Dr. Laura Horowitz spent her career helping patients manage complex medical conditions in Montreal.
Last fall, the MUHC nephrologist found herself on the other side of the hospital experience when a sudden diagnosis left her unable to move and dependent on others for daily care.
Horowitz was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a rare autoimmune disorder that caused complete paralysis within a matter of days.
The illness interrupted a demanding career that included treating patients at the Montreal General Hospital and leading the Kidney Health Program for Cree communities in Northern Quebec.
After spending several weeks at The Neuro, she developed a greater appreciation for the people who support patients throughout their recovery, particularly nurses and patient care attendants.
Before her diagnosis, Horowitz was focused on caring for others. Her illness meant she temporarily lost the independence she was accustomed to, including the ability to care for her young daughter.
Her time as a patient gave her a different understanding of the physical and emotional challenges faced by people living with serious illness.
“Over two weeks every day, there was a new thing that I had lost, a new sensory, a new motor, a new something that I had lost. By the end, after about two weeks, when I had two and a half weeks, when I had plateaued, I was completely paralyzed from my feet all the way up,” said Dr. Horowitz.
“Any kind of temperature fluctuations, that numbness, that tingling, these are all neuro symptoms. Any neurological symptom is a bad symptom. So right away, I was very concerned.”
For Horowitz, her illness not only interrupted a demanding career that included treating patients at the Montreal General Hospital and leading the Kidney Health program for Cree communities in Northern Quebec, she also temporarily lost the independence she was accustomed to, including the ability to care for her young daughter.
“I was angry. I work extremely hard, but at the same time, anytime that I’m home, I take care of my children. I make sure that we do bath time, that we do supper, that I put my baby to bed. And I couldn’t do that. So I got angry. So I called it mama rage that kind of pushed me.”
According to the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ), GBS affects about one person in every 100,000 each year.
The condition becomes more common with age, increasing by about 20 per cent for every 10-year increase in age, and it occurs more frequently in men. It is often associated with a previous infection, including influenza and other viral illnesses.
“Guillain-Barré syndrome is an autoimmune disease. So it’s your own antibodies attacking your nerves. It’s an autoimmune nerve disease and it’s a relatively common disorder where your antibodies attack your nerves and that gives you symptoms of numbness first, usually followed by weakness. That often starts in the leg, but then progresses to the arms and off in the face. And in more severe cases, you can have difficulty talking, difficulty breathing,” said Dr. Rami Massie, a neurologist at the Montreal Neurological Hospital.
“The key is really progression. If you’re having a progression of numbness or tingling over a few days, that is clearly worsening and spreading. And if on top of that you start having weakness or difficulty walking, then that’s the biggest clue that it might be Guillain-Barré syndrome.”
Horowitz has since returned to her medical practice, bringing with her the experience of both a physician and a former patient.
Her story highlights the uncertainty of Guillain-Barré syndrome, the challenges of recovery, and the importance of compassionate care from a team of healthcare professionals throughout a patient’s journey.
“I knew that as much as this is a very burdensome disease and why I like to talk about it. It’s because not a lot of people know about it. It’s a rare disease. It can hit anybody. It can affect children, young adults. And then there’s another peak kind of in the 60s. And really time to diagnosis really ensures a better prognosis and why I’m trying to share. So I got to advocate for myself. I knew what it was. But for others that don’t, it’s scary,” said Dr. Horowitz.
“I always consider myself to be extremely compassionate. I like to really get to know my patients really well. So it’s kind of taken that to a whole other level.”
