In 2013, after three days with the flu, Janet\u2019s health suddenly took a turn for the worse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Putting on her shoes, a task that normally took seconds, now took nearly fifteen minutes and even simple movements became a challenge for her.\u202f\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her husband, Christopher, rushed her to the doctor. From there, things escalated, and she was sent straight to the Charlton Memorial Hospital Emergency Department. By the time they arrived Janet had lost all mobility;\u202fshe could only move her head, but the rest of her body was unresponsive. The doctors moved quickly, performing brain scans, blood tests, and other diagnostic tests to find some answers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was\u202ffrightening,\u202fand I was terrified,\u201d Janet said. \u201cOne minute I\u2019m fine, and the next I can\u2019t even move. I couldn\u2019t perform the simplest tasks! My faith was all I had so I surrendered myself to God for His help and I felt at total peace. I was in the best hospital with the best doctors\u202fand their team. I trusted them.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Janet was then admitted to the hospital where she spent seven\u202fdays in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Her treatment included an intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) drip and slowly her feeling and mobility returned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat first moment when I felt something, it felt like hope,\u201d she recalled. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
After she was discharged, Janet began physical therapy at home. But ten weeks later the weakness returned. The neurologist and her care team never gave up and she was soon diagnosed with Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP), a rare lifelong neurological disorder. With this diagnosis, her doctors developed a treatment plan which included intense physical therapy to rebuild and maintain strength paired with regular infusion treatments at the Southcoast Health Infusion Center at St. Luke\u2019s Hospital.\u202f <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Janet, living with CIDP means receiving treatment every two weeks for the rest of her life, and through it all, she has found strength in unexpected places.\u00a0Her faith has been a constant source of comfort, and she found tremendous support in the care she receives from the St. Luke\u2019s Hospital Infusion Team.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At\u00a0her visits,\u00a0she\u00a0draws\u00a0strength\u00a0from\u00a0observing\u00a0her team\u00a0working\u00a0seamlessly\u00a0together. She could tell that they\u00a0always go\u00a0above and beyond\u00a0for their patients and each other.\u202f\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve got something really special here,\u201d she said. \u201cThe nurses here are absolutely incredible. I\u2019m so blessed. Having a team that truly cares as deeply as they do is a gift. They don\u2019t treat their work as a job they treat it like a calling.\u201d\u202f <\/p>","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":288774,"template":"","categories":[1231],"class_list":["post-288773","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-patient-stories"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n