GARY HARRIS’S SUCCESS STORY About one year ago, in late June of 2019, Gary Harris and his wife were traveling across the country on an RV trip when Gary began to experience back pain and tingling in his feet. This led to stumbling while walking in grass at the campground. Gary was taken to the ER and given pain meds and muscle relaxers to treat an apparent back issue. Two days later, he collapsed on the floor when getting out of bed—his legs paralyzed! I slowly became completely paralyzed from my toes up to and including my eyes... After four months at ELEVATE, I can walk without assistance, handle stairs, and drive!
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare disorder in which your body’s immune system attacks your nerves. Weakness and tingling in your extremities are usually the first symptoms. These sensations can quickly spread, eventually paralyzing your whole body. In its most severe form, GBS is a medical emergency. Most people with the condition must be hospitalized to receive treatment. There is no known cure for GBS, but several treatments can ease symptoms and reduce the duration of the illness. The disease is active for 4-6 weeks, and recovery takes six months to two years or longer. Modern medicine has reduced the fatality rate to less than 5%, but 10- 15% of patients are left with some level of disability. Triggers of GBS are commonly flu, flu shot, or other illness prior to symptoms. It is not contagious and can affect anyone of any age, sex, or health. Thankfully GBS is rare (3 in 100,000), but it is a devastating illness.
“After the initial symptoms, over the course of three weeks, I slowly became completely paralyzed from my toes up to and including my eyes—leaving my mind intact but unable to communicate. The pain was so severe that even morphine was not sufficient. I transferred home to Mission Hospital in Asheville, where I was intubated as I lost the ability to breathe. I hadmultiple IV lines and catheters inserted, a stomach tube for feeding, and a tracheostomy. Other autonomic functions such as pulse, blood pressure, and blood sugar went haywire as well. I was weaned off mechanical ventilation at a step-down facility and, at three months, I was transferred to an inpatient rehab hospital for another three months. OT and PT enabled me to regain a minimal level of function for discharge. My wife prepared our house and hired help as I was still a quadriplegic in a wheelchair. I began PT at ELEVATE, being transported by the county wheelchair van three days a week. I started by using a sliding board to transfer to and from the equipment and tables. Eventually, I was able to stand as we worked on strength and flexibility. After two months, I was out of the wheelchair and using a walker, then a cane. After four months at ELEVATE, I canwalkwithout assistance, handle stairs, and drive!” – Gary H.
After trips to two other ER’s, Gary was finally admitted to the ICU at a large hospital in Spokane, WA. Doctors had a difficult time diagnosing Gary as his symptoms presented like a culmination of multiple pathologies. It wasn’t until Gary’s brother, who worked for a medical company and had experience working with patients experiencing neurological symptoms, recommended a spinal tap that Gary was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré (gee-YAH-buh-RAY) syndrome.
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