The Road to Answers: My Transfer and Diagnosis

 October 2024

This part of my journey may feel a bit sporadic — and honestly, it was. At the time, I was heavily medicated on strong painkillers, and with my low tolerance for medication, everything felt like a blur.

After initial testing, I was transported down the street to the main hospital and placed in the observation unit. For the rest of that day, I was monitored closely and administered different medications. In the middle of the night, I was moved again, this time to a more permanent room on an actual hospital floor. I finally had my own space with a bathroom and some storage.

The next day, I met my medical team. They asked about my symptoms and immediately began testing. I made sure to tell them about my previous fall and how I still couldn’t stand, not to mention the intense pain in my right ankle. Despite undergoing countless painful tests and being pricked by more needles than I can remember, my health was still declining. My vision started to blur badly; I couldn’t focus on anything, and I couldn’t even read printed or handwritten words anymore.

Despite all of this — and despite a concerning lumbar puncture result showing clear issues — I was sent to a rehabilitation center with a diagnosis of nothing more than a B12 deficiency.

At rehab, after two days of painful attempts to assess my ability to walk and rebuild strength, something still wasn’t adding up. Thankfully, I had set up an outside neurology appointment before all this happened and because it was in their contract, the rehab center allowed me to go. That appointment ended up changing everything.

Within literally five minutes and just three questions, I was correctly diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). I was immediately sent back to the hospital to begin the right treatments so that rehab could actually help get me back on my feet.

On a positive note, I want to shout out Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Fredericksburg, VA their entire team was supportive, caring, and attentive. I didn’t once experience the kind of neglect or negativity that I faced during my hospital stay.

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Next post: I’ll share more about my time at Encompass and what ultimately led me here!