For my final neuro note of
Neurological Aspects of Occupational Performance, I read a self-reflection by
Lori Basiege, a woman who is an administrative assistant at “GBS|CIDP
Foundation International” who was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS)
during her time in undergraduate school. GBS is an autoimmune disorder that
results from one’s immune system attacking the nerves that carry signals to the
brain, causing myelin sheath degeneration and affecting the peripheral nervous
system. The first symptom Lori noticed was fatigue even after trying to combat it
with vitamins and change in diet. Eventually, she began noticing muscle weakness,
so she called her mom who demanded she go to the E.R. It wasn’t until her
second visit to a different hospital that she was immediately diagnosed with
GBS by a neurologist almost immediately. After 18 days of plasmapheresis, an intervention
that exchanges blood plasma, she was released from the hospital. Years later,
Lori decided to leave corporate America and pursue work with a nonprofit for
GBS, which is her current position (Basiege, 2022).
In this course, I have
learned that there isn’t a set age range for people to be diagnosed with GBS.
Lori was diagnosed at a relatively early age, but some can be as early as
four-years-old, unfortunately. I can only imagine how she felt as a college student,
finally feeling the independence of being away from home and then learning that
she would lose it, to some degree, for the rest of her life. As we learned in
class, her lower extremity could be most affected, causing difficulty with
dressing and toileting. She didn’t mention how her experiences with ADLs have
been affected, but she gives the energy in her writing that she is not struggling
with quality of life. She states she wants to remain positive, which is the phrase
that helped her get through treatments. I would consider Lori to be inspirational
and a role model because of this.
References
Basiege, Lori. (2022, April
22). Patient stories: Lori Basiege. GBS/CIDP Foundation International. https://www.gbs-cidp.org/patient-stories/lori-basiege/
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