My name is Michael Young. My girlfriend, Alexus Hartzog, is currently going through an unpredictable medical disorder called Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS). A week ago, we had never even heard of it.

Alexus was prescribed an antibiotic called Bactrim for an abscess she had in her armpit. She had never taken that antibiotic before, and therefore, did not know that she was allergic to it. She was told to take it for 10 days twice a day. On the 9th day of medication, she had a fever. She took cold and flu medicine, zinc, and tried to rest, but her body was uncomfortable. She had flu-like symptoms for 3 days and the fever was on and off, every 12 hours, like clockwork. She experienced dizzyness, shortness of breath, migraines, sensitivity to light, chest pains, and more for those 3 days. She even took a covid test that came back negative.

Eight days ago, the fevers stopped and she thought she was better, but hours later, she started to swell in random areas. The inside of her ears felt blocked. She couldn't hear out of one side. She started to itch everywhere. Her sensitivity to light increased. She was scared and went to urgent care.

She was told that she was having an allergic reaction to Bactrim, but she said they seemed to be confused as to why she was having the reaction that she was, mostly because of the fevers, I think. She was given a steroid shot and prescribed antihistamines. Over the next 4 days her body would develop pink and purple rashes and she spent those 4 days going to an emergency room each day. The first 2 trips were to the same hospital. She was prescribed another antihistamine and told that it was a fixed drug eruption. She was also prescribed an antibiotic for a bladder infection because her white blood cell count was so high and sleep medication because she couldn't even get comfortable enough to get sleep. She was also given another steroid shot and prescribed steroids. Both times she was told that she would get better, but her skin was getting worse.

The next day, she woke up and her lips were dry and bleeding, not like chapped lips, though. She looked like she had been beat up. Her rashes started darkening and it looked like her skin was dying. She had excruciating pain in her lips, mouth, hands, and feet. I had to carry her to the bathroom, because she couldn't walk and open her medications for her. She was scared and trying to trust the doctors, but her body was deteriorating fast. She didn't want to have to go to the emergency room because she had already been twice and was worried about the money honestly. She decided to google "allergic reations to Bactrim" so that she could see if anyone had similar symptoms to give her peace of mind.

She found out about Stevens-Johnson syndrome and every single one of her symptoms matched, even down to the fever for 3 days before the rashes started. After that, she decided to go to a different hospital. She waited for 3 hours and the doctor agreed that she had Stevens-Johnson syndrome. He said that it's extremely rare and not a lot of doctors have ever seen a patient with it. He had been around it a couple of times because he used to work in a larger area and that's why he could recognize it. He suggested that we go to University Medical Center in New Orleans because that facility at least had the means to treat her condition, which could involve a burns unit.

We went to the hospital the next day and she was admitted. Doctors ran multiple tests and performed a biopsy on her hand. A biopsy is the only way to 100% confirm the disorder. They monitored her skin and said she could go home the next day. The healing process is what's painful now.

Stevens-Johnson syndrome is a rare disorder of the skin and mucous membranes. It's usually a reaction from certain medications, one of those being Bactrim. She has ulcers running through her body from her eyes, nose, and mouth all the way down. It is very painful for her to use the bathroom. Her skin will continue to blister and peel until it all sheds and begins to heal, which can take up to 2 months. Her lips are the worst right now. They are completely blistered and it hurts her just to talk. She can't eat because of the ulcers in her mouth. She can't use anything medicated on her skin. She can't be out in the sun.

She has follow-up appointments with the dermatology clinic in New Orleans to discuss her results and keep an eye on her progress. She will be out of work for a while and the hospital in New Orleans is not covered under her insurance. This GoFundMe will help with her medical bills as well as monthly bills. Anything, and I do mean anything, helps. Please take the time to donate if you can. Out of respect for her, I did not include any pictures of her body, but a quick google image search of Stevens-Johnson syndrome will give you a good idea of what she looks like and how painful it is.

Thank you for your time.