Joanne Fellner Joanne's GBS Recovery

Joanne was diagnosed with Guillain Barre Syndrome on September 27th, 2021. It came on quite suddenly when she started experiencing back pain; then her legs weakened and limbs went numb. She went to the Pasqua ER but was soon transported to the General for emergency MRIs. After her MRIs came back clear, she was admitted to the neurology ward where GBS was confirmed with a lumbar puncture. On September 29th, her condition worsened to the point she was not able to breathe on her own and she was transferred back to the Pasqua for an ICU bed and ventilator support. She is almost completely paralyzed, except for some head, neck, and shoulder movement. She also experienced many complications that included a type 2 heart attack, stomach PEG feeding tube leak causing peritonitis that required surgery to drain, and encephalopathy due to kidney failure, but eventually was stable enough for MSU. While in ICU/MSU, she received many rounds of kidney dialysis (her kidneys came back after many doctors doubted they would) and many rounds of plasmaphoresis (plasma exchange treatments for GBS).  EMG tests confirmed severe axonal neuropathy. The axonal variant is the most severe form of GBS and has only been around since the mid 1980s. She is currently not able to wean from the ventilator, so her family decided to transfer her to the Wascana Rehabilitation Centre (WRC) to build strength for recovery. She arrived at WRC on December 14th, 2021. Joanne has a long road to recovery, and her family appreciates your support and interest in her progress during this challenging time.
** donations made on this website do not go to Joanne, they just go to the Website company so only donate if you want to support the Website**