Day 6- The Faces of Guillain Barre: The Story of Melissa

This is the story about Melissa told by her daughter and then sister.

Hello. My name is Jalissa.
My mom was dignosed with GBS on July 4th 2001. I was only 10 years old. It was a server case of gbs . I do not know all the details of her case as I was just a young child. But I do remember she got it after  3 episodes of the flu back to back. I remember her going from bad to worse in the matter or days if not hours.   

As she lied there motionless, expressionless, and no speech. The last of movement to go was her eyes. She was vented (trechiotomy). I can remember being sooo mad at her for not responding to me. In her final days I told her how mad I was at her for not fighting, not surviving, not being there when I needed her the most.  "I hate you!" were my final words. She passed away December 1, 2001 . 

I regret everyday those last words . I could of said I love you more or to the moon or anything other then I hate you. I miss her terribly.

I am writing you not as a survivor but as child who just wanted her mom. A teenager who wanted to gossip about boys
A woman who was picking out a  wedding dress.
A soon to be mother who needed advice about birth.
And now a mother of 2 who just wants her momma when she feels like she is failing. 

I hope this story is okay .
That not only are the ones who are battling this syndrome a victim the love ones are victims as well.

Much love,
Jalissa Skelton
Of Texas 

 Told by, Melissa's sister:

It all started 2001. I think my sister (in law, but sister) was sick before anyone knew she was sick. I say that because Missy came to visit us after we had our 3rd daughter in april. She looked like she had lost a lot of weight.  

Fast forward to July 4th, we got a phone call that she was in the hospital with a really bad stomach bug. But they kept her and it wasn't a stomach bug. They didn't say or figure right away what she had, but they came to the conclusion that she had Gullian Barre syndrome.  Not knowing what that was I did research, and talked with many that had recovered or had a loved ones that recovered from GBS. So, that was good...We thought.  

It was hard to watch Missy go from her normally happy, bubbly self to a vegetable.  She went from not being able to communicate really but still with us to basically a coma. The doctors kept saying she won't survive the night.... But she did... We prayed and we prayed. 

Then one day I walked into her room, like I did every day, expecting her to still be comatose,  but she wasnt. She was staring right at me and watching me. Wait what? To be sure I sat on the side of her bed and held her hand, asking her questions and she would squeeze my hand. This was probably November by now. She enjoyed my mom and I singing hymns to her and reading her the bible. She was on a ventilator but that was ok, we thought she was on the road to recovery. 

They eventually transferred Missy to a home in Lubbock so she could recover the rest of the way. We were trying to plan when we could make that trip to go see her. 

December 1st, 2001... Missy went into cardiac arrest.  She didn't suffer no more. 

From what I have read, and communicated with others, it's very rare you die from the complications of GBS. But it does happen unfortunately.  That hurt so much I kind of blocked everything until about 3 years ago the doctor said my youngest daughter had GBS. I lost it all over again. After many extensive tests we learned that no she didn't she had a reaction to Tamiflu.  

GBS is a serious illness, there needs to be more awareness about it. And the more awareness about this may come easier outcomes for others. 

We love you Missy Kay.  I'm sorry we didn't know more. 

L. 

Melissa Kay Faulkner. 5/2/71-12/01/2001