An NHS nurse has revealed how she woke up paralysed and feared she’d never walk again due to a condition triggered by the flu.
When Elana Murray woke up after a night out feeling worse for wear, she instantly regretted her drinking decisions.
The 24-year-old, in a bid to nurse the hangover, slept the day away and filled up on beige foods.
READ MORE: ‘My rescue dog ripped off my lip in one bite while I was eight months PREGNANT’
Despite getting an early night, she still felt wobbly the next morning, so she decided to take things easy – but then her legs and hands went completely numb.
Struggling to get out of bed, Elana called out for help and was rushed to hospital, where it was confirmed she was totally paralysed.
“In the blink of an eye, my life had changed beyond all recognition,” the mental health nurse, from Fife, told Need To Know.
“I was unable to change, bathe or go to the loo myself – and needed around-the-clock care.
“I just couldn’t understand how this could be happening.
“My life had only just begun.”
Elana’s worrying symptoms emerged in December 2024.
She questioned whether the lack of feeling in her legs was due to the shoes she had worn on the aforementioned night out.
But when she struggled to open the car door, too, it was clear something was very wrong.
At the hospital, a lumbar puncture was performed – which tests the cerebrospinal fluid – and she was placed on the stroke ward for one week until the results came in.
After a few days, it was confirmed to be Guillain-Barré syndrome.
It’s a rare autoimmune condition where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the nerves and affects 1,500 people in the UK each year, according to Inflammatory Neuropathies UK.
Doctors believe it was brought on by a recent case of flu Elena had.
She said: “My parents and I looked at each other helplessly.
“While the condition was usually temporary and manageable, there was no cure.
“I was discharged from hospital two weeks later, though I was still confined to a wheelchair.
“At my weakest, I couldn’t even hold up a spoon.”
Elana underwent physiotherapy to learn how to walk again, and, in time, her legs and arms started to regain feeling.
Within a year, she was back to ‘normal’.
Now, she’s got a whole new perspective on life and lives without fear of the unknown.
She added: “After fearing I would never walk again, I realised nothing could really scare me anymore – even heights.
“It felt nothing short of a miracle.
“I am aware that there is a possibility of Guillain-Barré syndrome recurring, although this is rare, as there is no cure.
“But I monitor myself by being aware of any changes from my normal baseline, such as any new or worsening weakness, changes in sensation and breathing.
“It’s changed my outlook on life and made me much more grateful for the things that can be easily taken for granted.
“Being able to walk, get out of bed, wash and dress myself is something I never really thought about before becoming unwell.
“Working as a mental health nurse, I now have a better understanding of how frustrating, frightening and vulnerable it can feel to lose your independence and rely on other people.
“I feel this experience has made me more patient and compassionate, as I can relate to patients on a more personal level and understand how important it is to maintain their dignity, independence and sense of control wherever possible.”
READ MORE: ‘Lumps on my penis led to terrifying diagnosis weeks before my wedding’
