All about Guillain-Barré syndrome: Mary had GBS, Bells Palsy and was pregnant simultaneously!

In the year of 1974, pregnant with my third child, I felt tingling in my feet and legs. I was in my 8th month of pregnancy.

I called my OB doctor and told him that my feet felt numb and my legs were tingling. He told me it was probably the baby pressing on a nerve. A couple of days later, my tongue felt thick, my eyes were messing up and my lip was starting to droop and my legs were going numb. I again called the OB doctor and he again told me the baby was pressing on a nerve. Well, I had a wonderful family physician and I called and he saw me right away.
I explained all the symptoms and he diagnosed Bells Palsy in my face. I went home and a couple of hours later I couldn't even feel when I went to the bathroom. I called my family doctor again and he told me to go to the hospital.

I was in my hospital room and had to use the bathroom again. I got up out of bed and walked into the bathroom and realized I couldn't even feel my feet or legs. I got back to my bed and that was the last time I walked for several weeks.
The doctor took a test and then diagnosed me with GBS along with the Bells Palsy. Okay, remember I am pregnant. That night the decision was made to send me to another hospital that could take care of me better. My oxygen levels were getting lower and they were concerned about the oxygen to my baby. I was sent by ambulance.

Well, you are not going to believe this, the ambulance was in a car wreck. My gurney broke loose and my head was a battering ram that hit part of ambulance. Now, I am pregnant, in labor, Bells Palsy, Guillain-Barre' Syndrome and the top part of my scalp peeled back and a compression fracture of my spine. Oh, joy! It just happened to be my anniversary too! What a day!

I was in the hospital for a few days that I didn't really realize what was happening. I was in labor, which they got stopped. I thought the lights were turned off and then found out it was the disease. My hearing was amplified. I heard everything! This was in November and it was cold out but I only had a sheet on because I was burning up. I didn't realize that people came in my room had sweaters or jackets on. My head was wrapped all up and I was flat on my back. At 8 months pregnant, that isn't easy!

One morning I woke up and thought "they finally turned on the lights". That was the morning everything started to change. I did have to have breathing treatments because I wasn't getting enough oxygen to the baby. I hate the oxygen test. Those needles hurt! This was a teaching hospital, so the doctors would stand outside my door and discuss my case. One time I told them to speak up so I could hear everything or to shut the door. They shut the door!

I was in the accident on November 16th, approximately December 10th they were taking me to the machine that helps you stand up for the first time after you lay in bed so long. I almost passed out but didn't. The next day was easier and then the had me try to walk.

I never lost the use of my arms or my speech. I was on a feeding tube as my stomach had quit working. I was totally paralyzed from a little higher than my waist down. I went home for approximately one week and then had to come back to have my baby boy. During the labor, I went into what I called the shakes. My whole body was shaking. The doctors attributed it to the GBS.

I am a stubborn person and this was not going to put me down. I did stuff that I probably shouldn't have but I really think it made me stronger faster. I laid carpet pieces in a 20 foot room and took an 8lb slug hammer and knocked down a concrete wall. This was in June and July of the following year. I was in a brace for my back until February.
My son made it through fine, in fact he is now 28 years old and on the nationwide college Dean's list.

My family doctor sent me an article several years after this happened. It was about the women, in their 3rd trimester of pregnancy that had Mononucleosis earlier in their lives and then got GBS. I fit that! I did have MONO about 5-6 years previous to all this.

I have a theory on this. I believe that the wreck I had was a trigger that stopped the disease from going too much further. My body started to fight all the other things going on like the injury to my head and back and I think it started fighting the GBS also. Not that I would tell anyone to go get in a wreck if they got GBS but it is a thought that the wreck caused a shock. I don't know.

Mary Williams, GBS '74
07.2003

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