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  Cadillac ATS Vs. The Guoliang Tunnel

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  By metaops

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On February 7, 2010 I contracted Guillain Barre Syndrome from what I believe was a result of a Swine Flu shot I received not long before. I spent 6months in the hospital...almost 40 days at Sacred Heart ICU, Spokane Washington unaware of what was happening. I still don't remember and I am still in a wheelchair 8 months later.

I have undergone months of grueling physical therapy thanks to folks at Alderwood Skilled Nursing, North Idaho Advanced Care Hospital and now 5 days a week in home visits by physical therapists and a Occupational therapists.

Special thanks to all of my kids and my wife especially who was there with me every day for 6 months...and also for their pictures. And thanks to Mike Hay who at age 16 led me and Tom West in the first Rock and Roll band in Cleveland Ohio....for the music
Chronology
Thursday Feb 3 2010. While watching the evening news and finishing my dinner, I drop my plate n the floor in intense pain from my right shoulder.
Sunday Feb 7 I awake to find I cannot walk or stand. We call our son Chris, a physical therapist and our daughter, an BSRN. She comes over and advises to call 911. I am admitted to Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane on the 7th floor, a floor for a mixture of medical patients with differing ailments.
Tuesday Feb 9 Family met with rehabilitation specialists from St Lukes who agree to accept me with a diagnosis of Alcoholic Neuropathy.
Thursday Feb 11 I am given a lumbar puncture. The diagnosis changes to Guillain Barre Syndrome. I am transferred to the 8th floor neurology and IVIG therapy was started late in the evening by Dr. Brait, neurologist. He will check respiration every two hours and intubate if necessary.
Saturday Feb 13 I was transferred to the ICU room 236 and intubated.
Monday Feb 15 The IVIG treatments stopped and Plasmapheresis was started.
Monday Feb 22 Crisis Day
Thursday Feb 25 PEG (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) line was put in for feeding.
Friday Feb 26 Breathing crisis leads to Tracheotomy installation.

31 Days at Sacred Heart. 27 days of that in ICU.

Tuesday March 9 I was transferred to NIACH (North Idaho Advanced Care Hospital), ICU
Monday March 15 I am out of the ICU and in single patient Room 425. There is a meeting with all of my caregivers, Nurses, Therapists, family and the hospitals manager in my room.
Saturday March 26 Staph in my longs and I was started on Zyvox. A medication interaction put me back in the ICU.
Sunday March 28 I am out of the ICU and in my room 425.
Friday April 9th my Tracheotomy was capped.
Monday April 12 My Trach fell out at physical therapy and not replaced. I was breathing on my own.
Thursday May 6 Transferred by private para-transit to Alderwood Skill Nursing Care in Spokane.
After 6 months and a couple brushes with death, I chose to come home where I am now receiving home physical therapy and occupational therapy. I arrived home to my wife of 44 years (7 children) on July 15th (my 65th birthday).