Ethel's Treatment Fund
Donation protected
My Name is Ethel, I am 18 years old and i have been living in pain for over 4 years now as well as many other symptoms.
We spent 3 years looking for answers, going from doctor to doctor, and i had every test possible that you can think of.
I was tested for arthritis, lupus, sickle cell, multiple sclerosis and the list goes on. They still could not figure it out although i presented with symptoms relating to all of those diseases.
I had many full body bone scans, MRI's, x-rays, cat scans and ultrasounds.
I had no idea why my cognitive function was declining, why i had so much pain. I was led to believe that it was all in my head. My grades dropped significantly as my memory and ability to think clearly declined.
I had been an athlete my whole life too.
My pain first started with slight aches in my ankles. Then one day at track practice i felt as if i pulled something in my right knee, but all tests showed that my knee was okay. Shortly after, the pain was in both knees, both ankles, both wrists, my neck, my shoulders, my neck, my fingers and my back. It was gradual, then it was all of the sudden. It just kept spreading as years went on.
My legs go numb sometimes, my face goes numb sometimes. I get elecrtical shooting like pains running through my face. My jaw has been shiftng. I get hand tremors, shortness of breath, blurry vision, electromagnetic field sensitivities, chemical sensitivities, abdominal pains, short term memeory loss, and the list goes on.
I used to smart, i used to be a fast runner, i used to be healthy.
After 3 years of testings, i was diagnosed with lyme disease in 2015 and started on natural treatments through a naturopathic doctor who treated lyme disease.
We later did more testings with a specialist in new york where my blood work was comfirmed and i then recieved 2 other diagnoses of bartonella and babesia, which are co-infections for lyme disease. We then also started long term antibiotic treatments in new york. I started this fundraiser to help pay for treatemnts.
Treatment for lyme disease is not covered by insurrace. The guidelines state that 2-3 weeks of antibiotics is all it takes to "cure lyme disease". Unfortunetly there is a percentage of people who don't get cured after that given period, and there are no guidelines for them. Especially those who were left undiagnosed and untreated for years. The CDC treatment guidelines do not help us. So we have to keep fighting to be heard, for treatments as well as pay out of pocket for all treatments.
All the treatments i have tried have been expensive. Most expensive one is with my LLMD (Lyme Literatte Medical doctor) in New york. The reason we go to new york to see a doctor instead of here in canada is because no doctor here will treat me. If they do, they can lose thier liscene because it would be breaking guidelines. Also many doctors don't believe that Lyme can be progessive, even though the research is out there. As we continue treatment and looking for more options, i am trying my best to fundraise in order to help pay for it all.
It is my dream to go to a lyme disease treatment centre but unfortunetly they are alot more expesive.
All i wish for is to be able to play with my little brothers and run arround with them again. To spend all day doing activities with them again. Not laying in bed due to pain and extreme fatigue. To think , remember and read like i used to again.
Lyme has affected my joints, muscles, nerves, bones and central nervous system.
Walking hurts my legs, sitting hurts my back. Heat makes me dizzy and the cold increases my pain and makes me stiff.
I am in university, fighting my way through it , with the hopes of going into tick bourne disease research. My school is very accomidating and there are also alot of resources i can reach out to as support and for help.
Please help me as i fight to regain my health and live my life. I dream and wish for a cure.
Please share.
Thank you so much,
Ethel
We spent 3 years looking for answers, going from doctor to doctor, and i had every test possible that you can think of.
I was tested for arthritis, lupus, sickle cell, multiple sclerosis and the list goes on. They still could not figure it out although i presented with symptoms relating to all of those diseases.
I had many full body bone scans, MRI's, x-rays, cat scans and ultrasounds.
I had no idea why my cognitive function was declining, why i had so much pain. I was led to believe that it was all in my head. My grades dropped significantly as my memory and ability to think clearly declined.
I had been an athlete my whole life too.
My pain first started with slight aches in my ankles. Then one day at track practice i felt as if i pulled something in my right knee, but all tests showed that my knee was okay. Shortly after, the pain was in both knees, both ankles, both wrists, my neck, my shoulders, my neck, my fingers and my back. It was gradual, then it was all of the sudden. It just kept spreading as years went on.
My legs go numb sometimes, my face goes numb sometimes. I get elecrtical shooting like pains running through my face. My jaw has been shiftng. I get hand tremors, shortness of breath, blurry vision, electromagnetic field sensitivities, chemical sensitivities, abdominal pains, short term memeory loss, and the list goes on.
I used to smart, i used to be a fast runner, i used to be healthy.
After 3 years of testings, i was diagnosed with lyme disease in 2015 and started on natural treatments through a naturopathic doctor who treated lyme disease.
We later did more testings with a specialist in new york where my blood work was comfirmed and i then recieved 2 other diagnoses of bartonella and babesia, which are co-infections for lyme disease. We then also started long term antibiotic treatments in new york. I started this fundraiser to help pay for treatemnts.
Treatment for lyme disease is not covered by insurrace. The guidelines state that 2-3 weeks of antibiotics is all it takes to "cure lyme disease". Unfortunetly there is a percentage of people who don't get cured after that given period, and there are no guidelines for them. Especially those who were left undiagnosed and untreated for years. The CDC treatment guidelines do not help us. So we have to keep fighting to be heard, for treatments as well as pay out of pocket for all treatments.
All the treatments i have tried have been expensive. Most expensive one is with my LLMD (Lyme Literatte Medical doctor) in New york. The reason we go to new york to see a doctor instead of here in canada is because no doctor here will treat me. If they do, they can lose thier liscene because it would be breaking guidelines. Also many doctors don't believe that Lyme can be progessive, even though the research is out there. As we continue treatment and looking for more options, i am trying my best to fundraise in order to help pay for it all.
It is my dream to go to a lyme disease treatment centre but unfortunetly they are alot more expesive.
All i wish for is to be able to play with my little brothers and run arround with them again. To spend all day doing activities with them again. Not laying in bed due to pain and extreme fatigue. To think , remember and read like i used to again.
Lyme has affected my joints, muscles, nerves, bones and central nervous system.
Walking hurts my legs, sitting hurts my back. Heat makes me dizzy and the cold increases my pain and makes me stiff.
I am in university, fighting my way through it , with the hopes of going into tick bourne disease research. My school is very accomidating and there are also alot of resources i can reach out to as support and for help.
Please help me as i fight to regain my health and live my life. I dream and wish for a cure.
Please share.
Thank you so much,
Ethel
Organizer
Ethel Nalule
Organizer
Gananoque, ON
