HELP COVER REBECCA'S MEDICAL BILLS
Donation protected
Hello friends - and thank you for taking a moment to read my story. All my life I've been one of those dynamo women. You know the ones - wife, mother, PTO president (for years!), small business owner, generous giver of my time and resources and always looking for ways to cheer those I come in contact with. I have 9 children - 6 I've given birth to and 3 kids I married into. 6 are adults, leaving us with 3 littles left at home.
Until 2012 I spent my life always on the go - time with the family, costuming theater performances and always going the extra mile to help others. In 2012 the left side of my body slowly went numb. I thought my back was out of whack, until my head (yes, my head. My whole head) went numb. It was a matter of weeks until I lost control/use of my body. Not only did my body go numb and decide it would do funky things like jump and tick randomly but my mind became very cloudy and confused. I used to be very sharp and quick - fun and witty and fearless in regards to learning new things and taking on projects. Now I am 46 years old and handicapped. I had to sell off my stock of costumes. Thouseands of costumes. Years of my designs, time, love and memories. I am no longer able to work, though I have been taking on small sewing jobs to help out. I have spent the past 3 years being tossed from specialist to specialist, taking test after test. Two specialists have told me they believe I have Multiple Sclerosis. One keeps sending me all over Phoenix. My monthly out of pocket medical expences can get to $1000 and over. Each specialist I see is $350-$500 for initial exam, then new labs, and then going back for results... which means another $350 . Each MRI is another $300. To help cope with my chronic pain and other illness I need to see a psychologist - which means even more $$, not covered by my insurance. I get frequent and blinding ocular migranes which are horrilbe! My eye sight also changes quickly - needing new lenses every 4-6 months. Our insurance covers one exam and one pair of new glasses each year. That means the other pair is out of pocket. Not only did I find out I have MS and vision problems, but it came with chronic fatique, severe depression (because hey, I'm a useless blob now) and worst of all a raging case of very painful neuropathy that resides in my entire body. Mainly my legs - but at any given time it will take over all of me. It is like boiling acid flowing under my skin, leaving flaming fire balls here and there (mostly in tender spots like in my knee pits). In addition, I have severe spinal stenosis from lumbar to cervical that adds to my chronic pain. I live in pain 24/7. It is hard to sleep, it' s hard to stand and sitting in the usual sitting up position is both exhausting and painful. Frankly, I simply cannot afford to continue seeing answers and my options are to ask for help on gofundme or stop seeking medical treatment other than my stabalizing care. I have filed for disability but I learned that in Arizona I will need a lawyer and file at least 3 times to even see a judge. I filed once and was denied. I cannot afford a lawyer to proceed. Stress is another trigger that causes my pain level to rise and rise. The stress of knowing that I will not be able to continue to seek a solution grows every day. In my condition, I can wake up feeling okay. Always in pain, but at times it can be managable. On a day like that (happens once or twice a month) I can do mom/household things for 2-3 hours maximum and then I need to rest. At any given time, without warning, I could go from able to walk to unable to move or control my limbs. Days like that are far too frequent and very discouraging. Wanting to get up and play with my kids, clean my own house, cook a nice dinner, sew something beautiful and yet not being able to walk to the bathroom is frustrating. I can no longer dance, go hiking, enjoy simple funness with the family- Even traveling to visit friends and family more than 20 minutes away from home is next to impossible because both driving the car and sitting in the car triggers my condition, causing more pain and exhaustion and makes it hard to enjoy any type of get-a-way or visit. I am so tired of being in pain every day. I am frustrated because my medical issues are a financial burden. I don't want to settle for my curent living conditions. I know there is no cure for my autoimmune disease, but I need to keep searching for answers. I want to live to see my young kids grow up, and if I have to do it in physical pain and a wheel chair then so be it - but if there is a chance that I can be able to have a better quality of life I need to keep looking. I've tried everything from acupuncture to steroid spinal shots to medicines that caused a 60lb weight gain in 3 months. Please, please if you could help with good thoughts, prayers or help with my medical bills I would appreciate it so much! Please help me be here with my family. Please help ease my pain by reducing my stress!! Please help me keep trying to improve my quality of life. Any little anything is very appreciated! Thank you all so much!!
Until 2012 I spent my life always on the go - time with the family, costuming theater performances and always going the extra mile to help others. In 2012 the left side of my body slowly went numb. I thought my back was out of whack, until my head (yes, my head. My whole head) went numb. It was a matter of weeks until I lost control/use of my body. Not only did my body go numb and decide it would do funky things like jump and tick randomly but my mind became very cloudy and confused. I used to be very sharp and quick - fun and witty and fearless in regards to learning new things and taking on projects. Now I am 46 years old and handicapped. I had to sell off my stock of costumes. Thouseands of costumes. Years of my designs, time, love and memories. I am no longer able to work, though I have been taking on small sewing jobs to help out. I have spent the past 3 years being tossed from specialist to specialist, taking test after test. Two specialists have told me they believe I have Multiple Sclerosis. One keeps sending me all over Phoenix. My monthly out of pocket medical expences can get to $1000 and over. Each specialist I see is $350-$500 for initial exam, then new labs, and then going back for results... which means another $350 . Each MRI is another $300. To help cope with my chronic pain and other illness I need to see a psychologist - which means even more $$, not covered by my insurance. I get frequent and blinding ocular migranes which are horrilbe! My eye sight also changes quickly - needing new lenses every 4-6 months. Our insurance covers one exam and one pair of new glasses each year. That means the other pair is out of pocket. Not only did I find out I have MS and vision problems, but it came with chronic fatique, severe depression (because hey, I'm a useless blob now) and worst of all a raging case of very painful neuropathy that resides in my entire body. Mainly my legs - but at any given time it will take over all of me. It is like boiling acid flowing under my skin, leaving flaming fire balls here and there (mostly in tender spots like in my knee pits). In addition, I have severe spinal stenosis from lumbar to cervical that adds to my chronic pain. I live in pain 24/7. It is hard to sleep, it' s hard to stand and sitting in the usual sitting up position is both exhausting and painful. Frankly, I simply cannot afford to continue seeing answers and my options are to ask for help on gofundme or stop seeking medical treatment other than my stabalizing care. I have filed for disability but I learned that in Arizona I will need a lawyer and file at least 3 times to even see a judge. I filed once and was denied. I cannot afford a lawyer to proceed. Stress is another trigger that causes my pain level to rise and rise. The stress of knowing that I will not be able to continue to seek a solution grows every day. In my condition, I can wake up feeling okay. Always in pain, but at times it can be managable. On a day like that (happens once or twice a month) I can do mom/household things for 2-3 hours maximum and then I need to rest. At any given time, without warning, I could go from able to walk to unable to move or control my limbs. Days like that are far too frequent and very discouraging. Wanting to get up and play with my kids, clean my own house, cook a nice dinner, sew something beautiful and yet not being able to walk to the bathroom is frustrating. I can no longer dance, go hiking, enjoy simple funness with the family- Even traveling to visit friends and family more than 20 minutes away from home is next to impossible because both driving the car and sitting in the car triggers my condition, causing more pain and exhaustion and makes it hard to enjoy any type of get-a-way or visit. I am so tired of being in pain every day. I am frustrated because my medical issues are a financial burden. I don't want to settle for my curent living conditions. I know there is no cure for my autoimmune disease, but I need to keep searching for answers. I want to live to see my young kids grow up, and if I have to do it in physical pain and a wheel chair then so be it - but if there is a chance that I can be able to have a better quality of life I need to keep looking. I've tried everything from acupuncture to steroid spinal shots to medicines that caused a 60lb weight gain in 3 months. Please, please if you could help with good thoughts, prayers or help with my medical bills I would appreciate it so much! Please help me be here with my family. Please help ease my pain by reducing my stress!! Please help me keep trying to improve my quality of life. Any little anything is very appreciated! Thank you all so much!!
Organizer
Rebecca Call Willcox
Organizer
Mesa, AZ
