‘I knew something was seriously wrong’
“I was working in Louisiana as a subcontractor for a power company. For lunch one day, I went to eat at a Subway. But it was packed, so I went across the street to Popeyes. I was doing so well on my diet — I had dropped 42 pounds — that I figured it was OK to eat some fried chicken this one time.
“That evening I got diarrhea really bad. The next morning it was the same. Then around lunch time, my legs started getting weak. I thought it was just from working 12-hour days. But the next day, it was even worse. I was very wobbly. I had to hold onto everything because I couldn’t walk very well.
“At the end of the work day, I decided to buy some Benadryl on my way back to the motel. I thought maybe it was some kind of allergy or something. So I took a shower, took the Benadryl, and I went to sleep. I woke up at 1 a.m., and I needed to go to the restroom. But I had trouble getting up. I had to roll onto my side, and I could barely sit up. My legs were not responding. From my waist down, it was just numb. No response. Nothing. I was like, what’s going on?
“I’m the kind of person who, if I’m sick, I’ll still go to work. I’ll tough it out. I’ll walk it off and continue with my daily routine. But this was different. I knew something was seriously wrong.”
— Jaime Aceves
After Jaime was taken to a hospital in Lake Charles, Louisiana, staff there wanted to transfer him to a facility in Lafayette for further evaluation and treatment. Jaime insisted he be taken home, so family members drove him to Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital.
Related:
• ‘I felt like I was having to say goodbye’
