Autonomic affects of GBS


Hearing “I am the worst case of GBS they have ever seen” by doctors; you do feel alone because you have anyone who could truly understand what I am going through. Please don’t get me wrong, the support I have received from family, friends, coworkers and my medical staff are amazing and I couldn’t get this journey without them. I guess it the mental perspective that I feel alone. All those mental/emotional feelings - frustrations, realizing the things I have lost and probably won’t get back, sadness, helplessness of can’t helping others like I use to and worry about things out of my control or scenarios not yet occurring.

The variant of GBS that I have is Acute Motor-Sensory Axonal Neuropathy (AMSAN). Not only the motor-sensory nerves damaged but axonal part of the nerve has been damaged too. The other contributing issues with this variant is the autonomic dysfunction diseases. Below is good pictorial of the body systems GBS can impact and I have/had 5 of 6 body systems affected.

Heart/Blood Vessels:
-I have hypotension (my blood pressure tends to be on the lower side of normal); severe bradycardia which made me go into cardiac arrest in the beginning of my admission.
-I had DVT (deep venous thrombosis) or blood clots in my legs and lungs. So I am on blood thinners basically for the rest of my life due to my immobility 

Digestive:
I have neurogenic bowel which I require daily pills to reduce the risk of constipation

Urinary:
-I have neurogenic bladder and with an in dwelling Foley catheter you get recurrent urinary tract infections. Will be having a urodynamic study done to exact determine the function of my bladder dysfunctions
-Due to immobility, I received urinary stones (kidney/ureter) which will be treated with the procedure ESWL (extracorporal shockwave lithotripsy)

Sweat glands:
Difficulties regulating body temperatures. Sometimes I feel I am having hot flushes and the room is cooler in the room but I feel it is just right. 

Eyes: 
-After I woke up (October 31, 2016) I did have to deal with double vision. It took a few weeks for this to resolve.
-Had to get glasses for far-sight but that is probably due to many years of computer work, not GBS (April 2019)

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