First day of my GBS Journey

Friday September 2nd, 2016 started like any other work day - I worked late playing catch-up before a long weekend. Last thing I wanted to do was cook supper, so I went to Extreme Pita for their Chicken Bacon Ranch Pita. I ate while relaxing with the TV, like I normally do. Unfortunately, later that night I felt feverish and achy which resulted in throwing up. Not my idea of starting a long weekend, which got worse by having diarrhea/stomach flu for the next 4 days. On the Thursday I was finally able to keep some toast down. Laid low and watched some TV that day.

On the morning of Friday September 9th, I woke and my hands were pins and needles, but didn’t think anything of it as I thought I slept on them so I went back to bed. Woke again a few hours later, my hands were still feeling like pins and needles. It wasn’t until a few hours later when got up from my couch that my legs became wobbly. That freaked me out and knew something wasn’t right. So what does a girl do? You call your mom in Ontario who was an ER nurse to ask her advice. Funny enough her advice was to call Calgary’s 811 (AHS Health Link), which I did. I explained my symptoms and they told me to get to the hospital in the next 4 hours. Knowing I am in no shape to drive I call a couple of friends; luckily Meagan was home and she drove me to the Peter Lougheed Hospital (PLC).

By the time we arrived at PLC, I could hardly walk so she got me a wheelchair. While waiting to be assessed, Meagan got me a ginger ale and with my pins and needles hands I was able to hold the can. Now I was getting severe abdominal pain, not fun. Finally brought in to be assessed, by now (about 12 hours since the symptoms began) I could no longer hold my water cup but could sip with a straw. I wanted to contact people but was not able to text anyone - how frustrating. Getting quite late on the 9th, one of the investigations they wanted to was a spinal tap. By now, I could only take ice chips for fluids. Definitely knew things were serious, when I couldn’t sign my name on the consent form, putting an X was all I was capable to write.

It is now early morning on Saturday September 10th and I have been transferred to ICU. In addition, a few friends have arrived for support (I remember Amy, Amanda, Marilyn and Chris). I was thankful for that support. About 24 hours after the onset of my symptoms, the only method of getting fluids was by mouth sponges by Amanda and now the admitting doctor, Dr. Zuege, talked about inserting an endotracheal tube as I was deteriorating to where I will need life support. Panic set in. Sounds comical now, but I suddenly went into detail mode - got Chris (fellow coding coordinator) and Amy (my power of attorney) to get paper as I barked out orders - Chris, I am on the Data Collection Work Group, you need to contact this person; I didn’t run this DQ report. Amy - call my mom, can someone weed my backyard before my mom arrives or she will have a cow if she sees it that way. 

Dr Zuege and his team came in, gave me some medication to make me sleepy so they could intubate me. I remember them lower my bed to do the procedure, see the endotracheal tube - and then things go dark...