Patient Stories

By Christine Robinson

My story goes back to 1965, when I was 5 years old. I am told I walked up to my mother and she was talking to her mother and asked, “Is Christine’s face supposed to be different on one side?” That observation lead me to being hospitalized for what they thought was polio. As it turns out it was GBS. In those days the parents had to go home at night, and I was kept in isolation. I can only imagine how my mother felt, having to leave me alone. Once I was home, I remember her working with me every day – helping with my therapy. I remember it was painful and I cried, but she pushed me through it, thank goodness. It took a lot of work. I was tutored the rest of the year in kindergarten and attended school just half days in first grade. Mom kept pushing every step of the way.

Then 20 years later, I called my Mom and said, “I think I have GBS again.” She made me push to see what was wrong and it took the doctors 1 month to agree that GBS had returned. That was the day I could not get out of bed. I was just back from my honeymoon and just minutes away from a respirator, but mom was there for me again. Mom supported me through all of life’s trials and tribulations, newborns, divorce, other weird illnesses. She is in heaven now, still watching over me. She taught me to fight, push and persevere, and have faith in God. I now have small fiber neuropathy which they believe was a precursor to GBS in the past.

I miss my mom every day. She has and will always be my hero. I only wish I could have returned the favor, and took care of her in her final fight, but I was not allowed. I am a nurse now, and like my mom, I teach people to persevere.