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The very beginning of August ended up with Guillain-Barré Syndrome and it’s no joke. I was paralyzed, legs, arms and face.
Luckily it only slightly affects my lungs. That’s the worst case, when your lung muscles are paralyzed. I’m thankful that didn’t happen for me.
The first days in ICU around August.
I have not posted about this yet, because I put 100% of my attention on healing. My social media team has been keeping our regular post going the last two months. I’m so grateful I have such an amazing team.
I’m finally well enough to start sharing some of what has happened and what’s to come.
First, you should know I’m getting stronger every day. Just started walking with a walker and need the wheelchair less. My face is still the most affected. Can’t smile, chew well, blink or fully close my eyes. My hands still have some numbness when I do too much. But this is a major improvement overall.
I have learned a lot and have many silver linings already. Feeling gratitude and well loved through all this. I’ve had a range of emotions, but overall keeping my mindset strong.
I’m also blessed that my team has been with me many years and have been able to run the company. Big THANK YOU to them.
I feel like I’m in a cocoon right now, literally. I’m ready to be the butterfly 
.
Even now, as I go through Guillain-Barré Syndrome, I find gratitude.
As my face was affected, I could not close or blink my eyes. This causes your eyes to dry up and can cause serious damage, so at the hospital they taped my eyes shut.
This allows the natural water to come back to the eyes. This was not fun and taking tape off your eyelids is even less fun!
I searched in my mind: What is good about this? What can I be grateful for right now?
My eyes taped shut to help protect them from serious damage.
Overall Guillain-Barré Syndrome has slowed me down, made me think deeper about the priorities of my life and the experiences I want most.
Even more, not being able to use my eyes, pushed me deeper inside myself. This went on for over two weeks and still today I have to limit how much I use my eyes.
It was like a two week meditation. From this many lessons have come.
They are and will change my life further for good. As they unfold and I’m ready, I will share these lessons. Even so, I’m grateful to have this happen in my life.
I GET to make these changes. I GET to share these lessons. What an opportunity! What a gift!
I’m not saying I didn’t feel other emotions, because I did! I went through many: confusion, fear, anger, sadness and more than one wave of each.
This syndrome brought me to tears, for sure.
With all that I have learned, as I’ve continued to invest in myself, mindset plays a big part in my life.
We can choose how we react to anything in life.
I’m choosing GRATITUDE.
With gratitude,
Steve
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