6 years AND Counting
Today marks the 6th anniversary of my battle with Guillain-Barre. The good news, this will be a very short update: Everything is fine. The war has been over for a few years now, and I don’t even think about it on a day-to-day basis. My kids reminded me of it last weekend though, and I’ve had a few emails from other survivors who want me to keep posting updates because they gain inspiration from knowing someone who beat it. So I thought I’d post a note.
As far as I can tell, I don’t have any long-term damage from the GBS that I haven’t overcome. I can walk long distances without issue and my energy level on a day to day basis is just fine. My anxiety about having a relapse every time I get a sniffle is gone as well (though I don’t get the yearly flu shot because I don’t trust my immune system to react correctly to it, and if someone is sick in the office, I send them home. I’m not taking any chances.)
I have, of course, aged six years during this time as well, so other things have happened that affect me more than the GBS. My hair is greyer. My vision has gone all to crap for up close reading without glasses. I had shoulder surgery in December to fix a torn labrum I suffered way back in college, and I’m still in physical therapy weekly to recover from that. All pretty normal stuff for a 46 year old guy, GBS or not.
So for those of you who are reading this and dealing with your own GBS Battle, I hope this gives you some solace that recovery is possible. I wish you all the best in your fight, and I am rooting for each and every one of you!
Joe Beernink 
Hello Joe, my name is Ginny. I’ve been struggling with GBS for two and a half yrs, this May will mark three yrs with this Desease from Satan.I have lots of mental energy and great positive thinking,but it seems that’s all I have, when I get up to walk across the room my world falls apart. I stumble and my insides trembal . I have no real feelings from my shoulders down, but I keep pushing as much as I can. I would like to know Joe if you exercised faithfully? I feel it doesn’t really help, and my Husband feels differently I guess because he’s not in my body. But I would love to know if exercising really does help or am I waiisting more of my time. The only thing I do is stretches, maybe a few days a wk. I would I cannot fully clean my house without falling apart. I have no feelings in my hands, arms, torso, legs… but I hold things as best I can.Joe I was wanting to know… is this all you went through? And for how long ? I’m so happy you overcame your Demon… if you could just let me know about the exercise… and how long you dealt with this… I would love to know . Thanks Joe and Bless you on your once again new journey of life. Ginny B.