14 Apr 2011
By: LEA WEE
Six years ago, Mr John Wong was a 31-year-old regional business manager in a multinational company. A graduate of molecular biology from Curtin University in Australia, he had a steady girlfriend of two years and they were planning to get married.
Then he was struck with a rare condition called chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. It ravaged the nerves in his body, leaving him blind and paralysed. He was unsure whether he would ever recover.
Mr Wong, now 37, recalled: "It was a total nightmare for a go-getter like me. I was always on the move."
He and his girlfriend eventually parted ways, but with medical treatment and the support of his family, friends and Buddhist faith, Mr Wong has regained his sight and the use of his limbs.
But life could no longer continue on the same track for Mr Wong, who has written a book about his experience. He recently took a pay cut to set up his own company to promote holistic wellness.
It was six years ago when the first signs emerged that he might not be well.
At a Christmas party in his office in December 2004, he tried to run alongside his colleagues' children in one of the games.
He said: "I found I could not command my legs to run. I could still walk but it was like the program for running was suddenly deleted from my brain."
Over the next few days, he lost his balance many times and fell. The weakness in his legs spread to his hands and twice, he almost lost his grip on the steering wheel while driving.
In January 2005, he saw a neurologist, who referred him to the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) for immediate admission. Tests found he might have the rare Guillain-Barre Syndrome (see other story).
Rehabilitation was ordered. Over the next two weeks, he managed to regain part of the strength in his limbs.
But his condition took a turn for the worse after he was discharged. He recalled: "I started to feel tired and lethargic."
By Valentine's Day, he could not get out of bed for an appointment at SGH. His parents called for an ambulance.
His mother, Madam Irene Yip, 60, said: "I got really scared when I saw how lifeless he was."
Mr Wong, the eldest of three children, was admitted to the hospital, where his condition continued its downward spiral.
He said: "I could not feel or move from my neck down, and I had problems swallowing food and speaking."
His weight plummeted from 68kg to 45kg. He said: "I felt breathless, like the ribcage was pressing against my lungs."
His heart rate and blood pressure were erratic. He could not urinate and had to have a catheter inserted. Nor could he move his bowels, so nurses had to administer laxative rectal suppositories every few days, and he had to wear a diaper.
But the worst was when he lost his sight. He said: "Everything slowly became dimmer. I was seeing things through a thick fog."
Tests showed the nerves to his eyes, bladder, bowel and limbs had been damaged.
Doctors told him he had demyelinating polyneuropathy, which is thought to be the chronic form of Guillain-Barre Syndrome.
His mother, a part-time office cleaner, recalled: "Whenever I visited him in hospital, he would be in tears."
But with help from his parents, friends and his faith, Mr Wong found his fighting spirit.
He said: "I wanted very much to get well. There were many things I hadn't done. I hadn't repaid my parents for bringing me up."
His hope and motivation left an impression on Dr Ng Yee Sien, his rehabilitation medicine physician at SGH.
Said Dr Ng: "His was a complex case because many body systems were affected and his symptoms were rather persistent.
"But he was very cooperative in rehabilitation and had the faith he would get better. He also had very good family support."
Aside from painkillers and muscle relaxants, Mr Wong went on chemotherapy and steroids to suppress his immune system.
Slowly, he regained some weight and part of his bladder and bowel function. He was discharged in late April 2005.
Back home in the three-room Housing Board flat in Telok Blangah where he still lives with his parents, he continued to work hard to relearn basic skills.
He learnt how to write again and fed himself by strapping a spoon to his hand with a rubber band. He asked for plasticine and other hand tools to practise his grip and he attended physiotherapy sessions at the Society for the Physically Disabled.
The former meat lover also cut back on his meat intake and ate more vegetables, fruit and nuts.
It took more than a year before he could go back to work in June 2006 at the same company. By then, he had regained 70 per cent of his sight and strength.
These days, he is almost back to his old self – except for the occasional numbness and cramps in his legs. Dr Ng said a relapse is possible but unlikely.
He got married in 2008, had a daughter, then was divorced.
He said he will never forget this nightmare. Last year, he wrote a book for his daughter.
He said: "It has been a humbling and privileged experience because I know now what it is like to be physically handicapped."
In his free time, he counsels physically disabled patients at SGH and the Kampung Senang charity.
Email: leawee@sph.com.sg
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