Lucy Valcheva
I am Lucy Valcheva, 36, from Bulgaria. In April 2023, the worst and the best thing happened in my life. You are probably horrified and thinking, how can Guillain Barre be good?
I was in a very dark place before getting sick, totally stuck in a routine and on autopilot with little joy in my life.
It hit me quickly, I got sick with the flu, and 10 days later, I was in the hospital almost completely paralyzed for two weeks. This event woke me up, opened new doors, and turned my whole life upside down.
I lost so many things… I was active and loved swimming, jogging, trekking, boxing, and riding my bike. I loved playing the piano.
My recovery is still ongoing, I can swim a bit and ride the bike, which is amazing and I appreciate it very much. I feel like a phoenix, my old me burned down and now I have to discover what my new me looks like. There is wisdom in trauma.
I am currently in therapy because I developed PTSD because of it, which is a very normal reaction. I also got very passionate about psychology, so I am seriously considering switching careers. Emotional support is very crucial in cases like that. A good friend of mine introduced me to the sunflower symbol of hidden disabilities. How often have you heard “but you look healthy”? This is a very isolating and lonely condition, because it is there every step of the way, and our close ones don’t see it. I want to bring awareness to this condition. I am reading the book “No Laughing Matter” by Joseph Heller, which is about his journey with Guillain Barre.
I coincidently love him. Catch 22 is one of my favorite books. And he is very famous in Bulgaria, so I plan to translate the book, to raise awareness.
With the support of my family, I can focus on my recovery, and I currently do not work. But my dream is to study psychology, and to help people going through trauma, there are a lot of heavy emotions that rarely have a place in our society, people often struggle in silence, and I want to offer a safe space for vulnerability.
I found so many useful resources in the gbs-cidp.org and the Facebook group. In Bulgaria we don’t have much access to it, I found wonderful tips on PT, information on what this is, and most importantly support, so I try to share the information I find. When I got sick, I had no idea that this condition even existed, and nobody gave me any tips on what I should do, so I want to change that. I want to help people and offer my knowledge and support.
