Just finished book #5 of this year: Bed Number Ten by Sue Baier and Mary Zimmeth Schomaker. It is the story of a victim of Guillain-Barre syndrome. Sue Baier was the mother of two teenagers, and woke up one morning with a burning in her mouth and a slight tingling in her toes. Forty eight hours later, she was completely paralyzed, unable to move anything but her eyelids. She spent 4 1/2 months in ICU's bed number 10, and an additional 6 1/2 months in a step down room in the hospital.
I wouldn't say it was a great book for the casual reader, but if I were teaching nursing, I would make it required reading for my students. Mrs. Baier is thankful for all the lifesaving care she received, but is candid about the lack of caring and feeling she ran into as well. It's a pretty eye-opening look at what it's like to be a long term patient. And how absolutely horrifying it would be to be awake, aware and alert but unable to do one single thing for yourself.
this is my second worst recurring nightmare, thanks in part to the cult classic, johnny got his gun, so i'm not sure i would subject myself to the read, but thanks for sharing. it sounds interesting. the question is, how is mrs. baier now?
I LOVED that book! It is so excellent, and the medical stuff in it is spot on true, unlike too many TV shows (don't even get me started there).
Smock, as of the afterword in the book, a couple of years post G-B attack, she is largely recovered, but she never recovered totally. She still has trouble eating certain foods, and she doesn't walk normally. She is thankful for the recovery she did make, and was "continuing to progress."
Alicia: I thought it seemed realistic, based on the stories some of my nurse friends tell. I read the book because a friend whose mom suffered from G-B gave it to me to read--otherwise I never would have found it! I'm glad I did.