Ann-Marie's Medical Fund

This is hard for me to talk about and I generally don't discuss my situation except in general terms.  I have been sick for most of my life with tick-borne illnesses.   Doctors think I've had this for 35+ years, maybe more.  Looking back there were definite signs, but the major onslaught of symptoms started a little over 15 years ago after a surgery.  The spiral down was fast.  I went undiagnosed for 10 while actively seeking answers until I became too sick to even do that.  By a twist of fate, I got my CDC positive diagnosis of Lyme, which led to the discovery of other infections like bartonella, babesia, multiple chronic viruses, and other conditions such as hashimoto's, severe adrenal fatigue, hormonal dysruption, multiple chemical sensitivity, immunoglobulin deficiency and on and on.

From the beginning I've tried to treat these things in the cheapest way possible, choosing treatments that insurance would cover over others.  My body didn't respond well to antibiotics, though, and it started to do more harm than good, causing SIBO (an intestinal complex that has severely limited what I can eat and digest,) severe systemic candida that did not respond to anything including drugs used in AIDS patients,  fueling an underlying mold toxicity and causing antibiotic resistant infections.  I knew I needed to change the way I was treating, especially since I could not work up to therapeutic dosages with antibiotics due to severe detox issues caused by many genetic mutations. 

I have made some strides with alternative treatments such as ozone and UVLrx, but these are expensive and I can not afford enough to keep the infections at bay, let alone wipe them out.  I have now been fighting this for over 5 years.  The treatments themselves can be extremely painful and these 5 years of fighting have taken their toll on me, on top of the 10 years of misdiagnosis, and all the previous struggles.  I have been utterly dedicated to getting well, sacrificing everything and employing diligent discipline in order to acheive this goal.  Most don't see the dedication, but those closest to me can attest to this.

I have now reached the point to where I need to ask for help, which is very uncomfortable for me, because I can't keep this fight up.  My goal is to raise enough money to go to Sierra Integrative Medical where I know many people have gotten to remission in 2-4 months time, on average, and more importantly, stayed in remission.  Chuck Norris, his wife and two kids are now in remission from tick-borne illnesses thanks to this clinic.  Their treatments are comprehensive with multiple treatments being done daily, and progress is measured with frequent dark field microscopy (they look at your blood to monitor infection load), and includes the stay there, food, all treatments and supplements.  The above goal in terms of dollars would cover approximately 2 months worth of treatment.

As my baby brother's wedding is coming up in February of 2016, I know I can not attend my own brother's wedding with my current medical conditions as it is out of town.  This is a tiny straw that broke the camel's back, but the weight of suffering through years of excrutiatingly painful treatments only to see the infections get an upper hand to come furiously back and bring me to my knees over and over, has just gotten to be too much.

I am a giving person who has given back to others and advocated for others the whole time I've been sick whenever I was capable.  It comes out of a need to share what I've learned, as I've had to learn everything the hard way.  I know what it feels like to feel alone in the fight, overwhelmed by the choices, and the frustrations of treatment.  When I am well, I will continue to do this, but I really need to get to a place I can start rebuilding my life, be free of what holds me back and free to move forward.  I feel like I have a lot to give if I can just get better.