Guillain-Barre Syndrome

About the Book

This book is about three people from different walks of life, each of whom experienced a life-changing episode of Guillain-Barré Syndrome. Three dramatic stories in one.

Firstly, a story of the Author's remarkable almost complete recovery following his encounter with the syndrome. It is a frank and personal account of his struggle to regain much of what he had lost in bodily function during one year of hospitalisation. It should provide inspiration and possibly answer so many questions typically asked by others afflicted with this syndrome.

Secondly, case studies written by two co-author contributors, one a Calgary Veterinarian and mother of two, the other a retired Vancouver resident who was struck with Guillain-Barré Syndrome whilst shopping for a boat in England.

"There is no single answer to the question as to how life may change after recovery from this disorder. Each case appears to be unique. That is why I have chosen to include, not just a record of my partial recovery, but also the recovery record of two additional people, each different from one another's and each certainly different from mine (Author's Preface)".

"We eventually identified a boat—only three feet short of what we had wanted— that was within our budget.

At this point Heather's brother, who lived nearby, said he would like a share in the boat, to which we agreed. During this discussion in his house I had to ask him to refrain from smoking, as my throat was quite sore. I was feeling rather run down and often felt cold. About the same time on a Saturday, I felt a tingling in the finger tips of my left hand and found they were a bit swollen. I mentioned it to Heather, but it did not seem serious. It was, however, the first sign that I had contracted GBS. If only I had known, the treatment might have been started earlier! (Patrick Hill)"

"Probably the worst face of Guillain-Barré Syndrome is the effect it has on loved ones. Severe, or not, chronic or not, it matters little to the supporting family at the bedside of a patient. Fear, puzzlement, and apprehension are all experienced by the loved ones. Reading the case histories of Sarah and Patrick, one learns how their spouses also suffered many frightening experiences, but in spite of all that, they remained – obviously without second thought, hesitation or doubt. True to their marriage vows, they provided so much love, care and support. That was the shared experience among the three of us (Author: Epilogue)."

About the Author

Brian S. Langton was born in Derbyshire, England in 1928. He was educated at the West Bridgford Grammar School, Nottingham. After two years of service in the British Army he embarked on an accounting career, which in 1970, following three years in Canada, led to a position as group finance director, in Salisbury, Wiltshire. Seven years later, seeking new challenges, he emigrated for the second time to the "Blue Sky country" — Alberta, Canada — with his wife and three daughters.

In Calgary, Brian found his niche with a successful oilfield service company and was eventually appointed international sales manager. After setting up an offshore subsidiary in Cyprus, he also became a director of that company.

It was in June, 1998, when he met with a catastrophic life-threatening illness, Guillain-Barré Syndrome. His first book, A First Step — Understanding Guillain-Barré Syndrome, described his battle for survival against a severe, acute, chronic, axonal form of that rare disease and his subsequent determination to return to as normal a life as possible. His story, which was written by the "one finger" typing method, pressing one computer keyboard key at a time, should be an inspiration to others. Apart from Parts 3 and 4, this new book, Guillain-Barré Syndrome – Five Years Later, has again been written using the same method – one finger typing!