Clover I have had it and so has a friend. She made a quick recovery (was paralysed for under 12months) I was paralysed for 18months. It has a quick onset and fairly slow recovery. Starts at the legs usually and works its way up to the heat and recovery is from the head down. Can't go into to much detail but I might be able to answer some questions you have.

Basically it caused demylination of the nerve coverings. So if you imagine your nerves covered like electrical wires with GBSyndrome it eats away some of the lining of the nerves causing damage. The good thing with GBS is you recover from it. It actually is almost exactly the same a MS except with MS onset is slow and usually continues to deteriorate and many times eventually leads of death (not always but depends on the speed of the disease process) With GBS you recover. I have been left with some permanent damage but its nothing I can't live with and no one would know unless I told them.

My friend who was much older then I was when she got it had a terrible time recovering. She couldn't do anything for herself, had a traceostomy (tube in through her neck to breath for her) , her husband left her and the list goes on (but now 3yrs on she is married to someone else and has a baby) My recovery was much slower but as I was a child not as difficult.

I am happy to talk in my depth if you want about it. Rest assured that your friend should make a great recovery but it is a long process and something that usually shapes the rest of your life. After the initial illness there is then many months of physio etc. Myt friend was in hospital around 8months (including a rehab hospital) I was 6months and got out before I was walking again as my mother did my physio been a RN.