A woman had to have her eyes closed after being paralyzed by the disorder

A fitness enthusiast was struck by a rare condition that forced her to stick her eyes with tape.

The former network engineer, Delilah Corkery, 47, said she "had virtually lost her whole body" when she had been diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) as a result of Initial bronchitis last February.

The woman, originally from California (USA), hoped to overcome the worst of this disease when she began to notice the onset of particular symptoms.

In March 2018, Delilah went out for a meal with friends when she noticed that the food had a bland taste and that she could not distinguish any taste of what she was eating.

Recalling her experience, Delilah said, "I was diagnosed with bronchitis two weeks before my first symptoms, and they say that a respiratory illness can trigger GBS," Delilah said.

"I was having dinner and all the food had a bland taste, like there was no taste.I also felt very hot.But when I got home that night, I washed my hands and the water was icy.

"Then I tried hot water, it was very hot and everything about the metal was like fire.

"The next day, I told my partner that I thought it was time to go to the hospital.

"I was there for seven hours sitting in the waiting room and when they finally saw me, it was for five minutes and they diagnosed me with dizziness, because I told them it was getting harder and harder for me to walk, gave me home. "

But when she awoke the next day, Delilah was in excruciating pain and could not walk without help.

She was immediately sent to the hospital, where staff underwent apoplexy, X-ray tests, MRI tests, blood tests and lumbar puncture, indicating a high rate of of proteins indicating Guillain-Barr syndrome (GBS).

Delilah immediately started treatment with IgIV, but by that time her functions in her legs, arms, face, including her eyes and intestines, had disappeared.

The magnitude of Delilah's case meant that she could not even blink but could still see, so that she closed her eyes after eight hours each night for the next three months.

"I lost my taste and sensations at my fingertips, then my legs and arms, then my chest, my ability to control when I went to the bathroom and my ability to eat , to breathe and even to blink … no control, all in the space of five days.

"I lost almost all of my body, including my face." They put these bubble stains on my eyes during the day so that my eyes remain wet, but they had to tape them during the night.

"They had to give me sleeping pills and anxiolytics every night because I felt paranoid, and I always wondered if anyone else was in the room because I could not see anything."

Delilah explained how she had to close her eyes eight hours a night, for three months after leaving the rehab center.

"I've been intubated twice. At first, for five days, they tried to pull it off thinking that I was breathing well, but when they removed it, I had the impression of choking it.

"I did not stop telling them that I could not breathe, but they just told me to relax until I screamed and the doctor asked them to do a blood test.

"That's when they found that my CO2 levels were high, they immediately re-entered it for six days."

After three weeks in hospital, Delilah was later transferred to a rehabilitation center where she spent almost a month recovering strength. She then returned home at the end of April, after seven weeks of intense treatment.

Delilah spoke of the difficulty of being physically active so you can not blink or go to the bathroom itself.

"The nurses had to move me every few hours because I could not control anything. Going to the bathroom was the worst because the SGB touched all the nerves, including the bowels.

"I had to get up in and out of bed to use the toilet with an electronic hoist, I refused the pain medication they gave me because it made me sleepy and upset, so I suffered a lot.

"The slightest touch of my legs would be extremely painful.If they were lifting my leg, she would fall to the side.Then, finally, I asked if there was anything else I could try and they gave me something called Lyrica.

"The day I started taking Lyrica, I was able to lift my knee slightly against my chest using my arms.It was the most incredible sensation." I sat there , knee to me, for an hour.

"A few days later, I turned on my stomach. Then every day, I worked with my physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech therapists, determined to get out in less than six weeks.

"I learned that I am stronger than I thought, I take nothing for granted and I am filled with gratitude.

"Sometimes I have to stop and remember that everything I do and what I live at that time is special.

"GBS is a serious illness and can affect anyone, no matter what your condition is.

"One thing that I had on my side was my good health and that's what all the therapists attributed to my quick recovery."