Kathleen's Medical and Home Expense
Donation protected
Hello friends and family near and far. I have been going back and forth about doing this for quite some time because of uncertainties, embarrassment or a million other thoughts I have. Kathleen and I have kept this private because you don't want to worry or bother people, but I've decided that we need to keep this real. It's raw, it's happening, it's hard, it's sad, it's unfair, etc... Why are people so hush hush with illness? Why are we too proud to ask for help?
Kathleen has a rare disease called Scleroderma. This is where your body goes crazy and creates too much collagen. You can't shut it off, it's like a hose that just keeps running and running until the area floods, only the collagen is flooding her body turning her to stone. It has robbed her of a lot of independence, she can't bend to put her socks or shoes on any longer, she can't open jars or pretty much anything because the disease has made her hands so tight and hard that her fingers now curl. She is always cold. She is always tired. She is always in pain. Her face is hard. Her legs are hardening. She can't bend, walking is difficult. She has lost 65 pounds in 6 months. It has invaded her GI tract making eating and other things difficult and unpleasant. She now takes at least 15 pills a day that really just aren't doing anything, there is no cure for scleroderma, there is barely any treatment and what they do have typically doesn't work. It is very scary and the uncertainty of the future is overwhelming. It has left us with so many medical bills from trying to diagnose to trying to treat, to out of network visits to try and find someone who can help her. 300,000 people in the U.S. Have scleroderma, that's not many in the grand scheme. Why my wife? Why the love of my life? Why now? Why ever? Why her, she's been healthy all her life until now. It's very hard to grasp.
We need help. I'm going to be honest and real with you, it's hard but it's necessary. We are simply drowning. We have cut back on a lot and are still below the surface. If you can donate to lighten the burden it would be so appreciated, we certainly understand all of us have struggles and can't offer monetary help all the time, if ever. I at least very much appreciate you reading her story. If you have any questions feel free to ask.
The picture below is of her skin now. She tried acupuncture, to no avail.
Thank-you for your time and consideration.
Prayers to all,
Tina and Kathleen
Kathleen has a rare disease called Scleroderma. This is where your body goes crazy and creates too much collagen. You can't shut it off, it's like a hose that just keeps running and running until the area floods, only the collagen is flooding her body turning her to stone. It has robbed her of a lot of independence, she can't bend to put her socks or shoes on any longer, she can't open jars or pretty much anything because the disease has made her hands so tight and hard that her fingers now curl. She is always cold. She is always tired. She is always in pain. Her face is hard. Her legs are hardening. She can't bend, walking is difficult. She has lost 65 pounds in 6 months. It has invaded her GI tract making eating and other things difficult and unpleasant. She now takes at least 15 pills a day that really just aren't doing anything, there is no cure for scleroderma, there is barely any treatment and what they do have typically doesn't work. It is very scary and the uncertainty of the future is overwhelming. It has left us with so many medical bills from trying to diagnose to trying to treat, to out of network visits to try and find someone who can help her. 300,000 people in the U.S. Have scleroderma, that's not many in the grand scheme. Why my wife? Why the love of my life? Why now? Why ever? Why her, she's been healthy all her life until now. It's very hard to grasp.
We need help. I'm going to be honest and real with you, it's hard but it's necessary. We are simply drowning. We have cut back on a lot and are still below the surface. If you can donate to lighten the burden it would be so appreciated, we certainly understand all of us have struggles and can't offer monetary help all the time, if ever. I at least very much appreciate you reading her story. If you have any questions feel free to ask.
The picture below is of her skin now. She tried acupuncture, to no avail.
Thank-you for your time and consideration.
Prayers to all,
Tina and Kathleen
Organizer and beneficiary
Tina Pautsch
Organizer
Minneapolis, MN
Kathleen Andrist
Beneficiary
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