I am a 64 year old Catholic Priest. In December 2, 2006, I woke up with numbness on my fingertips. Not realizing or even bothering about what it was, I continued with my pastoral duties as usual. The following day, after a long busy Sunday schedule of Masses and other church activities, I took a short afternoon nap and when I woke up, the numbness had spread to my palms and soles. My primary doctor initially thought it was just an allergic reaction to a new medication that I was prescribed. But after three days he realized it was something else and referred me to Neurologist.

After a series of tests, I was hospitalized since I could no longer walk and had totally lost my sense of touch. My neurologist treated me with "immunoglobulin" intravenouisly for five days, after which I began to recover some movement with legs. My recovery has been long and difficult. As a priest when I said Mass I needed a high chair to seat on while I am at the altar, and another priest to hold up the Sacred Host and Chalice during consecration. (For quite a while I couldn't even hold a fork with my hands.) I had to ultimately seek disability retirement from my pastoral duties after one year because I had suffered 10% permanent nerve damage.

Now, after one year and a half, I am able to walk easily with a cane; I can say mass by myself again - although I still need one altar server to lean on in distributing Holy Communion. I can drive by myself again and have fully adjusted to my life with disability. I still have a slight numbness on my palms and soles, but looking back to what I was in December 2006, I am very grateful to Almighty God for giving this recovery and a continued opportunity to be able to minister to others.

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