I watched a YouTube video titled, “Andrew’s Story: Guillain-Barré Syndrome.” The video describes Andrew’s story of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), along with mentioning Andrew’s symptoms, prognosis, and diagnostic process. To further my learning on GBS, I researched other cases and experiences. Also, I compared Andrew’s story with other evidence online to gain a better understanding of the diagnosis.
To begin, Andrew enjoyed playing his guitar, working out, outdoor activities, and spending time with his girlfriend. He went to EMT school and became a firefighter. Shortly after this, he experienced symptoms of severe weakness and numbness in his feet, which led to no longer being able to walk normally. To confirm the GBS diagnosis, he had a spinal tap at Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital. Within four days, he could no longer walk. Then, he began treatments of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and plasmapheresis, which are special blood treatments. Soon after this, he was placed in ICU and experienced symptoms of pain, blurred vision, facial paralysis, numbness in the arms, and continued weakness in breathing and swallowing. Next, he had a femoral catheter placed and was sent to the ER. Then, he lost his ability to swallow and had a nasogastric intubation (NG) tube inserted. Next, he realized that it became difficult for him to digest his new liquid diet. The drugs given to stimulate his digestive system caused major abdominal pain, and he had to constantly use a suction cup to breathe.
It was difficult and exhausting for Andrew to sleep. One night, he began aspirating and suffocating. He was placed on a Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure (BiPAP) machine and put back in ICU. Soon after, he decided to be intubated and to be on life support. During intubation, he went into cardiac arrest after being given succinylcholine; this medication is contraindicated for GBS patients. He was in cardiac arrest for seven minutes, and he was shocked three times before returning to a life supporting heart rhythm. At this point, he was paralyzed from the neck down and experienced migraines, blurred vision, and a burning sensation in his bones. For communication, he used a communication board, since he was unable to speak at the time. After being intubated for 10 days, he decided to have a tracheostomy and peg tube placed. He declared that the trach tube malfunctioned sometimes and was very uncomfortable. Next, he used a Passy-Muir valve (PMV) and received speech therapy, which allowed him to smile again. At this time, he experienced painful wound care. He needed help repositioning and constant mouth and bathroom care.
After being weaned off of the ventilator, he began breathing on his own, and his arm movement began to come back. About 10 days after his first signs of recovery, he was throwing a football from his hospital bed. Soon after that, he was feeding himself with little assistance, playing the guitar again, and was reunited with his girlfriend. Next, he went to Shepard Center; one of the top ten best rehabilitation hospitals in the nation ranked by U.S. News & World Report. Here, he worked with parallel bars, tilt tables, and participated in five hours a day of intense therapy; Andrew began to gain his independence back. After he was fully recovered, he did outpatient therapy for two months and resumed his job as a firefighter.
After being weaned off of the ventilator, he began breathing on his own, and his arm movement began to come back. About 10 days after his first signs of recovery, he was throwing a football from his hospital bed. Soon after that, he was feeding himself with little assistance, playing the guitar again, and was reunited with his girlfriend. Next, he went to Shepard Center; one of the top ten best rehabilitation hospitals in the nation ranked by U.S. News & World Report. Here, he worked with parallel bars, tilt tables, and participated in five hours a day of intense therapy; Andrew began to gain his independence back. After he was fully recovered, he did outpatient therapy for two months and resumed his job as a firefighter.
Throughout this video, I noticed that Andrew had a great support system: his family, friends, girlfriend, and healthcare staff. Whether it is a family, a friend, or a healthcare provider, I think that it is important to have support during a situation like this. I chose this video as part of my assignment because I think that Andrew’s story was a great example of never losing hope when faced with a difficult situation. Also, I was interested in learning more about GBS, and I thought that Andrew’s story was an informative and inspiring chance to learn more about it.
As a future occupational therapist, I think that it is important to remember that one has the opportunity to positively change many lives, and to always go the extra mile to help someone reach independence. After viewing this video, I learned about the value and importance of one’s independence in everyday life. Andrew said, “It felt like I was trapped in my own body.” This statement really stood out to me. Occupational therapists have the ability to help others regain lost abilities and reach their goals. Thus, this assignment and video helped me gain imperative insight on the lasting, positive impacts therapy can have on an individual. In addition to the positivity of therapy for GBS, I gained knowledge on the different types of interventions and treatments used during Andrew’s therapy sessions. Overall, I highly recommend this video to anyone that would like to learn more about GBS and Andrew’s story.
As a future occupational therapist, I think that it is important to remember that one has the opportunity to positively change many lives, and to always go the extra mile to help someone reach independence. After viewing this video, I learned about the value and importance of one’s independence in everyday life. Andrew said, “It felt like I was trapped in my own body.” This statement really stood out to me. Occupational therapists have the ability to help others regain lost abilities and reach their goals. Thus, this assignment and video helped me gain imperative insight on the lasting, positive impacts therapy can have on an individual. In addition to the positivity of therapy for GBS, I gained knowledge on the different types of interventions and treatments used during Andrew’s therapy sessions. Overall, I highly recommend this video to anyone that would like to learn more about GBS and Andrew’s story.
Franek, A. J. (2017, August 1). Andrew’s Story: Guillain-Barré Syndrome. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWvrHhs2jps
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