Guillain-Barre

[Jim Coleman, Sr.]

Hi Joe:

Nice to hear from you.

You are the first technician that I have come across who also had 
Guillain-Barre. Mine started on Feb 15 this year. I cannot walk yet, but 
I can tune a piano if I can get to it with my wheelchair (just spinets,
consoles and Grands, no tall uprights yet). My hands are still weak. 
Last week I went back to the Rehab place and measured my grip strength.
It was up from 6 to 11 lbs in the L hand and up from 16 to 22 lbs in the R.
That improvement covers a 1 month span. My therapist could grip 130 lbs.

I was pushing the envelope a bit recently and fell and broke the fibula 
in the R foot. Actually, I was pushing Myrtle in the wheelchair and 
tripped on something and went down like a rock. My hands were too weak 
to hold onto the wheelchair handles. I still have a fear of falling when 
using a standard walker for the  same reason. I keep exercising the 
hands and eventually will regain quite a bit more strength. 

Most repair work is still difficult for me. My speed in tuning is about 
the same as before.

How long ago did you have Guillan-Barre?

One man here in Arizona celebrated his 3rd anniversary of recovery by 
carrying his 3 year old daughter on his back down the Grand Canyon and 
up the other side. I'd call that RECOVERY. I'll be happy just to be able 
move a small Grand by myself again or to lift an upright piano up on end 
again to change casters.

Jim Coleman, Sr.

PS I'm still subscribed just to the pianotech-digest form for now. So I 
won't be answering a lot of stuff for awhile yet. I do however read 
almost everything on the list a day later. JWC