Jacque, Days 1 - 4

Hi All - This is Jean.  I am setting up this blog so that mom can keep everyone posted on Dad's progress.  So, for those that are new to the story, dad has been battling flu-like symptoms for about 3 weeks.  On Thursday, he began to feel numbness in his hands and feet.  Then, on Friday he could not walk and his talking was not clear, as the numbness in his feet and hands had worsened and it had begun affecting his tongue/face.  Mom took him to the Winnfield hospital, then on to St. Francis in Monroe.  In Monroe, they began narrowing down the prognosis to a disease called Guillain Barre' (GB).   For those that have not heard of GB - I have pasted some information about it below.  Goodness knows I have never heard of it before this. 

Unfortunately, the hospital in Monroe does not perform the treatment he needed for GB called plasmapheresis.  So, at about 3 a.m. on Friday night, they transported him to Lafayette General where they admitted him to ICU.  (This was blessing number 1.  You see, Jamie works at Lafayette General and worked in the ICU just 2 weeks ago before being promoted to a nursing director.  Jamie knows all the nurses, all the doctors, and all the ICU protocol, so she can make phone calls, speak to the nurses when she wants, speak to the doctors when we can't, and go back and see dad when we can't.  Its been a true blessing.)

He is still in ICU and we are able to visit with him 4 times a day - 9 a.m., 1 p.m., 5 p.m., and 9 p.m. Right now, no other visitors are allowed other than immediate family, as he is too weak.  He is not allowed to eat, as his swallowing is not fully functional due to the GB.  His legs are essentially "paralyzed" and simple tasks with his hands take great effort. 

They began the first treatment yesterday (Monday) and we believe he may be a little discouraged that he did not see a more immediate response.   As seen below, GB is not something that goes away slowly - probably looking at a month-long hosptial stay with months of therapy to follow.  Thank goodness Jacque Jr. is a physical therapist!  (Yeah, with a nurse as a sister and a brother as a physical therapist, I feel as my CPA traits are very unuseful at the moment....but hey, I can start a blog for Mom.:)

That is about the sum of it for now.  We will continue to keep everyone posted through this blog. 

For those that have never heard of GB, here is some information.  Have a great day and please continue to pray. 

Love - Jean

Guillain-Barré syndrome is a disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system. The first symptoms of this disorder include varying degrees of weakness or tingling sensations in the legs. In many instances, the weakness and abnormal sensations spread to the arms and upper body. These symptoms can increase in intensity until the muscles cannot be used at all and the patient is almost totally paralyzed. In these cases, the disorder is life-threatening and is considered a medical emergency. The patient is often put on a respirator to assist with breathing. Most patients, however, recover from even the most severe cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome, although some continue to have some degree of weakness. Guillain-Barré syndrome is rare. Usually Guillain-Barré occurs a few days or weeks after the patient has had symptoms of a respiratory or gastrointestinal viral infection. Occasionally, surgery or vaccinations will trigger the syndrome. The disorder can develop over the course of hours or days, or it may take up to 3 to 4 weeks. No one yet knows why Guillain-Barré strikes some people and not others or what sets the disease in motion. What scientists do know is that the body's immune system begins to attack the body itself, causing what is known as an autoimmune disease. Guillain-Barré is called a syndrome rather than a disease because it is not clear that a specific disease-causing agent is involved. Reflexes such as knee jerks are usually lost. Because the signals traveling along the nerve are slower, a nerve conduction velocity (NCV) test can give a doctor clues to aid the diagnosis. The cerebrospinal fluid that bathes the spinal cord and brain contains more protein than usual, so a physician may decide to perform a spinal tap.