plastic surgery/Tracy Boyle Wallace
Donation protected
I have decided after talking with some of my friends that I will share my story. There have been so many people who have asked if they could help. The story spans 10+ years but I will try to stick to the most important info. In 2005 I started to get some lesions on my face. This was unusual. I hadn't really struggle with serious acne before. I went to my family doctor. We tried antibiotics and even Accutane. I was also struggling with some anemia issues and he had me taking iron supplements for that.
The meds for my face didn't seem to be working. After quite a while I went to a dermatologists in Pocatello. He was very rude, and offered not much additional help. He just recommended a type of covering call Duoderm. I complied with his instructions but the sores got worse.
A few more years went by. I was having trouble with my Thyroid and started meds for that and my anemia didn't seem to get better no matter how many iron supplements I took. I was still taking antibiotic for my face. I had tried several different kinds. I did have some diarrhea but I thought it was because of the antibiotics.
In 2010 they recommended a historectomy in hopes that it would help with the anemia. I went to a gynecologist and we had that surgery done. But even after the hisrorectomy my anemia continued to get worse.
We went to see a dermatologist who tested the wound and determined that it was staphylococcus. He gave me more antibiotics and lots of other washes and vinegar soaks. They still continued to get worse. It spread into my lip.
My story gets a little dark. As the sores advanced they became very painful! I couldn't sleep. They were contantly hurting. After some time I couldn't help it. I started opening the sores. It was the only way I could handle the pain.
Eventually it moved into my lower lip. After another year or so I ended up in the Hospital in Salt Lake. Without any evaluation, they decided I was a psychotic and a cutter and put me on antipsychotic medication. I said no several times to this med but ultimately agreed to take them because I didn't want to look uncooperative.
The next 6 or 7 weeks were as close to hell as you can get. In taking the antipsychotic drug I had gone psychotic. I suddenly was mentally ill. It was a pain of the heart and soul that I can never efficiently describe. I honestly didn't know how to get through the next second. My husband stayed home and held me while we waited for the drug to leave my system. I had help from dear friends who sat by my side.
Not knowing where to go next, we started going to a naturalist. I had thousands of dollars of IV treatments and ozone treatment and though sometimes I felt a little better the infection continued to spread through my head and hair.
By the time we moved to Declo in 2013 I was sooooo sick. My anemia was sucking the life out of me, I was loosing weight a little faster all the time and I had lost my lower lip. My nose was badly damaged and now the infection had moved into my hands. One evening my hand had swollen up like a baseball and once again the pain was unbearable. Poor Rich ( my husband) didn't know what to do. He took me into the ER. Every time we would go to a new doctor I was overwelmed with fear that once again they would call me crazy and I would get no answers. Finally the doctors from Cassia had the wisdom to look past the superficial and look deeper to the systemic. The ER doctor called in a hematologist. They did blood tests. My anemia was low to dangerous levels. They gave me two pints of blood and started more test. They discovered that my anemia was not blood loss anemia, but iron deficiency anemia. There is a difference. To try to keep this very long story shorter, he started putting all the pieces together. In their tests they also found I had a very low immune system. So low immune, iron deficiency, thyroid disease skin lesions, diarrhea, weight loss. He said if people under 50 have multiple issues it usually stems from one main problem. He put it all together and came up with Celiac Disease(allergy to gluten, found in wheat). We were really sceptical because that was such a fad at the time but he ordered an endoscopy and I had totally destroyed my gut. I have the genetic markers for Celiac)but it wasn't a problem until later in life. Possibly triggered by the accident death of my father.
Though I went on the diet right away and was very loyal to it, the infection continued to spread for a while until my body got stronger. After about a year they were able to do some surgeries I had needed including hernia and a knee.
It has been two and a half years since the diagnosis. I am almost all better systemically except they say I may never absorb iron like I should. So far I have had to have 4 to 5 large doses of IV iron every three months. There is one wound on my head that never has healed. They are looking at doing a skin graft. If that goes well I will start plastic surgury for the rest of my face.
I have never been one to ask for help and I have done everything I could to keep my job and work. I just lost my job of 22 years this past week and am having trouble getting another job. I suspect they are jealous of my good looks. I suppose it would be difficult to work through the plastic surgeries anyway.
We have insurance but after ten year of meeting deductables, having things denied on insurance, co-pays and travel,it has left us hurting.
My awesome kids have worked so hard to pay for much of their activities in high school, and Tyler's (my son) mission. We are grateful to family who have helped also with his mission. We will have three kids in college by August and they are all working to pay for college and can not get Pell grants because we make too much but because of our bills we can't help them much.
We sold our house, we took out what they would allow of our 4O1k, we have taken out the cash value of our life insurance that we started when we were in college and filled our credit cards. We are driving very well worn cars. The only thing I have that is still of cost is my horses and they are like family. They are from my dad's home and remind me of him. They are my escape and my theropy. This is so hard for me. I have had so many people ask if they could help. I haven't set a high goal on this. I am just grateful for any penny of help we get.
I hope to be able to find great surgeons and get back on my way. I have learned it is harder to receive then to give.
The meds for my face didn't seem to be working. After quite a while I went to a dermatologists in Pocatello. He was very rude, and offered not much additional help. He just recommended a type of covering call Duoderm. I complied with his instructions but the sores got worse.
A few more years went by. I was having trouble with my Thyroid and started meds for that and my anemia didn't seem to get better no matter how many iron supplements I took. I was still taking antibiotic for my face. I had tried several different kinds. I did have some diarrhea but I thought it was because of the antibiotics.
In 2010 they recommended a historectomy in hopes that it would help with the anemia. I went to a gynecologist and we had that surgery done. But even after the hisrorectomy my anemia continued to get worse.
We went to see a dermatologist who tested the wound and determined that it was staphylococcus. He gave me more antibiotics and lots of other washes and vinegar soaks. They still continued to get worse. It spread into my lip.
My story gets a little dark. As the sores advanced they became very painful! I couldn't sleep. They were contantly hurting. After some time I couldn't help it. I started opening the sores. It was the only way I could handle the pain.
Eventually it moved into my lower lip. After another year or so I ended up in the Hospital in Salt Lake. Without any evaluation, they decided I was a psychotic and a cutter and put me on antipsychotic medication. I said no several times to this med but ultimately agreed to take them because I didn't want to look uncooperative.
The next 6 or 7 weeks were as close to hell as you can get. In taking the antipsychotic drug I had gone psychotic. I suddenly was mentally ill. It was a pain of the heart and soul that I can never efficiently describe. I honestly didn't know how to get through the next second. My husband stayed home and held me while we waited for the drug to leave my system. I had help from dear friends who sat by my side.
Not knowing where to go next, we started going to a naturalist. I had thousands of dollars of IV treatments and ozone treatment and though sometimes I felt a little better the infection continued to spread through my head and hair.
By the time we moved to Declo in 2013 I was sooooo sick. My anemia was sucking the life out of me, I was loosing weight a little faster all the time and I had lost my lower lip. My nose was badly damaged and now the infection had moved into my hands. One evening my hand had swollen up like a baseball and once again the pain was unbearable. Poor Rich ( my husband) didn't know what to do. He took me into the ER. Every time we would go to a new doctor I was overwelmed with fear that once again they would call me crazy and I would get no answers. Finally the doctors from Cassia had the wisdom to look past the superficial and look deeper to the systemic. The ER doctor called in a hematologist. They did blood tests. My anemia was low to dangerous levels. They gave me two pints of blood and started more test. They discovered that my anemia was not blood loss anemia, but iron deficiency anemia. There is a difference. To try to keep this very long story shorter, he started putting all the pieces together. In their tests they also found I had a very low immune system. So low immune, iron deficiency, thyroid disease skin lesions, diarrhea, weight loss. He said if people under 50 have multiple issues it usually stems from one main problem. He put it all together and came up with Celiac Disease(allergy to gluten, found in wheat). We were really sceptical because that was such a fad at the time but he ordered an endoscopy and I had totally destroyed my gut. I have the genetic markers for Celiac)but it wasn't a problem until later in life. Possibly triggered by the accident death of my father.
Though I went on the diet right away and was very loyal to it, the infection continued to spread for a while until my body got stronger. After about a year they were able to do some surgeries I had needed including hernia and a knee.
It has been two and a half years since the diagnosis. I am almost all better systemically except they say I may never absorb iron like I should. So far I have had to have 4 to 5 large doses of IV iron every three months. There is one wound on my head that never has healed. They are looking at doing a skin graft. If that goes well I will start plastic surgury for the rest of my face.
I have never been one to ask for help and I have done everything I could to keep my job and work. I just lost my job of 22 years this past week and am having trouble getting another job. I suspect they are jealous of my good looks. I suppose it would be difficult to work through the plastic surgeries anyway.
We have insurance but after ten year of meeting deductables, having things denied on insurance, co-pays and travel,it has left us hurting.
My awesome kids have worked so hard to pay for much of their activities in high school, and Tyler's (my son) mission. We are grateful to family who have helped also with his mission. We will have three kids in college by August and they are all working to pay for college and can not get Pell grants because we make too much but because of our bills we can't help them much.
We sold our house, we took out what they would allow of our 4O1k, we have taken out the cash value of our life insurance that we started when we were in college and filled our credit cards. We are driving very well worn cars. The only thing I have that is still of cost is my horses and they are like family. They are from my dad's home and remind me of him. They are my escape and my theropy. This is so hard for me. I have had so many people ask if they could help. I haven't set a high goal on this. I am just grateful for any penny of help we get.
I hope to be able to find great surgeons and get back on my way. I have learned it is harder to receive then to give.
Organizer and beneficiary
Tracy Wallace
Organizer
Declo, ID
Richard Wallace
Beneficiary
