Trial and error

As you probably have figured out from reading the blog that every day and every week is a different experience. That is what makes it so challenging at times because I am always trying to figure out how much I can do based on how I respond (ie. can I go the kitchen and eat with my family this evening). My physical therapist described it well by saying that there is an invisible line and you don't always know when you have crossed it. So many times I felt okay at the time only to suffer from my activity the next day. I am learning unfortunately the hard way. My body is so sensitive and especially this week reading books and my Bible and even watching movies trigger headaches and pressure in the back of my head. So it is at this point where I don't have the things that I would normally use to distract me from the annoying symptoms. What do I do? I pray and memorize scripture that God has given me in the last 8weeks. "Find rest, O my soul in God alone, my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, he is my fortress I will not be shaken" Ps. 62:5, Isa 41:10, Josh 1:9 and many more. Thankfully this afternoon I am feeling a little reprieve from the intensity. Thank you for praying. I have been so blessed by your calls, notes and little gifts you have left on our door step.

Back again

We're finding that Guillian-Barre is a cruel disease on your emotions. Just when you think you're going forward a bit. Wham, it hits again. Rhonda said it feels like her nerves are screaming at her today and her head pressure is back. It knocks the emotional wind out of you at times. Thanks for your prayers.

inches forward inch back

It's been good to feel like we have forward momentum again. Sunday and Monday felt like inch forward days again. Rhonda's symptoms were more manageable, she was able to get out of the room a couple more times than usual, and she had some good nights of sleep. On Monday, she had a long afternoon at the eye doctor, so that set her back a bit last night and today. We're certainly finding that she has to be very careful about her activity.

The other good news is that the eye doctor found no major problems. He attributes the shadow in her eye to the Guillian-Barre. Hopefully, with time that will disappear.

Lord willing, we now have sixteen days off from doctor's appointments! That will be nice, especially since my parents take over for eight days on Saturday. We appreciate your prayers.

inching forward again

The last two days it has felt like we've almost reached some stability. The kids are both off antibiotics and seem well. Rhonda says she feels like she is inching forward again, although this time she is being very careful about her progress. Her headaches and head pressure have subsided to manageable levels and she's been sleeping decent. Thanks for your prayers.

We even went out for a family "walk" this evening. The boys took turns pushing mommy in the wheel chair. Even the wheel chair rides inflame Rhonda's healing nerves a bit, so we're making them short. But it sure is nice for her to get outside. As for her other activity, Rhonda is now consistently able to make it out for meals and an occasional living room visit. Plus, she feels up to interacting more with the boys which is a wonderful blessing.

With things stabilized a bit and my parents coming down next Friday, I will be leaving for a short research trip to Eastern Europe for eight days next Saturday. We'd certainly appreciate your prayers during that time.

No big news is good news

Both tests came back normal from the doctor's office today (the MRI and the test of the eye nerve). That was good news. Rhonda also continues to have some some relief from the worst of her symptoms, such as the vertigo, severe head pressure, and stinging nerve pain in her legs, which we believe is probably the result of the IGG treatments she had last week. We all agreed that we probably just need to keep dealing with the symptoms, engage in physical therapy and be patient. The nurse practioner perscribed some new drugs for the headaches that hopefully will not have severe side-effects for Rhonda. In addition, Rhonda will see an eye doctor on Monday just to make sure there is nothing non-nerve related wrong with the eye.

Overall, the doctor visit merely reinforced the conclusions we had suspected. I think it has helped that we've talked to some former GB patients who also shared Rhonda's unique symptoms (e.g., servere headaches and head pressure). The literature only occasionally refered to these symptoms and the doctor and nurse practioner have occasionlly suggested that they may not be GB related, so it often made us wonder. It also helps to talk to other GB patients to be reminded how long the recovery process is. Although it has been seven weeks since Rhonda started having symptoms, we find ourselves having to remember that recovery may be seven months or perhaps even longer (for one GB patient we talked to it was nine months, for others it has been over a year).

We're also thankful that Rhonda has enjoyed some good sleep the last couple of evenings. That makes a tremendous difference.

And as happened since the beginning, we continue to be blessed by wonderful friends who continue to support us with prayers, meals, child care, house cleaning, laundry, books on tape, movies and more. Thanks again to everyone for your concrete expressions of Christ-like love. It has made such a tremendous difference in our lives.

Back to school

Both kids are now back in school. So we are at least over fifty percent healthy as a family. Yesterday, we enjoyed our first quiet morning in a while, but quiet mornings also give you a chance to reflect. Rhonda had her first good cry in a while over lunch yesterday. Some of the lingering questions now seem to rise up a bit more. Did the three IGG's help? Am I making any progress? When will I feel better?

We focused on some of the positives--Rhonda's vertigo and head pressure are both dimenished. The headaches are not quite as severe. It also helped that Rhonda also enjoyed two encouraging calls from friends--one who has had GB that reminded her of the long-term recovery process. One huge praise is that Rhonda has been able to start reading a little more again. She's been able to read the Bible and her favorite books that help her.

usual fall day in Glanzer house

Well, it was a usual fall day in the Glanzer house. One of the kids went to school (Cody). One went to the doctor to get on antibiotics (Bennett for strep). Rhonda went to the hospital (to retake her eye test). And I tried to work at home between interuptions, trips to school or trips to the doctor.

Rhonda had a bad night of sleep again due to a reaction to some Advil PM. Some of you may wonder why some of her symptoms are not treated easily with medicine (e.g., sleep medicine, headache medicine, etc.). Part of the problem is that Rhonda has some weird reactions to medicines (she did even before GB). She'll feel dizzy, faint or one side of her body will tingle, etc. GB seems to have really aggravated this problem. As a result, she becomes very tenative about taking things. It also makes her nervious about nights--which feel so long when she can't sleep

So the one good night and day on Sunday seems to have been followed by a below average night and day. Her left eye continues to bother her as well, so she cannot read or watch videos like she used to. If any of you have good books on tape, it seems that will have to be our new route. We hope to learn more about the eye test at the appointment on Thursday as well as the MRI.

One other note. I appreciate your prayers as well. I've been doing decent, but Bennett's sickness this morning just made me angry, not necessarily at God, just angry about life's current circumstances. It get's compounded when I can't do certain things with my right thumb (open a jar) and can't get any work done. I worked through it, but just the emotions of it all wear me out--something I don't need right now.