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www.aboutgbs.com Guillain-Barre Syndrome
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Survivors' stories
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Tabatha was suppose to be born on my B-day March 4,83 but we had terrible storms Feb 23 and I went into labor. When I got to the hospital, they went ahead and broke my water and she was born. She was 6lbs and 3ozs and was 18 inches long. She had a head full of black hair and everyone fell in Love with her. She was beautiful and very special. She was the first girl grandbaby on both sides.
As Tab grew, she was very out spoken and knew exactly what she wanted and knew how to get it. She was my Angel. She loved school and was good at everything she did. She was a mommies girl and I loved it. We were best friends. Her daddy left us when she was one year old so that left me and her older brother alone. It was just us three for 8 years. We got very, very close. Tabatha was the only one to graduate High school and we were all proud. She took CNA classes in High school and got a job at the nursing Home right after school. She loved her job and the people she took care of. She was in the band as color guard and was Tech at 2 different schools. She was also a member of the Scenic city drum corps and was suppose to travel when she got sick.
She was one of those people that everyone got along with. She met a fellow and fell in Love in April of this year. On June 21,03,we went and tried on wedding dresses. We had so much fun, just us girls. She was so happy. On June 23,I took her for her first checkup and that's when she first complained with symptoms. She was dizzy and feeling tired. The next day she went swimming and fell because she could not feel her feet. She called me crying and was scared and told me something was wrong. I told her to take some vitamins and go to the doctor the next day. The next morning I got a call from her friend saying she had called and ambulance cause Tab was sick. But they did not take her to the hospital. The next day, she called them again but they still did not take her. That night we took her to the hospital, she was numb in her feet, legs and hands. They said she was fine and sent her home. The next night we took her back, numbness from waist down, and arms and hands. They said it was all in her head and sent her home. That was on Friday and her dad took her to his house. They called me everyday saying she was getting better.
On Wednesday, five days later, I went down there to see her. She was gasping for air and could not move at all. I WENT NUTS!!!! I called the ambulance and told them not to bring her home till she was better. At the hospital, they called in a nuro doctor and he finally diagnosed Guillain-Barre. That was on July 2.They put her on the the breathing machine the next morning. They started Imuglobins and Ativan. She kept getting worse so on July 10th she was transported to Emory in Atlanta, GA. They put a trach in her neck and a stomach peg and a pic in her arm. By this time she was blind. This is so hard. She cried and I did my best to comfort her. She got pneumonia right away and went downhill from there. Infections and everything.
On July 21 she was crying and shaken her
head so bad. I tried to calm her but she wouldn't. Her blood pressure shot up to
170 over 119.They gave her Lopressor and it came down.
Then she turned to me and I thought she could see me. I ask her "Can you see
me?" and she shook her head no. Then she moved her lips and I leaned in to see
what she was saying, she mouthed the words "Thank you". Then she said "I Love
you, mom." Oh God, I knew she was leaving me. Then she passed out. She never
woke up after that. They let her stay on everything but on the 23rd,they said
she was brain dead and put a monitor in her head. Her brain was swollen 70
percent. The next morning, the 24th,they took the vent off and shut the
machines down. I sang Amazing Grace to her, kissed her cheek and told her
goodbye. All the family was there and told her goodbye. It was the hardest
thing I ever had to do. I miss her so bad. She was my baby girl, my best
friend and my Angel. She loved God and lived each day for him. She got me back
in church and I made a promise to her on he death bed that I would continue
church and I would see her again one day. That's Tab's story. As for her
fiancé, he deserted her and did not come see her until she was dead. Tab cried
at first for him but he would not come. He broke her heart. My Angel is in
Heaven now and my heart is broken.
Lisa Watkins - daze_63@yahoo.com
This page was last modified: August 06, 2005
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