Neuro Note #4- Guillian-Barre Syndrome

 For this neuro note I watched a video titled "Andrew's Story: Guillian-Barre Syndrome." This video is about a young man named Andrew who was in his 20's working as a firefighter at the time of the diagnosis. The video shows pictures along with accounts of what Andrew is experiencing from the time of his first symptom to his recovery. Last week I watched videos of people with ALS giving their first hand account on what the disorder is and I found it to be very helpful of my understanding of the disorder. For occupational therapy, I've learned how important it is to think beyond just the science and rehabilitation that comes with the diagnosis, but living with it. I think the best way to help clients learn to live their best life is to learn as much as possible about the trials and tribulations of people who experience it. 

I've been curious to learn about Guillian-Barre Syndrome as I know a girl from the camp I used to work at that has it. I never knew what it actually is and after watching this video I learned its a disorder in which the immune system attacks the peripheral nervous system, leading to muscle weakness and even paralysis. For Andrew, his symptoms started as numbness in his feet and within 4 days he could not walk. Guillian-Barre Syndrome progresses rapidly. When people think of muscles we often think of muscles that we work out such as the biceps, but we have other muscles with important functions as well. Some muscles important to daily living that I did not think about being affected are the diaphragm and muscles for swallowing. As Andrew's case quickly progressed, he soon would have to be given an NG tube and put on a ventilator. Things began to look up for Andrew as he began to recover and regain function beginning with breathing, eating, and eventually to walking. Andrew was very motivated to gain as much strength as he could, sometimes by eating as much as 3000 calories in a day, in order to support his muscles which were now very weak. What motivated Andrew the most though was his incredible therapy team at The Shepard Center in Atlanta. He was doing therapy that was necessary but also enjoyable such as scuba diving, horse back riding, yoga, and sports. He thanks his team for motiving him to a full recovery and go back to his family, friends, and job as a firefighter. It was very empowering to see Andrew make a full recovery and I learned what a difference it made for him to have therapy that he actually enjoyed. I can imagine it would be easy to dwell on how hard it is to now do tasks that were once easy, but as therapists it is our job to help them push past, set goals, and reach a level that can support their best occupational performance. 

Franek, A. J. [Andrew J Franek]. (2017, August 1). Andrew's Story: Guillian-Barre Syndrome [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWvrHhs2jps