Jennifer's Medical Bill Fund

Hello! First off, thank-you for visiting my page! :) My name is Jennifer Carroll. I Recently turned 25, but my story starts at age 23. At the time I was happily working 2 different retail jobs. On a normal day i'd wake at 7:30 then work till 9:30 at night. I thoroughly enjoyed both jobs as it gave me a chance to interact with the public, & sell products I believe in. It started when I developed a persistent cough, then began to have trouble breathing after a shower. I drove myself to a Quick clinic & was surprised to find out I had pneumonia. After receiving my meds, & orders for rest I went home to start "getting better". During my rest I developed shingles, & atributed the pain to pneumonia. Once my antibiotics were finished I returned to the Dr to find out my shingles turned into postherpetic neuralgia. I am happy to report the nerve damage has since healed, but not long after I got pneumonia for the second time. My physician earned her pay that month by sending me for a MRI, setting up a appointment with a Hematologist/oncologist, & a pulmonologist. The MRI showed localized pneumonia in both lungs. Through the hematologist I had a scare with lupus, lymphoma, & Brest cancer. Thankfully I was negative for all three. The pulmonologist ordered a set of PFT'S, & a 6 min walk test. At this point I was breathing 60%, & put on a stronger set of antibiotics I didn't respond to. From their I had a lymph node biopsy which came back negative, & was immediately scheduled for a lung biopsy. December 5th 2012 I was diagnosed with Nonspecific interstitial pneumonia, also my official last day of work. With my new diagnosis came all new medications, however my lung function after surgery was actually worse on medication then off. I registered about 37% breathing capacity, so my pulmonologist got busy. He emailed both Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville FL, and Duke medical university in NC. Jacksonvilles meeting produced a battery of test to take. I picked up a new dermatologist, & a glastrologist & was diagnosed with gurt. Then came my meeting with duke after their array of test I was sent home with another list. I found a specialist in my disease at MUSC, & i'm proud to say i'm holding steady at 30%! Although its been a hard adjustment to go from a active lifestyle of two jobs, to a medically conscious day to day life I feel like I've taken it in stride, & with a upbeat attitude. More recently I have been diagnosed with amyopathic dermatomyositis a connective tissue disorder witch couples with my lung disease. I have a long road ahead of me with countless medical bills behind me. I have managed to commit myself to the minimum payments, but it has become overwhelming on my fixed income. all that I can ask is that you take the time to spread my story. thank you all so very much and have a wonderful day.


Jennifer