Help our Mama kick NMO’s butt!
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My mom is THE strongest person I know! Throughout her life, she has struggled with bad luck whether it was involving relationships, housing, health etc., but she has never given up. She has taught all of her children to stay strong and persevere through difficult situations! Back in April, she went to the ER with pain and blindness in her eye not knowing the cause. Long story short, she was in the waiting room for 12 hours unaware that the nerves in her eye were actually dying as she was sitting there because the hospital was neglecting the severity of her pain. She left that ER to go to another hospital which got her back almost immediately and started running some tests. They started her on steroids and told her she needed to be transferred back to the original hospital to see the specialists they have on call there. She went back to that hospital via AMBULANCE which you think the ERs would keep track of patients like that who are coming in, but no. They dropped her off and told her they had no idea who she was and that she needed to check back it...still in pain, nerves decaying.
After she finally got into a room and they start running some tests, they tell her she possibly has MS (Multiple Sclerosis). They pumped her with steroids and sent her on her way. A few weeks later, she still only had a tiny sliver at the top of the pupil where it wasn’t gray, but they told her that her vision should slowly come back. Well she develops what looks like a rash you would get from a wire bra or something like that on her torso. She was in so much pain that she said she’d rather be in labor (if you need that example). So back she goes to the ER and they tell her it looks like shingles, but she had no blisters which is a primary symptom. They give her the medicine for shingles anyway and sent her on her way. It finally cleared up a few days later. She made an appointment with the optometrist to see what was going on with her eye. It wasn’t getting better at all and she was told the nerve was dead and cannot be fixed.
A few weeks passed and on 9/17/2019 my mom called the neurologist because she was experiencing numbness in her right hand and leg. The neurologist told her to go to the closest ER for treatment immediately. The closest one to her was the one she had to wait 12 hrs in the waiting room on her first visit. So here we are again waiting for a room. This time we were in the waiting room for 4 hours (her condition gets worse if treatment isn’t started immediately). So again we left and went to a different ER and were seen almost immediately! But again, she needed to get transferred back to the original hospital because there’s a neurologist on site, but this time they made sure she went straight up to a room!
A few blood tests, lumbar puncture, and 2 MRIs later and she is diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease called Neuromyelitis Optica/NMO. As of right now this is incurable, but can be managed with diet change, etc. She is still in the hospital receiving steroids and has to have a plasma exchange every other day. We are hoping that she’ll be able to come home by the end of the week, God willing! Right now we’re asking for prayers because she’s doing the best she can to stay positive! But I am here to also ask for financial help because I know she will not. She has always worked hard to support her kids and to make sure we had everything we needed. I know she will be embarrassed, even though she shouldn’t be, because she deserves the world and so much more for everything she’s dealt with in her lifetime; she deserves a break. Her family is helping the best they can, but anything helps, any money donated will go towards medical bills and other financial needs. I’m also working on collecting money for a trip to Disney for her to take my brother and sister, but that’s on the back burner for now. Again, to know my mom is to love her. She’s always helped everyone and asked for nothing in return just out of the goodness of her heart. Through her struggles, she still finds a way to be positive and I hope to be half the person she is! Thank you so much for even just reading a small part of her story and even just prayers are welcomed!
After she finally got into a room and they start running some tests, they tell her she possibly has MS (Multiple Sclerosis). They pumped her with steroids and sent her on her way. A few weeks later, she still only had a tiny sliver at the top of the pupil where it wasn’t gray, but they told her that her vision should slowly come back. Well she develops what looks like a rash you would get from a wire bra or something like that on her torso. She was in so much pain that she said she’d rather be in labor (if you need that example). So back she goes to the ER and they tell her it looks like shingles, but she had no blisters which is a primary symptom. They give her the medicine for shingles anyway and sent her on her way. It finally cleared up a few days later. She made an appointment with the optometrist to see what was going on with her eye. It wasn’t getting better at all and she was told the nerve was dead and cannot be fixed.
A few weeks passed and on 9/17/2019 my mom called the neurologist because she was experiencing numbness in her right hand and leg. The neurologist told her to go to the closest ER for treatment immediately. The closest one to her was the one she had to wait 12 hrs in the waiting room on her first visit. So here we are again waiting for a room. This time we were in the waiting room for 4 hours (her condition gets worse if treatment isn’t started immediately). So again we left and went to a different ER and were seen almost immediately! But again, she needed to get transferred back to the original hospital because there’s a neurologist on site, but this time they made sure she went straight up to a room!
A few blood tests, lumbar puncture, and 2 MRIs later and she is diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease called Neuromyelitis Optica/NMO. As of right now this is incurable, but can be managed with diet change, etc. She is still in the hospital receiving steroids and has to have a plasma exchange every other day. We are hoping that she’ll be able to come home by the end of the week, God willing! Right now we’re asking for prayers because she’s doing the best she can to stay positive! But I am here to also ask for financial help because I know she will not. She has always worked hard to support her kids and to make sure we had everything we needed. I know she will be embarrassed, even though she shouldn’t be, because she deserves the world and so much more for everything she’s dealt with in her lifetime; she deserves a break. Her family is helping the best they can, but anything helps, any money donated will go towards medical bills and other financial needs. I’m also working on collecting money for a trip to Disney for her to take my brother and sister, but that’s on the back burner for now. Again, to know my mom is to love her. She’s always helped everyone and asked for nothing in return just out of the goodness of her heart. Through her struggles, she still finds a way to be positive and I hope to be half the person she is! Thank you so much for even just reading a small part of her story and even just prayers are welcomed!
Organizer
Crystal Marie Wagner
Organizer
Concord, NC