This book is about three people from different walks of life, each of whom experienced a life-changing episode of Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Three dramatic stories in one.
Firstly, a story of the Author's remarkable almost complete recovery following his encounter with the syndrome. It is a frank and personal account of his struggle to regain much of what he had lost in bodily function during one year of hospitalisation. It should provide inspiration and possibly answer so many questions typically asked by others afflicted with this syndrome.
Secondly, case studies written by two co-author contributors, one a Calgary Veterinarian and mother of two, the other a retired Vancouver resident who was struck with Guillain-Barre Syndrome whilst shopping for a boat in England.
"There is no single answer to the question as to how life may change after recovery from this disorder. Each case appears to be unique. That is why I have chosen to include, not just a record of my partial recovery, but also the recovery record of two additional people, each different from one another's and each certainly different from mine (Author's Preface)."
"We eventually identified a boat--only three feet short of what we had wanted-- that was within our budget.
At this point Heather's brother, who lived nearby, said he would like a share in the boat, to which we agreed. During this discussion in his house I had to ask him to refrain from smoking, as my throat was quite sore. I was feeling rather run down and often felt cold. About the same time on a Saturday, I felt a tingling in the finger tips of my left hand and found they were a bit swollen. I mentioned it to Heather, but it did not seemserious. It was, however, the first sign that I had contracted GBS. If only I had known, the treatment might have been started earlier! (Patrick Hill)"
"Probably the worst face of Guillain-Barre Syndrome is the effect it has on loved ones. Severe, or not, chronic or not, it matters little to the supporting family at the bedside of a patient. Fear, puzzlement, and apprehension are all experienced by the loved ones. Reading the case histories of Sarah and Patrick, one learns how their spouses also suffered many frightening experiences, but in spite of all that, they remained - obviously without second thought, hesitation or doubt. True to their marriage vows, they provided so much love, care and support. That was the shared experience among the three of us (Author: Epilogue)."

After I had published my first book, A First Step - Understanding Guillain-Barre Syndrome, it occurred to me that the dream sequences described in that book would make for an interesting read on their own, as a collection of short - but impossible - stories.
Thus were sewn the seeds for this publication. The 'postscripts' that have been added are included to assist readers who have not read the earlier book, and who therefore may not have a full understanding of the circumstances I found myself in.
During my seven-month confinement in Intensive Care, on a ventilator for breathing assistance, diagnosed with severe acute chronic Guillain-Barre Syndrome - sometimes referred to in its abbreviated form as GBS, I experienced many dreams and hullucinations, some of which are described in the book. The medications I was taking, the inability to distinguish between night and day, being thrust into an unfamiliar environment, or something inherent in the disease itself may have been the cause. Although these dreams are not necessarily in the sequence in which I dreamed them, it is possible to connect them to certain events or phases of my illness.
Initially, I was paralysed from my toes up to my eyebrows. This did not appear to inhibit my mobilty in some of the dreams though. One moment I was in a wheelchair, the next flying an F16 fighter jet, even though I had never flown before, other then as a fare paying passenger. Except for my relatives, the names used to identify characters are fictitious and used to enable the reader to follow the thread of the story. In these sequences, any similarity to any person, living or deceased, other than in the case of the exception noted, is entirely coincidental and unintended. The Author.

Part one of A First Step - Understanding Guillain-Barre Syndrome is a true, blow-by-blow account of the Author's encounter, as a healthy Canadian businessman, with a rare and devastating disease, Guillain-Barre Syndrome (G.B.S. for short). It describes his seven-month long struggle for life in 'Intensive Care' after receiving a grim prognosis, and his subsequent dogged determination to overcome the effects of that disease.
The second part is devoted to short stories based on dreams and hallucinations experienced whilst he was in 'Intensive Care', which in themselves reveal something of what a patient was going through. They also serve to illustrate the narrow boundary between reality and the dream world, and which whilst making for entertaining reading, could possibly be the subject of further study.
Although the Author is a layperson, in medical terms, it is believed this book will be an important aid to medical professionals and care-givers, providing as it does, new insights and a unique perspective on the effects, not only of the disease, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, but also of the handling and care of any long-term intensive care patient, and their subsequent rehabilitation. For the curious, it will answer many questions. For G.B.S. patients and their families it should provide inspirational reading.
The foreword to the book has been written by Dr Frank Warshawski, MD, FRCPC, Director of Intensive Care, Rockyview General Hospital, Calgary. In addition to that prestigious involvement, the Author has been fortunate in receiving permission to use other material authored by exceptionally well qualified medical professionals, for which due credit is given in the'Acknowledgements' section of the book, enabling him to produce not only an interesting publication, but an informative and educational one.
In short, a 'must read' and deserving of a place on any medical bookshelf.