The Numb Lip That Brought It All Back - A Story of Illness, Recovery, and Resilience

Welcome to Postcards from Bosnia, where I share personal stories, conversations, and moments of everyday life from my adopted home in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Whether you’re curious about the culture, thinking of visiting, or just enjoy a slower pace of storytelling, there’s something here for you.

How a strange sensation reopened the door to a forgotten chapter—Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a brush with paralysis, and learning to rest without guilt.

What if a small sensation—like a numb lip—could transport you back nearly 40 years?

In this reflective episode, I share a story I don’t often tell.

One that begins with pins and needles and ends with walking again after months of paralysis. Back in 1987, while serving with the British Army in Germany, I was unexpectedly diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder that left me paralysed from the chest down and in recovery for more than a year.

This isn’t a dramatic tale or a medical deep-dive. It’s simply my account of what happened, what it felt like, and why a recent sensation, something as small as a numb upper lip—brought it all flooding back.

I also talk candidly about the lingering fatigue that follows you after GBS, how I’ve learned (finally) to rest without guilt, and why sometimes it takes a quiet moment in the present to fully revisit the past.

If you’ve experienced GBS, or know someone who has, or you’re dealing with unexplained exhaustion or long recovery from illness, I hope this episode gently reminds you: you’re not lazy, you’re healing.

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Until next time — stay curious.