I'm a critical care nurse, and I've been teaching nursing for 5 years. Last year I had Guillain-Barre syndrome. I was on a mechanical ventilator and totally paralyzed with no way to communicate. I had my full thought processes, and being a nurse didn't help me cope-knowledge can be a dangerous thing.

Before I was ill, I'd never sat on a patient's bed-I thought it was improper. But sometimes I just wanted someone to sit on my bed and tell me that she'd do everything she could for me that day. Although I have some lasting problems, I'm back at work teaching. By sharing my story, I hope to help students take better care of patients who can't communicate.

SHERRY VICKERS, RN, CCRN, MSN

Jackson, Tenn.

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