Case Study: Joseph Heller

Today in class, we discussed Joseph Heller and his struggle with Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS).  His case was somewhat rare because it did not happen after a respiratory or a viral GI infection but it just spontaneously occurred.  His first symptoms did not begin in his legs and work up like most cases but instead it started in his core and worked outward.  His symptoms began with muscle weakness and he struggled with stepping and grasping with his hands.  When he was diagnosed, he was in the middle of writing his fourth book and later wrote a book about his experience with this condition called "No Laughing Matter".  It took him about two years to recover from GBS.