Xiong Lo Xiong Lo

Welcome to our CaringBridge website. We are using it to provide a place for family and friends to get the latest updates on Xiong.  We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement. Thank you for visiting.  Please share with family members as this will be used as a message board with the latest updates on father's condition.

Please join us in Prayer and may it be in God's will that he is given a full recovery!  We claim Isaiah 41:10 "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.   I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

9/15/17
About two week ago (mid Sept) father started feeling numbness in his legs, which then progressed into heaviness and tightness to the point that walking became difficult.   He was admitted to Woodwinds Hospital where an MRI was performed which revealed that he was suffering from severe stenosis in his lower back.  This condition exists when the cavity in your spine closes in on the nerves and interrupts functionality.  Due to the severity of his condition, the decision was to undergo surgery. The surgery was performed on Sunday September 17th, 2017 which was successful.  However, his condition was not improving, instead it was getting worse day by day.  This was causing the family a great deal of stress and restlessness because of the lack of explanation for his condition.  Xiong remained at Woodwinds hospital until Friday Sept. 22nd, 2017 then was transferred to St. Joseph hospital for further testing and consultation from resident Neurologist.   Another MRI was complete the day of arriving at St. Joseph's which confirmed his brain and surgical site/low back all looked good.  

9/23/17
On Saturday morning, a neurologist came to exam father’s condition.  She was very detailed in her examination of father.  She told us that based on what she was seeing with his symptoms, she believed him to have Guillain-Barre Syndrome.
Information on this disease:  Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system. The first symptoms of this disorder include varying degrees of weakness or tingling sensations in the legs. In many instances, the symmetrical weakness and abnormal sensations spread to the arms and upper body. These symptoms can increase in intensity until certain muscles cannot be used at all and, when severe, the person is almost totally paralyzed. In these cases, the disorder is life threatening - potentially interfering with breathing and, at times, with blood pressure or heart rate - and is considered a medical emergency. Such an individual is often put on a ventilator to assist with breathing and is watched closely for problems such as an abnormal heart beat, infections, blood clots, and high or low blood pressure. Most individuals, however, have good recovery from even the most severe cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome, although some continue to have a certain degree of weakness after treatment.

After performing more test on father, the doctor’s suspicions turned out to be correct and father does have Guillain-Barre syndrome. Treatment for father began immediately with a high-dose immunoglobulin therapy.  This is administered by intravenous injections of the proteins that, in small quantities, the immune system uses naturally to attack invading organisms.