J.P. Rosenbaum, who was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) earlier this month, has shared more details about his condition.
On December 6, he experienced some tightness in his hands after waking up in the morning. He went to work and had lunch with a friend. But by the afternoon, he experienced stiffness in calves and ankles.
The Bachelorette actor told PEOPLE, “I started noticing stiffness in my calves and ankles. I wasn’t walking right.”
His mysterious condition started to get worse by the time he went to pick up a pizza dinner for his two kids, Fordham and Essex. He said, “I couldn’t hold the pizza box with one hand. When I got home, I dropped my keys, and when I went down to pick them up, I couldn’t get back up. I had to brace myself against the car to climb my way back up.”
He went to bed but the next morning, his symptoms aggravated. He said, “I got in the shower and I couldn’t manipulate the soap around my body. Ashley had to help me put on socks and underwear and I said, ‘I’m definitely going to the hospital.’”
After consulting with his doctor and undergoing specific tests, he was diagnosed with GBS, a neurological condition in which the immune system attacks the nerves.
Rosenbaum said, “The severity of the condition didn’t hit me until the next day. I was definitely very scared.” He was administered immunoglobulins to which he responded well and his symptoms begun to subside.
The Miami-based real estate entrepreneur said, “I am lucky to be okay. That has not escaped me.”
After two days of hospitalization, the 42-year-old was discharged, but he had serious migraines.
Rosenbaum has persistent weakness in extremities. He said, “It’s the strangest sensation. Your mind thinks you can do something, but your body just won’t do it. When I walk, my calves feel very tight, and I have to be careful, because if I fall, I can’t brace myself. I can’t pick up a pencil or button a button or tie my shoes. The other day it took me over an hour to shower and 25 minutes to put on my shorts and underwear. Eye-opening is an understatement.”
Currently, he has been undergoing physical or occupational therapy to regain his strength. It may take several weeks or months to fully recover.
He said, “I still can’t do all the things I once took for granted. It’s perspective altering. Nonetheless, I haven’t gotten angry.” “Before, I wouldn’t have said that I was an overly positive person. But this experience has changed me. And I know how fortunate I am. This [condition] put my life into perspective. I hope I can carry that feeling with me forever,” he added.
