's Story: Guillain-Barré Syndrome." This video is all about Andrew Franek's testimony to his diagnosis of GBS in 2016. Andrew had just started his career as a firefighter when he suddenly got sick with a very high fever, weakness, and a rash. He went to the doctor and was diagnosed with strep. Some of his symptoms resolved, but then his feet became numb. After a few days he could no longer walk because of weakness and tightness. A spinal tap revealed that he had GBS. The video shows the progression of the disease including all the treatments and therapy he received. Andrew had to have an NG tube and was even placed on a BPAP machine. Things got so bad with Andrew struggling to breathe that he requested to be intubated and put on life support. He was paralyzed but had horrible symptoms like his body was burning or being crushed, migraines, and blurred vision. Andrew eventually made major improvements and was able to eat and breathe on his own. After his time at Shepherd Center having lots of therapy, Andrew got his normal life back. He is fully recovered and back at his job of being a firefighter - all of this in less than a year!
By watching this Youtube video about Andrew, I learned a lot about GBS, considering I knew nothing about this disease before. I liked how Andrew talked about all of his symptoms leading up to the disease since they were common and he was misdiagnosed at first. Showing the full details in how this disease manifested in Andrew was very eye-opening. This was such an inspiring story of how miraculously Andrew recovered after the extreme lows he had. He also mentioned how great some staff were but how terrible others were. Some completely disregarded him or treated him like he was part of a checklist. This was yet another reminder of how much it matters that we as OTs get to know our patients and genuinely show that we care about them.
References:
Andrew J. Franek (2017, August 1) Andrew's Story: Guillain-Barré Syndrome. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWvrHhs2jps
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