Thats a good idea (kick board) I'll give it a try - thanks for the tip!
James I also got a pool noodle and sit on it in the deep end pedal like iam on a bike 
How were you diagnosed? My symptoms and spinal fluid protein was slightly elevated, that is how I was diagnosed. Do you always feel like your diagnosis is correct? I am having a bad "relapse" that sent me to the neurologist monday, psychiatrist Tuesday and primary care today. Needless to say, I am not coping well. My never conduction comes back fine. MRI or brain and spine to come.. They did find that I was deficient in B12 which can cause some of this. And, I got an anti anxiety and panic attack medication. I don't like this roller coaster.
I was given a tentative diagnosis within hours of being admitted to a s6tandard NHS hospital (in the UK) via A&E. They thought the symptoms were a side effect of a statin, until the triage guy asked if I was experiencing a lack of strength (*which I was). He did some coordination tests, wh9ich caused him to ask for an opinion from a neurologist. That happened very quickly - a benef9it of going to such a big hospital. The neuro went straight to GBS because I showed:
- ascending paralysis with numbness (that means it starts from toes/ feet (and/or hands)and climbs up the leg/arm toward the trunk.
- the effect was bilateral - it happens on both sides (left and right)
- I had no deep tendon reflexes, at the knee, elbow, wrist, ankle, nor that weird one on the bottom of your foot. So the reflex test they do with the little hammer, does nothing.
- I'd lost proprioception for hands, feet and knees. This means you have difficulty balancing with your eyes shut (a simple test I remember them trying). Proprioception is the way our limbs and fingers etc know where they are - very odd when you loose it.
To confirm the diagnosis they did 4 main things:
- A load of blood tests to rule out things like Lyme disease (caused by ticks) and vitamin/trace mineral deficiency, Diabetes and other stuff I don't recall.
- CT and MRI, to check its not a stroke or tumor, als0o to check for possible spine problems, or things like slipped disc, trapped nerves, or whiplash etc
- A lumbar puncture or spinal tap. With GBS the protein count in the fluid is often raised, (evidence of yhe damage being done to the nerves) but there is no accompanying evidence of an infection. Because that was true, they moved onto:
- nerve conduction study and (sometimes) a needle emg. My nerve conduction show clear pointers to what he called 'classic' GBS. The EMG I think helps them understand the severity and extent of the damage.
All this helped them diagnose me, but it's clear from this site that GBS has many fo0rms, and variations. For example; one test they do is to check for strength of hand grip, foot up/down etc. I still have quite reasonable strength on the muscles they usually test, but have problems with others they don't normally test. Most of my damage has been to the sense apparatus, so fingers are numb, yet are phenomenally sensitive to texture and impact, temperature etc. Feet are strong even though they're numb, but I lack the coordination to jump even an inch off the ground.
I have good confidence in the diagnosis now, because what the doctors say matches what I've been able to find on the net.
I also had a 'relapse' or gap. They let me out of hospital after 4/5 days of monitoring because it seemed to have halted - wasn't getting worse. But I had to go back into an acute medical ward 3 days later when I woke with a tight band of numbness around my chest,and the right hip gone numb. Thats when thy gave me the IvIg to stop it properly- aqnd I think it's worked. It's not progressing after two weeks....
So, for what its worth; It sounds like your docs are on to it. it try to stick with them while they workj it out. It does get better.