geekmarine

So back in like mid-October, one day, I just woke up and my legs felt incredibly sore, as if I had just gone to the gym and completely over-exercised them. They were incredibly stiff, they hurt a lot, and I could barely put weight on them without them giving out. I went around for about a week with this condition, in constant pain, barely able to walk (since my legs could barely support me, I fell down a lot), before I was finally talked into going to the hospital.

Once in the hospital, I was diagnosed with Gillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare disease in which one's own white blood cells begin attacking the nervous system. The pain and the lack of control over my legs was the result of this. There is no cure, but there are treatments which can speed recovery, which roughly takes 3-6 months, depending.

Anyhow, the whole thing kinda upheaved my life - I basically ended up quitting my job and moving back home with my parents (across the country, mind you) because of the whole deal (couldn't work and could barely take care of myself in the condition I was in). Actually, after my initial treatment in the hospital, I was basically discharged straight to the airport to catch my flight back to Texas. I couldn't even really go back to my apartment and I had a friend do my packing for me.

Good news is, I'm starting to do much better. My legs still hurt a lot, but I've been getting around a lot more easily recently (I've had to use a walker, but I hardly need it now). Soon I should be almost completely recovered (there may be a bit of permanent nerve damage, but likely I should be mostly back to normal once this ordeal is over).

I just wanted to post about this because I'm really excited that I'm making such improvements, and because the whole thing just seems so surreal. Just one day, bam, wake up with an illness I've never even heard of.