Travis Frederick is one of the best centers in the NFL, and an anchor for the Dallas Cowboy offensive line. This training camp, though, he’d missed practices while the team attempted to figure out why Frederick was suffering from regular stingers.
Now we know, and sadly, it’s a serious diagnosis. Frederick himself tweeted out a statement announcing he has been diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, an autoimmune disorder.
An update on what’s going on with me: pic.twitter.com/KSkMUvyCWk
— Travis Frederick (@tfrederick72) August 22, 2018
It’s obviously good news that he’s already responding to treatments. The disease is not a light matter, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders:
Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare neurological disorder in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks part of its peripheral nervous system—the network of nerves located outside of the brain and spinal cord. GBS can range from a very mild case with brief weakness to nearly devastating paralysis, leaving the person unable to breathe independently. Fortunately, most people eventually recover from even the most severe cases of GBS. After recovery, some people will continue to have some degree of weakness.
Guillain-Barré syndrome can affect anyone. It can strike at any age (although it is more frequent in adults and older people) and both sexes are equally prone to the disorder. GBS is estimated to affect about one person in 100,000 each year.
ESPN NFL reporter Todd Archer tweeted about his own experience with the disease:
In 1987, my senior year in high school, I was diagnosed with Guillain Barre. It developed through a case of mononucleosis. 1/1
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) August 23, 2018
Effectively what happens is the antibodies that were fighting the mono turned on my body and “ate” my nerves. I lost strength in my upper body, unable to lift my arms over my head and lost dexterity with my fingers. 2/2
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) August 23, 2018
Thirty-plus years ago the only thing to do was to wait for the nerves to regenerate. After a lot of PT I was able to regain strength and mobility. Thankfully it never affected my lower legs but I did spend a couple days in ICU when I failed a breathing test. 3
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) August 23, 2018
The fact that Travis Frederick is a well conditioned pro athlete will serve him well, especially if caught early. 4
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) August 23, 2018
Obviously, as Archer himself notes, the treatment and science has likely advanced quite a bit since 1987, but it’s obviously still a very serious matter, and one that will likely prevent Frederick from returning to the field any time soon. Hopefully he makes a full recovery as quickly as possible.
