Tag: guillain barre recovery

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Tips we learned on how to visit well.

As promised in my last blog post, Here are a few lessons Dottie and I learned about visiting a patient. 1) Visitors make a huge difference in helping the person and those who are caring for them not feel like they are alone. 2) If the person stays on your mind, take the time to reach out. Don’t think they have so many others coming by they did need you to come. Case in point, I visited someone today and I was the 1st person who had come. If you are unsure, check in with someone close to the patient to see if they are up for visitors. A particular day might not be good but they can tell you a date and time that works. A side note-having someone as your gatekeeper really helps. That way you don’t have folks coming by when you are tired or just needing a break. Most patients are encouraged by visitors but get worn out because they oomph themselves up when others stop by. Creating signs to put on the door is a great idea. Signs like; “Michael is sleeping, please come by later” “Michael is at PT/OT having tests, please try and come by another time.” “2-4 is rest time, please come by after 4”. Have a note pad on the door so folks can you let you know they tried to visit. 3) When you visit, look at your watch and only stay 10-15 minutes. Keep it short and make it about the person who you are comforting and the people there to care for them. Think of the word LAP. Listen, Ask questions, Pray Do not be one of those people who talks about what happened to you or over stays your welcome. Ask, “would it be OK if I stopped by again in a couple of days?” “When is the best time to visit?” I had a few folks that wanted to know when my PT was so they could come cheer me on. Another side note-If you have procedures out of your room, make sure you have someone set up to accompany you to other parts of the hospital. It meant so much to me to have someone there especially during the times I couldn’t move. There were times that whatever they did got finished and then I would wait alone for as much as a half an hour. I always wanted someone there waiting with me. 4) Don’t feel like you need to take a gift but if you are so inclined, here are some things people did for us that were pretty cool.

  • Get to the hospital a bit early and buy a gift card to the cafeteria/coffee area. Give it to the patient so that family members who are staying with them don’t have to pay when they need something to eat or drink
  • If you know several folks who know the patient, take up a collection and buy a GrubHub card. That way, they can order food from outside the hospital.
  • Buy bagels and coffee for the hospital staff who are taking care of the person.
  • Buy a bunch of snacks that can be left in the hospital room. This is great for those who are staying at the hospital and again for those who are caring for the patient. See previous blog post “it only takes a cookie” 🙂 https://thankfulinallthings.com/things-happen-for-a-reason-and-good-things-can-come-from-it-all-because-of-a-cookie/
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The art of visiting…You might not think it makes a difference but it does!

 

The “least of these” refers to those in a variety of needy situations. They include the hungry, thirsty, impoverished, sick, and imprisoned. In this context, Jesus is speaking to those who were following Him wanting to know how to be considered righteous. Obviously in my case, it had to do with visiting this guy who was fighting back from Guillain Barre Syndrome. If you are finding the blog for the first time read back through some of the posts. You will see that one of the reasons I am Thankful in All Things is the outpouring of support we received and continue to receive from so many people. I have recently returned from a nice vacation where I took the time to read every card that was sent to me. I also have been reading through the notebook Dottie used to chronicle the highlights and the lowlights 🙂 of each day of my journey through adversity. So many folks took time out of their days to check in to say hello, encourage, drop something by, and pray for us. What also is obvious is many others who could not visit prayed regularly, took the time to write a note or make a comment on the caring bridge site. https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/michaelguthrie The visits and cards along with the comments have given me and Dottie the support we need to battle back from this crazy malady resulting from an auto immune disorder which wreaked havoc on my nerve system ultimately making me unable to move. This brings me back to the passage “we are to do this for the least of these.”

People taking the time to visit me in the hospital, rehab, and in the early weeks recovering at home, gave me a new appreciation for how important it is to do it. It has never been easy for me. There are many times I never went even though I knew I should. I would send a card, email, or text but somehow find a way not to actually go and be present with the person who was sick. I can’t explain why but I am guessing many who read this blog have had the same dilemma. I can honestly say that even though I still find it hard, I now feel compelled to go. Why? Because I know it can make a difference. The question is what is the best way to go about visiting someone in need? It is so easy to say, ” I am not very good at it” or ” I am sure I will just be in the way.” Believe me. Neither of these are reasons not to try and comfort or encourage someone. Your willingness to go and not overstay your welcome can be life giving. In my blog post, I will share some tips from Dottie and my personal experiences on how to allow God to use you well as you strive to care for those who need it. As Nike would encourage, “Just do it!” But do it with sensitivity.

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A chance to hear a little bit of my story

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

If you are a regular follower of this blog, it will come as no surprise when I write “we absolutely need others’ support and encouragement along the journey.” I can’t imagine doing this on my own. It has been the biggest lesson I have learned in my recovery from Guillain Barre Syndrome. I was time and time again “comforted in my affliction” and it has given me a new purpose to bring comfort to others so that “they may be comforted. Many of you have asked me to share my story not just from a faith perspective but also as to how this relates to reaching your full potential in life. I have been asked to speak to Realtors, college fellowships, sports teams, real estate/auto management teams, and men’s fellowship groups. I have learned in a new way that GBS has given me a platform because of what I have gone through. You can get the back story of my health challenge that started March 1st by going to https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/michaelguthrie/journal Posted below is a talk I gave back in November where I dig deeper into how we are called to help each other using the story of Jesus raising Lazurus from the dead (John 11). In this story we realize that Lazurus can only be freed from his dead clothes with the help of others. I also talk about the four friends who bring a paralyzed man so that Jesus can heal him (John 2). Jesus tells them that the man was healed because of their faith not the one who needed healing. My hope is that it will help you see why I am trying to be “Thankful in All Things” and that if we want to reach our full potential we need the encouragement of others.

grateful for this wonderful family who played a huge role in my recovery.
Some of the many people who time and time again showed up for me and Dottie as we fought back from what has been the biggest challenge of our lives.
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What does it mean to be made new?

I heard a sermon yesterday where the pastor preached on 2 Corinthians 5:11-21. It talks about how through our trusting in the Lord, we are made a new creation. We are given the opportunity for our lives to be transformed. My recovery from Guillain Barre has given me a new appreciation for what that means. I have thought a great deal and now have written about how my life has changed because of my auto immune system going haywire in late February/early March of 2019. This morning in a devotional written by Randy Wolff he talked about how a friend of his is handling suffering. It communicates exactly what I have been trying to articulate over these last few months.  “Suffering woke me up! I am fully awake and aware of new lessons being learned daily. I just knew about the lessons before. Now I really know priority and who to depend upon.”Sometimes we all need suffering to make us fully awake and alive. I am now convinced of this truth. I have more faith because of what I have experienced.” This quote is exactly why I started this blog. I want to choose and encourage others to be thankful in all things, good or bad.

Sometimes we all need suffering to make us fully awake and alive.

What follows is the way I paraphrased 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 to personalize it for me. “Since my bout with Guillain Barre Syndrome I now know what it is to fear the Lord and why I now feel compelled to persuade others to do the same. I am not trying to commend myself to you but am touched and humbled by folks saying my faith and fight has been an inspiration. I am thankful that my recovery has given me an opportunity to answer those who dwell on what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. Christ’s love and the love shown to me and Dottie is what compelled us, because we are convinced that the one who died for all, Jesus, met us in what was indeed a nadir moment. So from now on I will strive to regard nothing from a worldly point of view. Though I believed Christ would be our rock no matter what, I now know it to be true. I speak boldly that Therefore, since I know I am in Christ, the new creation has come both physically and spiritually. I am learning the old has gone and because of what I have and am going through, a new me is here!  I am ,therefore, Christ’s ambassador, and God has given me a platform to make His appeal to you through me. I write to implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. Why? Because one never knows when adversity will come your way and you definitely want God at your side when it does.” God has showed up time and time again for me which has given me renewed confidence in a promise I have always known to be true and now has been verified.

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My One Word for 2020 will be ……..?

Several years ago I read a book titled, One Word. It was written by my friends Dan Britton and Jimmy Page with help from well known author Jon Gordon. It is quite simple. It provides you a “how to” on how to boil the upcoming year into a One Word focus. You spend time thinking about where you are in your life and what One Word can help you become a better you in the coming year. If you have been a follower of my story here, you know 2019 was quite the year. If you are finding this blog for the first time, you can read previous posts here or go to https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/michaelguthrie to find out about my year dealing with Guillain Barre Syndrome. The journey I embarked on 10 months ago was one I never expected when I made the decision to choose Prayer for my One Word focus in 2019. I chose prayer because of my desire to be more diligent in my own prayer life. I wanted to trust God more and felt through an enhanced prayer life, i would draw closer to Him as I watched how my prayers would be answered for me and for the others who i committed to pray for regularly. Instead, through my illness, I learned that I was the one who would need everyone else’s prayers. I can’t even number how may folks lifted Dottie and me up not just once but over and over again. The bible says, “Make your requests know to God and you will experience a peace unknown to man” . It also says, “the prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail” . I am grateful for the multiple of people who have consistently prayed for me and my family from Day one and throughout my continued recovery. There is no doubt that it has given me the power and strength to prevail. My renewed health is an answer to those prayers and for that I am thankful. This thankfulness leads me back to what my One Word will be for 2020. and that word is……..

Generosity! It is my turn to give back. I look back and am astounded by how many people stepped up to care for the Guthrie crew. I have written about this in previous posts. The list of these acts of kindness have continued and are much appreciated. This year I want to be intentional in my generosity. True generosity is an offering; given freely and out of pure love. By its very definition, I want to be a someone who “shows a readiness to give more of something (like money or time) than is expected” like so many have done for me. My One Word is Generosity but I want my focus each day to be a commitment to RISE UP! It reminds and exhorts me to be Resolved Intentional Striving for Extraordinary things with Unbelievable/Unique Purpose/Passion

There is so much hurt and struggle in our world. So much of it makes no sense at all so we become discouraged and cave in to the thought process that there is nothing we can do. My hope is you will join me in Rising Up with a desire to make a difference in your part of the world. If 2019 taught me nothing else, it taught me one’s generosity can make a positive impact as time and time again, it sure impacted mine. Happy New Year everyone!

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There are gifts and then there are Gifts

A while ago, I paraphrased Isaiah 43:1,2 as they were balm to my soul as I recovered from Guillain Barre. “But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Michael.  he who formed you and created you to be His. Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the adversity that challenges you,  I will be with you; and when you pass through weakness and discouragement, You will not be overcome. As you struggle with infirmities, you will not be devastated. I will protect you and lift you up.” 

This verse came to mind again this week as we celebrated Christmas. I have indeed passed through a time of real adversity and know without a doubt that God was with me in the midst of the challenge which time and time kept me from discouragement. What does this have to do with Christmas? It is certainly not just the stockings hung from the mantle with care.

Many know that the Advent season focuses on expectation and think that it serves as an anticipation of Christ’s birth in the season leading up to Christmas. I think this is why Advent this year brought new meaning for me. You see, I had my own season of waiting in anticipation that I would one day move again. Jesus came saying He would become like light in the darkness. I felt His presence as well while I went through the dark time of waiting on being able to move again much less walking out of rehab two months ahead of schedule on April 25th, 2019.

So this Advent season, I waited with expectation because I was filled with joy and gratitude that like Jesus being born on Christmas, my Lord showed up in my life as He did for all of us more than 2000 years ago. Therefore, it was not about the gifts that were opened but the love that each gift represented for me. You see, I am grateful for the gift of slowly but surely getting better. The good news is my PT says she will get me back to 100%. The bad news is I will still be 67 and not 40 🙂 Therefore, the gift I am trying to give to my wife, kids, and grandkids is me being the best me I can be spiritually and physically. That way, I hope to be a person of encouragement to those around me for as long as the Lord allows. Being a light for those who are facing adversities in their own lives. My verse for 2020 will be 2 Corinthians 1:3,4 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,  who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. ” I hope in some way I this blog post has done that for some of you so like Jesus, we can all carry the light into this world.

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Being forced to learn how to “Be Still and know that He is God”

Give yourself a wonderful present this Holiday. Stop for a Holy pause. 

This Christmas, Make a decision to shut yourself down for a bit. Removing yourself from the endless noise and commotion to quietly engage your heart with His. Experience His stillness, His peace for our panic, and His joy vs our irritability. I read and have paraphrased these words this morning from an Our Daily Prayer devotional. If we are honest with ourselves, taking a holy pause is not easy. Just stopping to relax or as some say “take a chill pill” takes work. Stopping and just breathing deep…takes practice. “Be still and know that I am God” is a commandment for all od us. Why? Because slowing down takes work. Stopping and just breathing deep…takes practice. I was forced to learn this the hard way when fighting Guillain Barre Syndrome. I had no choice but to be still. I pretty much couldn’t move for 15 days and then only bit by bit for another month. Although much better, I still have to rest midday and call it a day much earlier in the evening than before GBS. In this stillness, I found God in a way I had never experienced Him before. I was forced to learn what it felt like to let go of everything. Thankfully, I found the peace that Phillippians 4 talks about. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” I also confirmed my faith and gave me hope in things not seen as written in Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” I do not want to go back there. It was an incredibly difficult time. But, now that my life is returning to a somewhat normal routine, I try and conjure back the feeling of not being able to do anything but Be Still. Maybe this is why the Advent Season seems more meaningful than others. Because I was forced to stop and marvel at the wonders of His love.

My prayer is that you will take time over this holiday to just Abide in Him. Stop worrying about what you accomplish but instead, allow yourself to just let go and trust the God who loves you. Let His goodness flow over you so that you can be the one He has created you to be. May it be your prayer that by stopping to count your many blessings you will be able to revel in the wonders of His love. O Come O Come Emmanuel  https://youtu.be/XFnQ70myUeI

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Learning to receive makes you a better giver

If this is your first time here I hope you will take the time to read previous blog posts or visit www.caringbridge.com/visit/michaelguthrie to learn about this blog came to be.

There are two streams of thought that I hope I can merge into one river of encouragement for those who have chosen to follow or happen upon this blog. First, I am learning that my guillain barre syndrome health challenge has become a blessing in my life. This experience has strengthened my faith. Joseph in the Old Testament was faced with one trial after another but time after time acknowledged, “The Lord was with me” I did while in the hospital and rehab and continue to experience His presence in my life. Genesis 50:20 paraphrased 🙂 “GBS intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the opportunity to encourage others” John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.” The troubles I have gone through have given me a platform to inspire and lead others through whatever it is they are going through. Donald Miller talks about “transitioning from being the hero/inspiration in your story to becoming the guide for others to be heroes in their own stories.” If you were going on a hike or a fishing/hunting trip in some remote area, wouldn’t you want a guide who has been in that location many times before? My back story is being knocked down but not knocked out by my auto immune system going haywire. This meaningful journey through adversity and how I have been able to handle it, has enabled me to help others find their way through as well. Without my faith in God and having so many people offering their help, this would not have been possible which leads me to the second stream of thought. 🙂

I have always been motivated by the thought, “it is better to give than to receive” I hated the fact that I was selfish and still find it distasteful when it raises up in me even now. Christmas always brought this ugly trait out into the forefront. I would sit and watch others open their wonderful gifts but instead of being happy for my brothers, sisters, or my friends, I would always compare what I got and did it measure up to what others got. Focusing on others with a “How can I serve them” mentality diminishes my selfishness along with staying attuned to how blessed I am. I have so much for which to be thankful. Watching people time and time step up to help us in whatever way we needed has allowed me to see how many people really care about us. While not being able to move I was totally dependant on others and as I continue to work hard in hope of a full recovery, people continue to offer their assistance. My point is I now have a new understanding for “It is better to give than receive”. I now know what it feels like to have people visit you when you are sick or in the hospital. Dottie and I have both been recipients of so many acts of kindness that have buoyed us up over these last 9 months so we would not slip into discouragement. They have acted as examples of how to love others well. They have been the guides that God brought to us on our road to recovery at just the right times. We are indeed thankful for all things and it is the reason I call myself blessed. Everyone needs to be reminded that “The Lord is with them” My hope is you will be encouraged to go out and be that reminded for someone you know could use a helping hand.

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Your life can be a candle in the darkness

It has now been 9 months since Guillain Barre Syndrome wreaked havoc on my body which I am still slowly but surely recovering from each day. I still struggle with fatigue and lack of stamina and often go through my day feeling light headed and a bit unsteady on my feet. There are many things I am learning as I deal with this new normal physically, mentally, and spiritually. The one sweet aspect that has been so special is constantly being told that my attitude throughout this significant health challenge has been an encouragement to others. The following are just a few comments I received over the Thanksgiving holiday.

As PTs this is the best part of our job that really makes everything worth it ❤️ It has been so special to be a part of your journey… not everyone battles so courageously.

 â€śOne of the highest of human duties is the duty of encouragement. … It is easy to laugh at man’s ideals. It is easy to pour cold water on the enthusiasm. It is easy to discourage others. The world is full of discouragers. We have a Christian duty to encourage one another. Many a time a word of praise or thanks or appreciation or cheer has kept a man on his feet. You have been this for me.

——LOVE this! So true and so applicable to anyone’s journey! you are so right the world is full of discourages and the older we get the duller those dreams get as ppl battle with the hardships of life. It is our job to encourage others. Such a beautiful message Thankyou for reminding the world ❤️

Grateful For all that u have shown and inspired in me! Love you like a brother!

Happy Thanksgiving Mike, to you and your family.  Your perseverance and trust in God was very inspirational to many, including my son and me.  So happy for you as your full recovery continues.  God Bless you.

Thank you Michael. I really enjoyed reading all about your journey after GBS and am grateful for you sharing it and for reaching out to others to provide hope. A truly inspiring story.

Awe, Mike, it was my pleasure to lift you up to the Most High God and I praise Him for the healing he has brought to you ???? Happy Thanksgiving to you, Dottie and your beautiful family

We’re all made better by having you in our lives Michael!  Happy Thanksgiving! 🙂

and even from a Va Tech fan 🙂 I’ve always admired how you always find the positive with your recovery. Happy thanksgiving MRG and everyone else. And go Hokies ?

If you visit my Caring Bridge site https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/michaelguthrie or my Facebook page, there are so many uplifting words for me but also folks sharing how I have offered them hope in their own lives. This has become an unexpected blessing (silver lining) and yes a glimmer of light in what has been a pretty dark time in my life.

glimmer of light through the beach clouds

As we ponder the Wonder of God’s love over this advent season, remember a candle is lit each Sunday to remind us “unto us a Child was born” who brings us hope. I have experienced Hebrews 11:1 personally which says, ” Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” I am honored that God has used me to offer hope to others who are struggling in one way or another. I hope this blog post will encourage you to be a candle in the darkness. So many folks have made a difference in our lives. I can assure you that choosing to trust God and finding ways to encourage others can make a positive difference in someone else’s life. Why, because no matter how small the light provided by your candle, it will always defeat the darkness around it.

light always defeats the darkness
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Plateaus-Then and Now

There has been so much written about the Mountaintop and Valley experiences of life. There are many devotionals and books written that talk about “the need for the mountain top exhilaration so that we are able to navigate the many valleys that come our way in our day to day lives” I found this to be especially true both at the outset of my Guillain Barre and now in my recovery from this crazy auto-immune system disorder. It was 16 days before I saw any significant movement anywhere on my otherwise motionless body. The doctors and nurses all said I was improving but there was not any clear signs of that progress. I certainly was glad the progression had stopped short of my diaphram as I had no interest in being incubated. Once the diagnosis was made, I started Plasmapheresis (plasma exchange) on March 3rd. I was told some parts of me would start moving a bit between the 3rd and 4th of 5 treatments which were every other day. The last one occured on March 11th with no such signs. I was discharged to a rehab facility from the hospital on March 13th. “How could this be happening”, we asked. The answer was you are getting better and there is nothing else we can do to help you at this point. Just like walking on a plateau, you travel a distance and feel like you have not really made much progress. This was certainly true for me. It is easy to get discouraged when you hit a stabilized point in recovery. In one sense, you are relieved that you are not getting worse but you find yourself fighting the advice to be patient, “you are and will get better”. Trusting and putting my hope in the Lord along with leaning on and appreciating those who were cheering me on got me through those days and kept me from the fear of thinking, “what if I don’t get better?” On March 17th (St Patrick’s Day), my arms moved over my head. I am not sure what made me think they would, all of a sudden, there they were. I even scratched my head as I lowered them.

https://thankfulinallthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/moving-my-arms-video_Trim-1.mp4

Things took off from there. My body started waking up and the recovery process was nothing short of miraculous. When I was admitted to the rehab facility, they noted in their records that they expected me to be there until the end of June and leave using a walker. Praise God. I went home on April 25 with the assistance of a cane. Within a couple of weeks I was walking in the neighborhood.

https://thankfulinallthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/walking-in-the-neighborhood.mp4

I have continued to recover over these last 8 months. The doctors and physical therapists say I am at about 80%. Given that the data shows it takes 6 months to 2 years, this is pretty good progress 🙂 and yet, I feel like I have now reached a new plateau. My weight loss has slowed and I still need to rest in the middle of the day and call it a day early in the evening. I can get discouraged but thankfully my positive can do attitude, the support and encouragement of family and friends, the prayers of so many being answered and substantiating my faith in a healing God keeps me going. Like on any journey, I just need to look back to where I started to see how far I have come to be reminded that I am indeed blessed. It allows me to know that I will once again move upward toward the next plateau.

one must look back to get a sense of how far they have come.