Help Kat Heal
Donation protected
It is difficult to write me this post. I have
never been a person for fundraisers, especially not a personal one and I never
ever thought I would ask for help and money publically. However, right now, I don't know what else to do. I need your
help! I am turning 30 and I am sick and unable to pay for treatments. Please,
if you can, help my "˜year of healing',
allow me to celebrate my 31st birthday healthy living a healthy life
thereafter, then I would be forever appreciative.
I am suffering from daily chronic headaches that affect my every-day life. I have had frequent headaches since I was 12 years old. In 2009 the headaches became worse, they lasted longer, they became more frequent, they became stronger. They affected my daily living, studies, work, relationships and emotional well-being. For the past 2.5 years the situation has not been tolerable. I have headaches nearly every day. During a good month I have maybe 5 or 6 headache-free days, and I also have had months with a day or half of a day without a headache. The headaches are non-stop, they are with me during every hour of the day, even at night. They affected my previous educational, work and volunteer life, and even largely contributed to my being let go or having to quit from prior jobs. Being in constant pain clearly affects my emotional well-being, my social relationships. I have a difficulty concentrating, paying attention and thinking. Daily life is difficult to go through. The headaches affect my sleep. The headaches affect everything. If you know me in real life or see my facebook, you may look at my pictures and get the impression of a "˜glamorous travel life'. While I am certainly thankful for seeing so many places, most of my memories are not related to waterfalls or amazing cities but to my headaches. Instead of experiencing "˜life', I experience pain. The way I experience life is like watching a blurry film from the couch when sick. Since 2009 I have been living a nomadic life which has its positives for sure, but with headaches and the attempt to heal it is even more difficult. I am not part of a health care system and I don't have money and yet I am in pain. I have no family support and work (especially full-time work) seems impossible being in such pain. After not receiving help from medical doctors I turned towards alternative, nutritional and holistic medicine. I have made and I keep making changes in my life every day "“ yet I still dont experience improvements. Not having the resources and finances to see professionals, afford treatments and pay for healthy food makes life very challenging.
I know that the list of requests and ideas I have is long and the sum of money I am asking for is large. Ideally, I would love to be able to raise the entire amount. But to give you a perspective of my priorities, from the following list my priorities include the Texas Migraine Clinics (any of the 3 options listed), hiring a health coach, rolfing, getting blood tests, attending IIN (see education page) and help with my living expenses. But here is the extensive wish list needed for my healing year.
Thank you for reading this. Thank you for your positive thoughts. Thank you so much for your generosity and help.
Below, you can see the breakdown of my fundraising goals:
Texas Migraine Clinic - $2,500 : I found out about Dr. Turner and the Texas Migraine Clinic over a year ago. His results with chronic headaches and migraines are amazing. It has been my dream and goal to see him. You can find out more about the clinic, Dr. Turner and his treatment method here: http://www.texasmigraineclinic.com/. Ideally, it would be to visit the headache clinic for a week and then continue with skype follow-ups. The first appointment is $225, and the following 4 appointments are $125 and 2 skype follow-ups at $150 with a total of $1,025. However with flights (from abroad) to Texas, hotels and food an additional $1,500 is to be easily expected. There is an option for a personalized treatment through skype, including a total of 6 skype sessions throughout two months, plus video and email guidance. I would be extremely happy to be able to afford this option. This costs $2,144. Alternatively, there is a much cheaper self-healing option. This option does not include any skype or on-site appointment with Dr. Turner, but a series of videos, emails and newsletters to guide a 3-months self-treatment. This option costs $324.
Rolfing "“ $1000: Rolfing is a form of bodywork that reorganizes the connective tissues, called fascia, that permeate the entire body. The main reason that I hope to see a rolfer is my posture. Poor posture causes tension in the neck and shoulders which can contribute to headaches as well. Rolfing has the ability to dramatically alter a person's posture. I have read about great results with rolfing on headaches (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Lipycp6LUs). You can read more about rolfing here: http://www.rolf.org/ Rolfing uses a 10-session series for optimal healing. The average cost of one session is about $100, therefore $1,000 is needed for the full 10-sessions.
Health Coaching - UPDATE: Being a student at IIN I will be working with a classmate as a peer coach...while she is not certified yet, I guess it is better than nothing & I am SO thankful for it: Throughout the past year and a half I read so much about nutirion, holistic health, nutritional medicine and the like. I have also watched a lot of documentaries and listened to lectures. I have made many-many changes in my diet and life-style, however, it remains difficult and confusing without guidance. I hope to utilize help and guidance of a health coach. Health coaches charge anywhere between $75 and $150 for one session and a 6-months coaching program costs $1500 which usually includes 12 sessions and email communications. There are several health coaches I have in mind with whom I would like to have at least one consultation with and I would like to hire one coach for 6-months guidance and possibly another for 6 months afterwards. I am budgeting the minimum of $1,500 (6-month program with one coach).
The Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) "“ $4,000: UPDATE: I was able to enroll at IIN for a lower-price (4,000) thanks to a scholarship...but the money is borrowed thus I still need funds to repay it. Here is the explanation why I decided to attend IIN: This request and dream will benefit my health but also allow me to "˜get on my feet' after a year, be able to work and to take care of myself while helping others. This personal health crisis lead me to a search and a journey within the realms of holistic health, nutritional medicine, alternative healthcare and overall well-being. Through this search I discovered the profession of holistic health coaching and the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. From the first moment of discovery everything just clicked in my mind. I felt this was for me. After researching more about the school, talking to graduates, students and admissions, I am sure attending IIN is right in so many levels. It allows me to connect with holistic health professionals and learn about health and nutrition, thus would help me heal. The health coaching certificate compliments my degree in psychology and follow my dream and passion in helping people living a happy, healthy, balanced life. Lastly, it will allow me to earn an income and 'get and stand on my feet' while having a flexible schedule and focus on my healing.
Naturopath & blood test - $300: I was able to see a naturopath in Hungary for a live-blood test. I need to go back for a 3-months and potentially 6-months follow-up. I hope to get a regular blood test too sometimes in the near future.
Self-development/counseling/dealing with the emotional side "“ $1,500: Living with chronic pain is emotional, painful and stressful. But emotional stress and past trauma can also lead to chronic pain like headaches. Emotional issues from the past and present may contribute to my headaches. I had the opportunity to attend a few family constellation and somatodrama session, transwork, and an inner-healing retreat. I would love to have the opportunity to attend more sessions like this.
Massages - $2,500: I started getting regular massages with a great therapist. It is helping a lot. The price is calculated for weekly massages for one year.
Supplements "“ $2,000: I've been suggested to take Omega-3 supplements, NAC, B-complex, B12, ginger, a liver cleansing supplement, probiotics and a supplement to fight a fungi in my body. The price is calculated for a year.
Reiki "“ $150: Reiki can be very helpful for healing and well-being. I would love to take a Reiki level 1 course to learn the basics, including self-healing techniques.
Thank you again for your support and kindness. I would be beyond thankful if you were able to help me.
I am suffering from daily chronic headaches that affect my every-day life. I have had frequent headaches since I was 12 years old. In 2009 the headaches became worse, they lasted longer, they became more frequent, they became stronger. They affected my daily living, studies, work, relationships and emotional well-being. For the past 2.5 years the situation has not been tolerable. I have headaches nearly every day. During a good month I have maybe 5 or 6 headache-free days, and I also have had months with a day or half of a day without a headache. The headaches are non-stop, they are with me during every hour of the day, even at night. They affected my previous educational, work and volunteer life, and even largely contributed to my being let go or having to quit from prior jobs. Being in constant pain clearly affects my emotional well-being, my social relationships. I have a difficulty concentrating, paying attention and thinking. Daily life is difficult to go through. The headaches affect my sleep. The headaches affect everything. If you know me in real life or see my facebook, you may look at my pictures and get the impression of a "˜glamorous travel life'. While I am certainly thankful for seeing so many places, most of my memories are not related to waterfalls or amazing cities but to my headaches. Instead of experiencing "˜life', I experience pain. The way I experience life is like watching a blurry film from the couch when sick. Since 2009 I have been living a nomadic life which has its positives for sure, but with headaches and the attempt to heal it is even more difficult. I am not part of a health care system and I don't have money and yet I am in pain. I have no family support and work (especially full-time work) seems impossible being in such pain. After not receiving help from medical doctors I turned towards alternative, nutritional and holistic medicine. I have made and I keep making changes in my life every day "“ yet I still dont experience improvements. Not having the resources and finances to see professionals, afford treatments and pay for healthy food makes life very challenging.
I know that the list of requests and ideas I have is long and the sum of money I am asking for is large. Ideally, I would love to be able to raise the entire amount. But to give you a perspective of my priorities, from the following list my priorities include the Texas Migraine Clinics (any of the 3 options listed), hiring a health coach, rolfing, getting blood tests, attending IIN (see education page) and help with my living expenses. But here is the extensive wish list needed for my healing year.
Thank you for reading this. Thank you for your positive thoughts. Thank you so much for your generosity and help.
Below, you can see the breakdown of my fundraising goals:
Texas Migraine Clinic - $2,500 : I found out about Dr. Turner and the Texas Migraine Clinic over a year ago. His results with chronic headaches and migraines are amazing. It has been my dream and goal to see him. You can find out more about the clinic, Dr. Turner and his treatment method here: http://www.texasmigraineclinic.com/. Ideally, it would be to visit the headache clinic for a week and then continue with skype follow-ups. The first appointment is $225, and the following 4 appointments are $125 and 2 skype follow-ups at $150 with a total of $1,025. However with flights (from abroad) to Texas, hotels and food an additional $1,500 is to be easily expected. There is an option for a personalized treatment through skype, including a total of 6 skype sessions throughout two months, plus video and email guidance. I would be extremely happy to be able to afford this option. This costs $2,144. Alternatively, there is a much cheaper self-healing option. This option does not include any skype or on-site appointment with Dr. Turner, but a series of videos, emails and newsletters to guide a 3-months self-treatment. This option costs $324.
Rolfing "“ $1000: Rolfing is a form of bodywork that reorganizes the connective tissues, called fascia, that permeate the entire body. The main reason that I hope to see a rolfer is my posture. Poor posture causes tension in the neck and shoulders which can contribute to headaches as well. Rolfing has the ability to dramatically alter a person's posture. I have read about great results with rolfing on headaches (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Lipycp6LUs). You can read more about rolfing here: http://www.rolf.org/ Rolfing uses a 10-session series for optimal healing. The average cost of one session is about $100, therefore $1,000 is needed for the full 10-sessions.
Health Coaching - UPDATE: Being a student at IIN I will be working with a classmate as a peer coach...while she is not certified yet, I guess it is better than nothing & I am SO thankful for it: Throughout the past year and a half I read so much about nutirion, holistic health, nutritional medicine and the like. I have also watched a lot of documentaries and listened to lectures. I have made many-many changes in my diet and life-style, however, it remains difficult and confusing without guidance. I hope to utilize help and guidance of a health coach. Health coaches charge anywhere between $75 and $150 for one session and a 6-months coaching program costs $1500 which usually includes 12 sessions and email communications. There are several health coaches I have in mind with whom I would like to have at least one consultation with and I would like to hire one coach for 6-months guidance and possibly another for 6 months afterwards. I am budgeting the minimum of $1,500 (6-month program with one coach).
The Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) "“ $4,000: UPDATE: I was able to enroll at IIN for a lower-price (4,000) thanks to a scholarship...but the money is borrowed thus I still need funds to repay it. Here is the explanation why I decided to attend IIN: This request and dream will benefit my health but also allow me to "˜get on my feet' after a year, be able to work and to take care of myself while helping others. This personal health crisis lead me to a search and a journey within the realms of holistic health, nutritional medicine, alternative healthcare and overall well-being. Through this search I discovered the profession of holistic health coaching and the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. From the first moment of discovery everything just clicked in my mind. I felt this was for me. After researching more about the school, talking to graduates, students and admissions, I am sure attending IIN is right in so many levels. It allows me to connect with holistic health professionals and learn about health and nutrition, thus would help me heal. The health coaching certificate compliments my degree in psychology and follow my dream and passion in helping people living a happy, healthy, balanced life. Lastly, it will allow me to earn an income and 'get and stand on my feet' while having a flexible schedule and focus on my healing.
Naturopath & blood test - $300: I was able to see a naturopath in Hungary for a live-blood test. I need to go back for a 3-months and potentially 6-months follow-up. I hope to get a regular blood test too sometimes in the near future.
Self-development/counseling/dealing with the emotional side "“ $1,500: Living with chronic pain is emotional, painful and stressful. But emotional stress and past trauma can also lead to chronic pain like headaches. Emotional issues from the past and present may contribute to my headaches. I had the opportunity to attend a few family constellation and somatodrama session, transwork, and an inner-healing retreat. I would love to have the opportunity to attend more sessions like this.
Massages - $2,500: I started getting regular massages with a great therapist. It is helping a lot. The price is calculated for weekly massages for one year.
Supplements "“ $2,000: I've been suggested to take Omega-3 supplements, NAC, B-complex, B12, ginger, a liver cleansing supplement, probiotics and a supplement to fight a fungi in my body. The price is calculated for a year.
Reiki "“ $150: Reiki can be very helpful for healing and well-being. I would love to take a Reiki level 1 course to learn the basics, including self-healing techniques.
Thank you again for your support and kindness. I would be beyond thankful if you were able to help me.
Organizer
Kat Gál
Organizer
Milwaukee, WI
