PATIENT STORY: Carsten
In cooperation with Kliniken Beelitz
BACKGROUND
Carsten, ~55 J, Airportsecurity-employee from Berlin
Course of disease
At Pentecost 2024, he noticed a scratched mosquito bite on his buttock. Within a few days, it developed into a deep wound. Sitting and movements around the wound became increasingly difficult, until walking was also affected.
After a doctor’s visit, he was treated for several days in a hospital in Berlin. He was discharged once the wound had healed. However, shortly afterward, the pain returned, and walking became increasingly difficult. In addition, he developed neck pain. Within three days, his condition worsened to the point that he could barely move.
He was then admitted to the Charité, where a hospital-acquired infection was initially diagnosed, and he was transferred to the appropriate ward (end of June).
Despite various treatment measures, his symptoms continued to worsen. He was placed in an induced coma after choking on yogurt and was transferred to the intensive care unit. On top of that, he developed pneumonia due to the incident. He remained in the coma for five days, and paralysis symptoms increasingly appeared. Initially, there was a suspicion of Miller-Fisher-Syndrome, but by mid-July, he received the final diagnosis: Guillain-Barré-syndrome (GBS).
Despite receiving the correct treatment, his paralysis worsened, but he was stabilized. At the beginning of August, he was transferred to the Beelitz Clinics to begin his rehabilitation.
Use of VEMOTION (Early August)
Shortly after his admission to the monitoring ward in Beelitz, Carsten began mobilization with VEMOTION. When asked how the first movement therapy after such a long period of immobility felt, he shared with us:
“I was still fully ventilated, so we moved very cautiously and slowly into a vertical position. But even during that first movement, I felt an indescribable tingling in my legs. After weeks of numbness, it was an amazing sensation.”
Beamingly, he said that this was the first time he felt hope again and believed he was on the road to recovery. He said it motivated him further to see the movements and to know: “That’s where I want to get back to, and with a lot of training, I will achieve it.”
Carsten described how he was gradually moved more and more into an upright position, which helped him visualize the movements. He received almost daily mobilization with VEMOTION, coinciding with the Olympic Games. As the paralysis symptoms gradually subsided and he regained some of his own movement, the VEMOTION system was switched to the AAN (Assist-As-Needed) mode to specifically support his self-initiated movements.
“In this mode, you can collect stars for your activity,” he excitedly shared. “That motivated me to keep doing more — just like the athletes in the Olympics.”
Outcome (End of August)
Carsten proudly shows us his progress. He can already move his shoulders and hips again. He now only requires the ventilator twice a day for five hours. Speaking with a speaking valve is possible again, and he can eat without any issues.
He is especially happy that the feeling in his legs is gradually returning: “It feels a bit like Bubble Tea in my legs, especially after the movement therapy,” he says with a smile.
“I’m thrilled!” Carsten says, beaming. “I had no idea something like this even existed. You can’t imagine it unless you’ve experienced it yourself!” He is very grateful for the opportunity to undergo this therapy and is convinced that every patient in a similar situation can benefit from robot-assisted mobilization.
Goals
Like many patients in his situation, Carsten has one major wish: for everything to return to normal so he can live his life as he did before. He especially looks forward to cooking for himself again and, above all, taking his dog for walks, he says with a smile, gazing out the window. Simply being able to go out into nature independently — that’s his goal.
He remains optimistic, having educated himself about the disease and knowing that with the right therapy, most symptoms can significantly improve.
Thank You for the Collaboration!
We would like to thank Carsten for his honest words and his contagious enthusiasm. Both he and we are extremely grateful for the support and daily efforts of the team at Beelitz Hospital, without whom our vision would not be possible. We are very happy and thankful to be able to implement cutting-edge mobilization methods with you. Your dedication and close cooperation mean a great deal to us, and we look forward to continuing to help many patients with innovative approaches in the future.