A woman said she felt “trapped inside her body” after being struck down by a rare disease with no known cause.
Rebecca Louise Love was diagnosed with Guillain–Barré syndrome, a serious condition that affects the nerves, senses, movement, and essential functions like breathing and heartbeat.
It usually hits the arms and legs first before spreading to other parts of the body.
The mum-of-two and makeup artist, from Salisbury, first noticed pins and needles in her feet for about a week before realising she was growing weaker.
The 29-year-old said she could not get off the sofa, struggled to get out of the bath, suffered excruciating back and pelvis pain, and eventually found walking a challenge.
“I went to A&E, had a few tests taken, and after several hours I was sent home,” Rebecca told Need To Know.
“The following day, I called my GP, and they prescribed me a couple of painkillers and said if the pain persists after four weeks, to call them again.
“The following day, when I woke up in the morning, I could not move at all, and every time I tried to, it was pain as I’ve never felt before.
“I ended up calling an ambulance, and that’s when I was admitted to the hospital.”
Despite being admitted, Rebecca’s condition worsened rapidly.
She said, “Once admitted to the hospital, I seemed to get worse rapidly.
“I was unable to sit up or move my arms or legs.
“My children would come to visit and hug me, and I couldn’t even hug them back.
“They gave me a lumbar puncture, which, in all honesty, I can’t even remember because I was in so much pain.
“A couple of days after this, my face started to paralyse also.
“I couldn’t swallow, could barely talk, my vision was blurred, and I was struggling to breathe.
“I had my breathing checked often on this breathing monitor, and when it showed signs of getting weaker, that’s when I was moved to the ICU.
“Because I was unable to swallow, I had a feeding tube fitted and was taken off fluids.
“My breathing was getting worse, and I was put on oxygen, and if it was to continue, they were potentially going to have to put me to sleep.”
Rebecca was diagnosed with Guillain–Barré syndrome and started treatment immediately.
She said: “After a few da, ys I started to show signs of improvement, so I was transferred to a regular ward.
“I then began to decline again, becoming dehydrated and was moved to a more suitable ward.
“By this point, I was still unable to speak properly, I hadn’t eaten for three weeks and was still in a lot of pain, taking 16 tablets three times a day and Oramorph as and when I needed it.
“I still could not close my eyes or blink or smile.
“I also couldn’t move my mouth or my legs and arms.”
Recovery was slow, with each step becoming a huge milestone.
Rebecca said, “My symptoms were similar to those associated with having a stroke.
“Eventually, I was able to use my hands first, but felt like I had dinosaur arms.
“I could feel myself getting unwell again, and everything was a struggle, le so I had another round of immunoglobulin therapy, and it had a more positive effect the second time around.
“With the help of the physio team, once I was learning to accept what was happening to me, I started to gain confidence and a little strength, despite how much muscle had deteriorated.
“Each week felt like a huge milestone, and seeing myself do things again felt amazing.
“I also had electrotherapy and hydrotherapy.
“They taught me to stand and walk again, and I’m so grateful to everyone of them.”
Rebecca left the hospital in a wheelchair eight weeks after being admitted.
She added, “I was in the wheelchair for the first couple of weeks, but I tried to push myself to get my independence back.
“I am not my ‘normal’ self as I still struggle with some daily tasks, have pain often and still can’t feel my feet properly as there’s constant pins and needles.
“But at least I can walk again, I have appointments to attend still, and it may be a long process until I am my full self again, but it’s taught me so much about myself and life, and I know now to 100% listen to my body.”
READ MORE: ‘I’m a gut doctor, and this popular protein source is the WORST for your body’
