Recovering from a rare virus that left him paralysed from the waist down:
Guillain-Barre syndrome
From being a very fit fifty nine year old who enjoyed playing badminton twice a week and swimming everyday at home. On Christmas day December 2000, I contracted a rare virus, which within a week left me paralysed. I then spent thirteen weeks in hospital.
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David |
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The virus damaged the myelin sheath around the nerve fibres. In time in a large number of cases the sheath re-grows and the paralysis disappears.
Initially I was paralysed from the waist
down, my hands and arms and the left side of my face were also affected. I
left hospital in a wheelchair, just being able to manage a few short steps
aided by a Zimmer frame and two physiotherapists at my shoulder. I had
little or no feeling in my feet, and my legs and hands felt numb.
Four years on with the help of vigorous massage of my legs and reflexology
on my feet I am now walking around the house and driving again. Outside I
still use a walking stick at times and if going any distance I use an
electric scooter, as fatigue is still a big problem.
I find the massage to my lower legs and feet really stimulates them, I am also able to feel more, at first the massage to my calf muscles used to make them tingle for a short time but I now find there is more feeling and the benefits of the massage last much longer. The reflexology to my feet has been of great benefit; at first I was a bit sceptical as to whether or not it was doing any good, as I couldn't feel what my reflexologist was doing to my feet. Initially the changes were slow, due to lack of circulation and the loss of the myelin sheath my feet and legs below the knees are very often cold but as treatment progressed the condition of my feet changed. The skin became softer and circulation began to improve. Now I am able to feel what my reflexologist is doing and can feel a tingling sensation in my toes long after the treatment has finished.
As treatment progresses together with exercises I do at home in the pool, which is kept at a temperature of thirty degrees the situation, is improving.
The reflexology has been able to provide a good indication to my reflexologist other areas of concern such as the fact that my intake of water is too low. The latter of which was the main cause of the cramp in my legs, since increasing my water intake the cramp has subsided, so her knowledge is of great use in many aspects.