Eric's Journey with ALS
In February, my strong and very fit husband started noticing fatigue/muscle weakness.
As our only "health insurance" option at the time, Eric went to Indian Health Services (Chapa De) in Auburn. They did blood work, but didn't find any particular issues.
His strength was noticeably declining so went back to Chapa De. This time, in March, his tests indicated that he had Epstein Barr (aka Mononucleosis), which made sense to some degree; in December, he and I went to Washington State for our oldest daughter's graduation, and her housemate was just getting over mono (but was supposedly not contagious). Since mono has an extended incubation period, and given that Eric started noticing symptoms in February, we thought it was the case. 
Except Eric's muscles (especially in his legs) were starting to cramp severely and what he was experiencing was more than just fatigue. He felt utterly weak as if he was losing his strength as each day passed.
By the third time he went to Chapa De, and more blood was drawn and tested, they didn't think it was mono after all - didn't know WHAT it was - but noticed that the only thing that showed in his blood work was that over the course of the three blood draws something was indicating his muscles were deteriorating. Perhaps some kind of autoimmune? They said they had nothing left to offer him in terms of tests or diagnosis, and suggested going to a neurologist.
The next obstacle was to obtain health insurance through Covered CA (since he did not qualify for MediCal) so he could see someone outside of the Indian Health Services clinic.
At that time, we were starting to think he might have Lyme based on input from others' experiences, so Eric insisted that Chapa De start treating him with antibiotics for Lyme. As well, he went to our chiropractor, who reviewed all his lab tests and noted that Eric's blood work did not indicate "negative" for Lyme but was marked "inconclusive." He started taking the antibiotics about May 1 and hoped for the best. He also started taking many supplements, as our chiropractor found he was extremely low in many essential minerals - Zinc, etc. - as if he was not absorbing any nutrients.
An active and healthy 6' tall man, Eric's weight dropped to 161 lbs. (healthy weight for him is about 185).
After waiting until his insurance kicked in on May 1, Eric was able to squeeze into to see a General Practitioner at UC Davis Medical Group in Auburn on May 3. She gave Eric "urgent referrals" to both a cardiologist and neurologist, but those were weeks out. As well, she was seriously concerned that this was a degenerative muscle issue.
At this time, Eric was having a hard time walking, lifting his arms and even breathing was noticeably altered.
On Tuesday May 9, we took him to UCD Medical Center in Sacramento to their Emergency Dept. After about 7 hours of various tests and waiting (nothing conclusive still), he was admitted. When Eric was released on Friday, May 12, they had drawn even more blood, collected 24 hours of urine, done a spinal tap and an EMG (a muscle/nerve test which was far more painful than the spinal tap, which was not too bad, surprisingly).
With nothing conclusive, he was released from the hospital with a "Clinically Probable ALS" diagnosis and referred to the UC Davis ALS clinic / specialist.
The appointment for the ALS Clinic is set for June 2 and he will spend several hours there and undergo a series of additonal tests. He learned that his urine lab test showed no signs of heavy metal poisoning. So as his symptoms continue to rapidly worsen - in spite of the antibiotics and supplements - we are in a waiting game with no significant income, no savings, no credit cards, and as much faith as we can muster. We are clearly considering this "probable" diagnosis an OPINION and we are waiting for other experts to find the true issue.
As two self-employed parents, Eric's ability to work is the foundation of our family's income. Currently he is very weak, struggles to walk, takes several naps/rests per day, and therefore cannot do repairs, build anything, or perform any other aspect of his normal work as a contractor.
Our Projected Needs:
Physical -
What do we need to support him in staying strong?
Who can diagnose him best / most accurately?
How do we proceed for the BEST path for him?
We are THANKFUL that several friends have offered cranial sacral, acupuncture, chiropractic and physical therapy services in donation.
Emotional/Mental -
Thankfully, we have a trusted, amazing therapist who is willing to work with us, not to mention a very loving community. We are clear Eric needs extra support right now and he is seeking it from free group meetings at places he trusts.
Our family provider and "protector," Eric tends to worry often, so changing his mindset is going to be a foundational piece for him. The rest of us are doing our best to support him and ourselves.
Financial -
Due to a variety of life obstacles, our family has struggled in huge ways and have NO RESOURCES or access to any. We don't have credit cards or savings and simply live week to week, sometimes day to day. Though we plan to apply for disability, with only a "probable" diagnosis at this time, we don't know if Eric will qualify. As well, he has been self-employed and may not have been paying in to it during the required time frame.
To cover the BASICS - rent, utilities, groceries, and gas - our family needs to bring in about $4000 per month. And we don't know how long this will go on, or what kinds of additional expenses we will incur.
Logistical -
As the family "organizer" I am so overwhelmed, that I simply don't know where to begin! How do we prioritize needs? How do we get disability, or other resources?
In additon to being a self-employed spiritual intuitive and mentor, I have a couple of part-time jobs, plus a house full of teens to feed and mother.
Spiritual -
We aren't even sure what this means at this point, but it's clear that our lives seem to be about UTTER SURRENDER and TRUST right now.
Our Immediate Plan of Action:
1. Operate as best we can as a family unit supporting one another, and allowing the support of our community whenever possible. We are immensely grateful for the contributions of money, services, and groceries we've received so far!
2. Find ways to generate funds to help us maintain our household AND pay for any holistic practitioners that may not be covered by Eric's insurance. We will NOT settle for an ALS diagnosis without seeking alternative healers.
3. Do the footwork and keep the faith.
Ways You Can Help:
Make a monthly donation, or a one-time gift:
-Here on our GoFundMe campaign
-Directly to my PayPal account (unlike GFM, there's no charge to us if you "send money to family or friends" - just ask me for my PayPal email address )
-Mail a check to: Eric Wetterstrom, PO Box 845, Meadow Vista, CA 95722
Find a place to contribute/support us with another need in our closed FB Group (or if not on FB, I can send you a list/suggestion).
If you are spiritually-minded and want to support my business, sign up for one of my Spritual Evolution programs through my website at $19/month (for weekly online meditations and community) or $39/month (for two spiritual classes each month plus the meditations).
Send us words of encouragement, pray for Eric's full recovery, and KNOW he will return to complete health.
