Dulcie Hartley

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Well, the 3rd August arrived and. my daughter brought me home to Fennell Bay, not as I had planned on a walking stick, but using the walker kindly supplied by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Within a week I dispensed with the walker in the house and was able to move around by holding onto furniture when necessary. With the weather still cold I developed chilblains on my hands, which I have not had for many years.

I am disappointed with the condition of my lower legs and feet apparently left like this from GBS. My GP advised that GBS is still active in my system so perhaps they will improve. My feet feel like lumps of heavy clay, with pins and needles, and they don't communicate with my brain very well. Also there is still some swelling in my legs but this is improving, thanks to diuretics. My hands are still affected by GBS, with finger tips numb and manual dexterity impaired. I'm left to wonder whether this is 'as good as it gets' or if I can expect some improvement in time.

I had found during my hospitalisation that the general public is quite ignorant of GBS, as initially I had been, due to its rarity. My GP said that after nearly 30 years of practice he had not encountered the condition in a patient previously. I think my recovery has surprised the medical profession, as I am 81 years of age.

Dulcie Hartley 20.9.10