Collective wisdomto stop boredom for 60+ with Guillain–Barre syndrome

My cousin has been stricken with this horrible illness which has currently paralyzed him from head to toe. Can't speak or gesture. "Guillain–Barré syndrome is rare, at 1–2 cases per 100,000 people annually, but is the most common cause of acute non-trauma-related paralysis" from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillain%E2%80%93Barr%C3%A9_syndrome.

Just hoping that you may have had experience of a friend in similar predicament and found ways of making their life easier and more bearable while getting over that 6 week or longer period before they show any signs of recovery.

Your suggestions to alleviate boredom and stimulate him are most welcome. His only visitor is his wife at the moment,
Thought a collection of ideas might be one way of helping him and his wife through this dreadful period. Any hints, ideas to make hospitalisation more interesting are welcomed. JoyV

A woman at my mom's church wrote a book called "Bed 10" or the Woman in Bed 10". She tells how the hospital help talked about her, like she wasn't there. They thaught she was in a coma. But she was wide awake the whole time.

She and her husband made a chart, telling how to comunicate with her by blinking her eyes. They hung it over her bed.

But nobody ever looked at it.

She said it was hard to learn to walk again, because the hospital floors were so shiny, she couldn't judge the distance/surface.

Good luck!!!!!!

For me, audio books and podcasts are more absorbing than TV, also DVDs especially series.

Also perfect time to learn to meditate - for eg a multi-hour mindfulness meditation course is available at [http://www.audiodharma.org/series/1/talk/1762/]

Edited by: Satchie

You bet! Reading/audio books put our minds to work. Tv is just a hypnosis, dumb down machine.

I reiterate the benefit of audiobooks; another good website for free books is Librivox. Learning a new language is also good. Many free online sites such as LiveMocha and Instreamia. Other online learning at Khan Academy

A friend who had GB found doing tile mosaics both useful and absorbing once use of his hands returned. Eye/hand coordination can be worked on using sites like Lumonsity

Best of luck!

Thanks will follow up on those ideas. Also know there is communication program for Ipad which I am trying to identify and locate. Any speechies out there? JoyV

Is he having regular massage sessions?

It's important not to lose the sensation of touch, as well as to encourage and to praise small movements. The brain needs to keep up connections.

I support the audio books. My basic KINDLE has an app that will read the book to me - absolutely fabulous for special occasions and this is certainly one of them. I suggest you find out what his interests are, and read media updates to him on those subjects. If he likes animals, find a pooch or kitty that is excessively social and the owner would permit visits. Of course, bring along a few doggie or kitty crunchies. I am sure he has lots and lots of questions. From a med LINK, I would look up possible questions the sufferer would have, and read them to him with the provided answers. Such a rotten thing to happen. I hope recovery comes soon.

Thanks for your best wishes. We are also asking friends to send a favourite photo to remind him of good times. We will blue tack these to walls once he can look at more than the ceiling. It will also provide a talking point for staff and as he improves, later other visitors will also be able to interact as they see the variety of activities represented. He has restricted visitors to immediate family and is still in ICU so guess it will be a long, slow recovery. JoyV

Update, he is still in Intensive Care Unit, able to move shoulders slightly but still on assisted breathing. It will be a much slower recovery than we originally hoped for. JoyV

Hi there. Yes, gbs is really horrid. It struck me in 2009 (I had some vaccinations ready to travel to Syria!) I'd never heard of it before and it was truly scary to go from a healthy confident independent person to completey dependent. My family were greatly helped by volunteers from www,gbs.org.uk, if you're in the UK do contact them for help and advice.
I was not bored to start with, I think my system shut down, and anyway hospital routines can be a distraction. But I was very very frightened and angry about what had happened and what was to come. Supportive family and friends who visited for a short time, bringing news were welcopme, but sopmetimes I didn't give a d*** about anything beyond my own broken body. I was more bored when recovery began - then all my limited energy went on basic stuff like sitting up and combing my hair, didn't leave much for nicer things! Good radio was a great help - preset some channels, for speech, classical, drama, pop etc. And avoid fiddly buttons. Four years on I'm getting on ok, haven't got my balance or body position sense back, still no feeling in legs, tingling and shocks in feet makes walking hard. But so glad to be alive! There's a good support group on facebook. And you might want to read no laughing matter by joseph heller. Probably a bit early yet for your cousin. Do let me know if you want more info. Best. Els

Lots of ooks on tape, from the library.