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Glynn Jones, The Story So Far.
“Hello there Howard and everyone.
Just thought that I would bring you up to date with what is happening with me. As you know I have been diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome which started whilst out in The Gambia.
I had gone to Brikama College on the Wednesday feeling that I was walking on thick sponge but tended to ignore it, thinking it would go away. The next day I was having difficulty in walking, so a friend who runs a clinic in Kunkujang picked me up in their newly donated ambulance. By Friday I could not walk at all. My body was becoming more and more paralysed by each day. As you can imagine it was all very frightening, everything was happening so quickly. I didn’t know what was happening to me.
I spoke to Fatou the resident nurse (she is amazing) and said that the only thing I could think I had was motor neurone disease. She quickly left and came back about 2/3 hours later with a big smile on her face. “No” she said, “Its not motor neurone but something that mimics it” The amazing thing is that she diagnosed it from a medical book that Shine-Africa had given to her the year before. Also amazing is how many doctors in this country fail to come up with the correct diagnosis.
It is incredible how things happen….Shine-Africa had donated some hospital mattresses the year before, I slept on one of them. The wheelchair and the chair I sat on to have a shower had also been donated by Shine-Africa.
On the 19th April I was brought back to England in an air ambulance in a paralysed state, not having very much movement at all. Once we had landed at Manchester airport an ambulance was ready and waiting to take me straight into hospital. I am now in my 3rd hospital, the Haywood Hospital, Stoke on Trent, which has expertise in rehabilitation. I have been here for the last 3 weeks and making good progress, but it will be slow.
I am having to learn to walk again….harder than in sounds, as I still don’t have much feeling in my feet and legs, although for 6 weeks I did not even know if anyone touched them, so progress is being made. I celebrate each achievement with joy and gratefulness and I truly mean that….I really feel that I have had a 2nd chance of life and I will certainly not waste it.
All that we take for granted was stripped away from me, I could not even feed, toilet or wash myself. I was totally dependent on other people for all my needs.
I really do look at the world in a very different way now. I realise just how lucky I have been and at least I have the knowledge that I will hopefully make a full recovery. I also realise that it is important to enjoy each and every day.
My mode of transport is still the wheelchair but I AM walking with the help of a frame at the moment and I can actually stand and balance on my feet without any assistance…hey I can even look over my shoulder and maintain my balance. O.K. I cannot actually take a step but that will come. After the frame I will progress to crutches and then to sticks.
In the famous words of the terminator “I WILL be back”. I am determined that I shall be back in The Gambia by early next year. I will be there to meet you when you all arrive in the vehicles. That is one of my goals and that is what keeps me going throughout every day. That is my dream and aspiration, giving me something to work towards.
Watch this space………”