Hey all! I wanted to give you an update on how I’m doing, especially for those of you who aren’t at The Bridge to see me regularly. 😊 It’s been one month today since I returned home after a 2 week hospital stay.
Things are kind of a mixed bag. On one hand, I’m getting so much stronger, which is amazing! I’m walking with a cane (and even without it for short distances) and working to improve my strength and gait. My physical therapist is fantastic and is giving me lots of pointed exercises to work on specific things each week. I get weaker as the day goes on, but it’s still improving.
On the other hand, my physical therapist has confirmed what other medical professionals have said a few times – that my lingering symptoms look more like a spinal cord injury than Guillain Barré syndrome. She thinks it could be Transverse Myelitis, which can present similarly to GBS but with some distinctions. I’ve been trying to get into a neurologist for a few weeks with no luck.
One of the frustrations about how medical systems are set up is that my neurologist in the hospital only sees inpatient clients, and when I was discharged I was never set up with any follow-up neurology care. For someone in my condition that feels terribly negligent but it’s just the way the system works. The neurologist that my primary care referred me to isn’t scheduling clients until the end of November/beginning of December, and I really want to get some answers before then.
So, if you’re still following me and praying for my recovery, please pray that I can get into someone who can give me some clarity on what my actual issues are. If I was misdiagnosed I really need to know that so that I can get the appropriate treatment. If it’s a spinal cord injury, the rate of recovery is much lower, and that is a scary thought. Please pray for my strength and stamina, emotionally as well as physically.
Thanks everyone! Have a wonderful and blessed weekend!
– Judy
