February 15, 2024 marked six months since I was admitted to the hospital with what would eventually be diagnosed as Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS). I was able to mark the occasion by giving thanks to the incredible teams at Salem Health ED and ICU (see above pics of me with the charge nurses). Some happy tears were shed for the joy of being able to walk on my own two feet and thank these healthcare heroes! On Tuesday, February 20, I will mark another milestone by returning to work full of joy and gratitude.

GBS is a rare neurological disorder that causes the body’s immune system to attack the peripheral nervous system. Severity varies greatly, but in my case, GBS caused complete paralysis and respiratory failure. I was initially quite sedated, but when I became aware of what happened, I only had the ability to blink my eyes, that’s it. It was terrifying, and yet it also opened up a portal for me to experience profound love and healing.

I have felt the power of love and connection, and I truly felt God’s love poured out through the amazing community of family and friends who have supported me throughout this journey. At the center of it all was my daughter, Sofia, whose calming presence and confident leadership helped to navigate through immense challenges with grace and style. To my daughter, my family, my friends and neighbors, and even to kind strangers who prayed for my healing: thank you, thank you, thank you. To the army of healthcare professionals who cared for me through the emergency department, to ICU, to a specialty hospital, to a skilled nursing facility, to inpatient rehab, and now to outpatient rehab: thank you for your skilled and compassionate care. Thank you for seeing me as a person and not just a patient. Thank you for treating my family and friends with great care as well, and for understanding just how vital their role was in my healing. 

Six months out and all I can say is, my body is a miracle! (Your body is too, by the way!) I am living back at my home in Pringle Creek Community, driving myself to therapy appointments, and will be starting back to work on a part time basis next week. 

In rehab I am working on building strength in my arms and legs. I just added some little hops back and forth, and that feels pretty exciting! I am also working with a team of professionals at the OHSU Facial Nerve Clinic to address issues related to lingering facial paralysis. My hope is to get my full smile back, but I’m just so thankful to be able to smile at all, and to have so much to smile about!

When I sit down, as I am now, to reflect on everyone who has helped and supported me along the way, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. I know there are truly devastating things happening in the world, and the news is filled with stories of scary and tragic events. While those things are true, it is also true that the world is filled with people who are kind, loving, generous, strong, and supportive. People who come together in difficult times and show their true character, and I got a front row seat to the show!

This Caring Bridge journal was started as a way to share details of my condition when I was first hospitalized. Looking back, it was a sad and scary story initially. My condition progressed rapidly, and answers didn’t come fast enough. Treatment was tried that initially seemed to work, but then it didn’t. There was hope that I would get off the ventilator before I needed a tracheostomy, but then I ended up needing the trach. It was intense to say the least. But eventually answers came, treatment worked, and healing happened. The journal entries started to have more moments of triumphs than of setbacks.

 When I eventually got my voice back, my dad and daughter helped me be able to share my story with you from my own perspective. I have tried to share parts of my journey that seemed important and milestones along the path to recovery. I have tried to share the stories of the triumphs: the first words I could speak after six weeks of silence, the first steps I could take after months of paralysis, the first time I went to the beach after months spent in hospitals. I wanted you all to know that I was healing, and to witness the absolute miracle of that healing.

Your comments, thoughts, and prayers, whether spoken or unspoken, have all helped encourage me on the difficult road to recovery. Knowing there were people out there who were rooting for me helped lift my spirits and give me strength to take on whatever challenges lay ahead of me. 

I am so grateful that you have opened your hearts and allowed your life to be touched by my story. I hope that it helps you believe in the power of healing and the goodness and love in our fellow humans. I hope perhaps it inspires you to shine your love on someone today. 

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your support and for cheering me on every step of the way. I have the most incredible people in my life, and I’m glad you’re one of them!