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Bed Number Ten
A patient's personal view of long term care.
Seen through the eyes of a patient totally paralyzed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, this moving book takes you through the psychological and physical pain of an eleven month hospital stay. BED NUMBER TEN reads like a compelling novel, but is entirely factual.
You will meet:
The ICU staff who learned to communicate with the paralyzed woman - and those who did not bother.
The physicians whose visits left her baffled about her own case.
The staff and physicians who spoke to her and others who did not recognize her presence.
The nurse who tucked Sue tightly under the covers, unaware that she was soaking with perspiration.
The nurse who took the time to feed her drop by drop, as she slowly learned how to swallow again.
The physical therapist who could read her eyes and spurred her on to move again as if the battle were his own.
In these pages, which reveal the caring, the heroism, and the insensitivity sometimes found in the health care fields, you may even meet people you know.
Seen through the eyes of a patient totally paralyzed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, this moving book takes you through the psychological and physical pain of an eleven month hospital stay. BED NUMBER TEN reads like a compelling novel, but is entirely factual.
You will meet:
The ICU staff who learned to communicate with the paralyzed woman - and those who did not bother.
The physicians whose visits left her baffled about her own case.
The staff and physicians who spoke to her and others who did not recognize her presence.
The nurse who tucked Sue tightly under the covers, unaware that she was soaking with perspiration.
The nurse who took the time to feed her drop by drop, as she slowly learned how to swallow again.
The physical therapist who could read her eyes and spurred her on to move again as if the battle were his own.
In these pages, which reveal the caring, the heroism, and the insensitivity sometimes found in the health care fields, you may even meet people you know.
304 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1986
40 people are currently reading
1731 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
January 2, 2013
I could not imagine going through what Mrs. Baier went through and I wonder how she is doing now, 32 years later. I think that this book will make me a better nurse as I begin my new career. I am hopeful that the profession as a whole has improved since that time and that our caring will continue to improve for our patients and their families.
December 5, 2023
The pov was different and I enjoyed everything about it.. I just felt like there could have been more. Maybe I’m alone but I did enjoy the read it just was missing that key that brought it all together.
August 29, 2013
Having had Guillian-Barre Syndrome, this book was absolutely amazing. Although my recovery was much faster than Susan's, I was able to relate to a lot of the fears, hurdles and victories described in this book! It also made me feel extremely lucky to (a) have had the fabulous care I had from compassionate nurses and doctors, (b) have received awesome drugs and was knocked out for most of the time I was on the ventilator, and (c) have gotten this hideous disease in 2009 and not 1980! If not for the care I received, I could have been in the hospital for 11 months like Sue instead of the 9 weeks I was in there. I always felt lucky about my situation after speaking with others who have had this, but I feel especially lucky after reading this book! I know what I went through and can't imagine having the same experience as the author. God bless you Susan Baier!
March 20, 2013
as a nurse it hurt me to see how this poor women was treated by hospital staff. should be required reading for nursing students
January 24, 2020
Bed Number 10 was an interesting book in many ways. As a "retired" Neuroscience nurse, I was especially interested in reading the book as I have during my professional career taken care of several people with GB. The only other medical condition I know of that resembles GB is botulism poisoning. If the victim survives it they will be likely on ventilators for months.
This book was also very tedious in reading and Sue had a very good memory for minute details of daily life. Which is one thing that made the book interesting also, because you got the sense of the slow pace of weeks and months of dealing with a variety of people many of whom had no idea how to take care of you. The very tedious nature of the flow made life with GB all the more real.
Fortunately, for Sue, she had a very involved family and even more a few very dedicated health care workers that made a huge difference in her recovery.
I found the book to be almost required reading for someone going into healthcare to get a sense of how people experience being so affected by a number of diseases that make communication difficult to impossible.
This book was also very tedious in reading and Sue had a very good memory for minute details of daily life. Which is one thing that made the book interesting also, because you got the sense of the slow pace of weeks and months of dealing with a variety of people many of whom had no idea how to take care of you. The very tedious nature of the flow made life with GB all the more real.
Fortunately, for Sue, she had a very involved family and even more a few very dedicated health care workers that made a huge difference in her recovery.
I found the book to be almost required reading for someone going into healthcare to get a sense of how people experience being so affected by a number of diseases that make communication difficult to impossible.
March 27, 2018
This book is about a woman named Sue Baier who is diagnosed with Guillian Barre. Bed number 10 became her home in ICU at the hospital for many months. She had a long road to recovery with many complications. With help from the doctors and nurses Sue began to regain her life once again. One day Sue Baier was able to return home and do almost all of the actives that she once did. Overall I thought this was a great book. I would recommend this as a book to read. There is never a dull moment it is a very entertaining book.
October 16, 2022
The book is dated. The story is not. Thank goodness treatment for G-B has advanced. It was very sad to read about her treatment in the ICU. I also hope ICU and m/s RNs have evolved into better care partners for those long-term patients. Incredible PT and ‘hired’ private nurses. She’s very lucky to have such a loving husband.
September 24, 2025
This book, hands down, has made me view nursing in a new light and has made me a better nurse all together. Every human who works in healthcare should read this and see how life in an ICU and beyond can look from the patients perspective. Loved this book!
January 16, 2009
This is one of those books you hear about as a nurse. It does not paint a pretty picture of health care. It's very tempting to refer to patients by diagnoses or conditions, but if you are in health care, and there to be of service, it is important for you and for your patient to keep humanity at the forefront. My heart did go out to the author. But not all health care providers are insensitive boobs; some of us do care and struggle to keep the human touch and recognition alive. I came away more miffed that some people reading this would think this is "typical" for health care/ICUs- the norm, not the exception. (This is the story of a woman with Gillian-Barre, and her time in an ICU.)
May 17, 2011
This should be required reading for any person even thinking about going into the healthcare profession. The story line is that of a woman who contracts Guillian Barre' Syndrome. If you are unfamiliar with this dreaded virus I will give you a few details. It strikes randomly, it leaves its victim paralysed but with the ability to feel pain, and it takes from one to two years to get over the symptoms. "Bed Number Ten" tells of the journey of one woman who battles the virus and the staff meant to help her. Sue Baier now sits on the board of the GBS Foundation.
December 17, 2010
A good and insightful book about what it's like to be a patient in the ICU. As a nursing student, it was a helpful tool for me to become more sensitive to the reality of being in such an environment.
A good read, but I felt that it dragged on for too long and that some things felt very redundant.
A good read, but I felt that it dragged on for too long and that some things felt very redundant.
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February 21, 2013Must read for all health care professionals!
May 22, 2024
Not sure where to put this book as far as genre - autobiography of the author 8 months in the hospital and a touch of her life when she got home. It is a brave read - and honest read.
Guilliain-Barre syndrome takes a life away from what was the person's normal. The mind is there and movement goes away. This book takes place in the 1980's and treatment has changed in more recent years. She fought to survive and move again. Her spouse is a big part of this story - he tried to keep things more normal. The emotions of the patient, the spouse, her daughters, her mother and her friends are all laid bare.
To the staff of the hospital - living in number 10 for so long in the ICU, seeing many come and go in the ICU, good caring staff and not so good staff. Nursing is a profession that is caring for the whole patient, listening to the patient no matter how they are able to communicate and helping then to heal.
This shows the not so good too. This also shows those who push her to start moving again and the faith she had in them.
My mother had a good friend who had this disease and recovered much quicker than the author - she was more lucky. This is a brave story and told well. A read for all in the medical field, visitors and families.
Guilliain-Barre syndrome takes a life away from what was the person's normal. The mind is there and movement goes away. This book takes place in the 1980's and treatment has changed in more recent years. She fought to survive and move again. Her spouse is a big part of this story - he tried to keep things more normal. The emotions of the patient, the spouse, her daughters, her mother and her friends are all laid bare.
To the staff of the hospital - living in number 10 for so long in the ICU, seeing many come and go in the ICU, good caring staff and not so good staff. Nursing is a profession that is caring for the whole patient, listening to the patient no matter how they are able to communicate and helping then to heal.
This shows the not so good too. This also shows those who push her to start moving again and the faith she had in them.
My mother had a good friend who had this disease and recovered much quicker than the author - she was more lucky. This is a brave story and told well. A read for all in the medical field, visitors and families.
February 2, 2023
The book is a recovering journey of a woman who was diagnosed with an extremely rare disease. Thanks to the encouragement of her loved ones and the hospital staff, she slowly began to heal and got better every day. During her hospitalized days, she reminisced her past experience and that made her embrace and value her life even more, and she learned to cherish simple little things she used to take for granted. In the bed number 10, she received intensive care from different nurses. Some are great, but some are not, and she struggled to communicate with others. That was basically the knot of the story. The important thing is to sympathize and understand each other to lift each other up in the hardest times.
It was an easy read for me as a second language reader, but the plot overall is quite predictable. It could have been a much shorter story, most of it was her personal distress because no one understood her messages. It was foreign to me because I never experienced US healthcare so it's worth reading to know more about it.
It was an easy read for me as a second language reader, but the plot overall is quite predictable. It could have been a much shorter story, most of it was her personal distress because no one understood her messages. It was foreign to me because I never experienced US healthcare so it's worth reading to know more about it.
May 2, 2023
Thankfully, the treatment for GBS, and overall hospital care, has improved much since 1980. I read this book to help me understand some of the things my son is going through as he navigates recovering from Guillain-Barre. I could see my son's struggles in many of the author's issues: communication being the greatest (Luckily my son suggested Morse Code and while it is slow, it has worked well for us; though none of his healthcare providers have opted to use it.), and the struggle with multiple people being "in charge" and giving contradictory directions. However, parts of this story felt a bit inflated for dramatic effect. I wondered if this might have been due to the author's position in society and the absence of uncomfortable situations in her past. Despite all that, I am sure anyone reading this book will come away with a better idea of what it is like to be bedbound and at the mercy of those around them for comfort and care.
April 10, 2019
I really liked this book more than I thought. I was amazed to hear how healthcare professionals can treat a patient, both good and terribly. Any patient is a person and should be treated accordingly. Also, the outcome a patient will have is determined by the attitude of the patient and the resources available to the patient, so try anything and everything! Also, it saddens me how much Mrs. Baier had to think of everything for her care, meaning that there never really seemed to be any plan of care set up with therapy or doctors. It got better towards the end of the book, but WTF hospital staff! Also, the love story between Bill and Sue is truly AMAZING to withstand so much tension without knowing the outcome. I pray they are still together and thriving.
July 26, 2021
2.5 stars
Not a bad book, but very dated. A lot of Sue's worries concern appearances, such as a luncheon needs to be planned and how she doesn't look presentable to her visitors. There is even one part where Sue needs special shoes for leg braces and she complains the "most expensive [she has] ever owned, and they are also the homeliest things in the world." Then when trying to climb stairs--something that would be unthinkable during her early stay--she is upset because she scuffed the toe of her shoe.
Nonetheless, I haven't experience what Sue had, and I shouldn't complain. I don't know what I'd think about/worry if I was stuck in a hospital for months, unable to move any of my body parts.
Not a bad book, but very dated. A lot of Sue's worries concern appearances, such as a luncheon needs to be planned and how she doesn't look presentable to her visitors. There is even one part where Sue needs special shoes for leg braces and she complains the "most expensive [she has] ever owned, and they are also the homeliest things in the world." Then when trying to climb stairs--something that would be unthinkable during her early stay--she is upset because she scuffed the toe of her shoe.
Nonetheless, I haven't experience what Sue had, and I shouldn't complain. I don't know what I'd think about/worry if I was stuck in a hospital for months, unable to move any of my body parts.
June 23, 2024
I am one of the 100,000 who have been afflicted with Guillian-Barre Syndrome. When my physical therapist told me about this book, I knew it was on I needed to read.
In reading Ms. Baiers account, I realized how lucky my case was, and yet how similar. My hospital stay was only 6 days, and the care wonderful. However, I fully understand the frustration of losing the ability to do simple things like walk, this is made all the more aggravating as I was a very active person before contracting GBS.
A month after leaving the hospital, I am still impatient to make progress faster; I want to get back to how I was before.
I also found the account to be a rather sad commentary on our health care system.
In reading Ms. Baiers account, I realized how lucky my case was, and yet how similar. My hospital stay was only 6 days, and the care wonderful. However, I fully understand the frustration of losing the ability to do simple things like walk, this is made all the more aggravating as I was a very active person before contracting GBS.
A month after leaving the hospital, I am still impatient to make progress faster; I want to get back to how I was before.
I also found the account to be a rather sad commentary on our health care system.
May 3, 2020
My son is in a high school emerging health professionals program and this was required reading for them this spring. He described it as above - a non-fiction account that reads like a novel. He mentioned it to me and I asked to read it. It’s an unbelievable account of Sues journey, and a great opportunity for us to see heroism in action. It was disturbing to see the lack of care from some medical professionals- and it made me pleased that this was required reading. I hope this book stays with those emerging professionals who read it!
December 24, 2024
As a nurse, this story was an absolute eye opener. It is so easy to lose yourself in the “tasks” of the job. This story is one I think of often as I care for my patients no matter how many years have passed since I read it. I recommend everyone read it. It’s a story of grit and triumph…human vulnerability and struggle…kindness and the impact of a lack thereof. Anyone and everyone should read this, *especially* anyone providing care to patients. This will change your perspective forever. Thank you for sharing your story.
July 10, 2018
This book was haunting. I cried so much. When my nursing fundamentals instructor read this, she told our class that it should be required reading for every student nurse. She was so right! The pain and indignity Sue faced with awful nursing care contrasted with the happiness and relief of proper nursing care was so palpable. This book is out of print now; I'm lucky one of my classmates is passing it around our class.
February 2, 2019
This book is inspiring to see how she works hard to come back. To be trapped in your body, to hear, and see and not be able to function is so scary. This is a real syndrome that happens to real people. I as a nurse am ashamed of the caregivers she encountered. The book is written well and it will tug at your heart as she shares her struggles. Guillain-Barre' syndrome happens. I have to say Thank You for sharing this recovery. I highly reccommend this to all healthcare personnel.
January 2, 2020
Read this book based on the recommendation from a PTA I met who said this book inspired him to pursue his career. It tells the story of a patient with the debilitating Guillen-Barre disease, which leaves her unable to communicate or move most of her muscles for a long time. The story is told from the viewpoint of her stuck in her hospital bed and recounts the hospital workers that care most and least for her.
March 11, 2025
This book takes you through all of the pain and the tedium of being a patient in the hospital, processing the grief of what is lost when acutely or suddenly chronically ill, and the day to day requirements of care in the intensive and acute setting for a specific patient. It is old now, but that in itself is kind of charming, as you can see how different the world is now, yet many of these experiences are the same for patients today.
April 3, 2025
I quite liked this book. It’s about a fully paralyzed woman who retains mental faculties and her sense of feeling and her experiences with nurses and doctors in the ICU. I think this is probably an important read for future healthcare workers and is a good lesson in empathy and bedside manner. At times this is a page turner, but at other times not so much. The writing style is simple but the message is something I think will stick with me for a while.
May 27, 2019
Great read, everyone’s in healthcare should have to read this first person account of an ICU patient’s experience. Although this story is set in the landscape of 1980s healthcare... it’s still poignant and appropriate to human interaction.
Fantastic find, well stated, thought provoking and life changing.
Fantastic find, well stated, thought provoking and life changing.
November 19, 2023
Cant believe I completed my reading goal with this lmaoooo. Not bad didn’t mind it but it is obviously different from my taste in books. Wanted to punch some of the nurses and other hospital staff at most time but stan the staff who advocated for her and actually took the time to get to know her and how she communicates.
January 24, 2023
Anyone diagnosed with GBS should read this book because the author takes you through her eleven month journey with Guillane-Barre Syndrome. It gave me much needed encouragement to keep moving forward with my own recovery.
October 5, 2024
From a beside nurse, this is one of the best books I’ve ever read. So thankful for people who speak up about their struggles and are able to give insight to others in hopes they will learn to help others in the future. And I am extremely sorry for all she had to endure, I can’t even imagine.
May 21, 2018
Eye-opening. A must-read for healthcare professionals!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews