Neuro Note 2: Andrew's Story - Guillain-Barré Syndrome
For this
neuro note, I decided to watch the YouTube video Andrew’s Story: Guillain-Barré Syndrome. I chose this video primarily because I was not familiar with GBS and
wanted to learn more about it’s symptoms and how it affects the body. Andrew
was a normal, athletic guy who served his community as a firefighter. At first,
he was misdiagnosed with strep with the symptoms of high fever, fatigue, and a rash. Soon
after, he experienced numbness in his feet, and within only a couple of days,
he could no longer walk due to severe weakness and stiffness. From here, he
would have a long journey ahead. Within the next month, he became paralyzed
first from the waist down, and then from the neck down. He had an NG-tube
placed down his nose, was on a ventilator, and had a tracheostomy and a Peg
tube placed. At this point it seemed all odds were against him, but Andrew was
determined. He slowly started making progress and was taken off the ventilator.
He began to regain his strength and independence thanks to physical,
occupational, and speech therapy. After months of rehab, Andrew fully
recovered.
This is an inspirational and
touching story showing the entire process of GBS, its affects on the body, and how a young man beat the odds. This story is very relevant to what we are studying in Neurobiology because the
video discusses many aspects and objects that we have or will talk about in the
course, such as a trach, NG-tube, and repositioning of Andrew. Additionally, it
directly relates to OT by showing that he wanted to get back to doing things
that he loved, like play guitar and spending time with his girlfriend and
family. This video is a great way to learn about GBS from the
beginning to end. I
also liked how they incorporated at the end of the video that, “Guillain-Barré
Syndrome is a family illness.” We must always remember that this affects the
family as well. These are all important pieces of information that I will take
with me into my future career as an occupational therapy practitioner.
Franek, A. J. [Andrew J Franek]. (2017, August 1). Andrew’s Story: Guillain-Barré Syndrome [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/VWvrHhs2jps
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