My Journey with GBS

 Some more videos of during my trial of a powered wheelchair 🦼 using the Vigo technology with Bluetooth to move my chair with head movements.

 Received great news yesterday (Oct 13, 2021) - AADL (Alberta Aids to Daily Living) has officially approved my application in purchasing a powered wheelchair 🦼. They will be purchasing the wheelchair itself, the cost of the tilting mechanism (~$3500.00) plus granted me another $4000.00 towards the cost of the Vigo technology to run the wheelchair. Maximum Healthcare is the name of the vendor providing me with the wheelchair as well as other accessories to help with my daily living such as a lifting of the wheelchair seat so that I can speak to someone at eye level for a change. The total cost for me will be $8003.00 for upgrades and accessories. So just like buying a new car or a house even, that is what has gone into purchasing my powered wheelchair. There is the basic powered chair (~$20,000) + all the upgrades (~$12,000) Excited to see what doors will open, literally. The major accomplishment for me, is going through the door of the sunroom area. My manual chair’s width prevent...

  2021 in now in the Autumn Season. It has been a long year so far. I began the year suffering from Covid-19 (original virus). Followed by a few weeks of depression triggered by going “cold turkey” after steroid medication to help heal my lungs along with supplementary oxygen. I was happy that I was able to receive the care at my facility and didn’t have to be admitted to the hospital. March 2021 was the time of hoping to find some answers about my GBS disease - so I had a MRI of my spine and brain. Sadly, it wasn’t what I was hoping for. Hopes dashed, reality sucks. It was good to know there were no issues with my spine, but no picture to say my paralysis would improve. BAM!! Reality hit me like a ton of bricks. It was tough to feel joy. How could I? All my hope and my wish to get my hands back to go to my career was completely dashed. This has been a tough pill to swallow having to realize I will be, moving forward, remain a quadriplegic from shoulders down and will need to livid...

  September 20, 2021 Dear AADL Application Board. Hello my name is Laura Jean Rutherford. I am 51 years old and have been living at AgeCare-Skypointe since August 5, 2018 on a LTC unit. September 9, 2016 I was diagnosed with Guillian Barre Syndrome (GBS) - Acquired Motor Sensory Axonal Neuropathy (AMSAN). Due to extensive damage to the axonal component of the peripheral nerves, I have been left as a quadriplegic from the shoulders down, with limited extremity movements. I require total care as I am unable to perform any of my daily basic needs.  Aside from GBS-AMSAN, I am morbid obese, as well as have a neurogenic bladder and bowel, edema of my extremities and have long term indwelling Foley catheter. I am in constant pain due to the neuropathy and ongoing tingling and numbness associated with GBS-AMSAN. With the multiple comorbities I am dealing with, I have been referred to multiple specialists - neuromuscular physician, gynaecologist, nephrologist, dermatologist, resp...