Karen Hahn Vichich- ChronicLyme,POI

Hi Friends and Family,

I’m reaching out to you because Karen Hahn Vichich, from Chapin, SC, is struggling to live. She's fighting Chronic Late Stage Lyme Disease and Parasitic Opportunistic Infections from steroids, Remicade and chemo (wrongly treated as Crohn's Disease). If you don't believe it, she'd love to trade places with anybody, as she's unable to do more than wake, sleep, eat, use bedside commode, cry and scream in pain, and cry more over losing her role as a mother way too young. She doesn't enjoy having zero QOL from a doctor's errors. It could have been any one of us, trusting a doctor, but it was our Karen. It's so sad. She welcomes visits so you can see how horribly the "science experiment- clinical trial" went. She​’s​ ​lost​ ​her reflexes​ ​in her​ ​lower​ ​limbs​ ​(hyporelexia).​ ​She​ ​can't​ ​stand​ ​or​ ​walk. She’s​ ​experienced anisocoria,​ ​unequal​ ​pupils.​ ​Hand-writing,​ ​sewing,​ ​and​ ​drawing​ ​abilities​ ​are gone.​ ​Vision​ ​has​ ​deteriorated.​ ​Bed​ ​baths​ ​and​ ​brushing​ ​teeth​ ​require​ ​assistance.​ ​She’s​ ​been outside​ ​9​ ​times​ ​in​ ​1​ ​½​ ​years​ ​because​ ​of​ ​dizziness.​ ​Seizures​ required​ help from ​the​ ​Palmetto Health Richland Memorial Rapid Response​ ​Team.​ ​The​ ​worst​ ​symptom​ ​is​ ​her head​ ​pain.​ ​Karen​ ​tries​ ​to​ ​remain​ ​positive, despite​ ​everything. There are two little people who need her very much: her daughter, Vanessa (9 years old) and son, Finn (5 years old).
Karen's MRI Saggital View of Her Head.  

What began as a minor complaint of diarrhea, evolved into a nightmare. Nothing helped it.
No imodium, diets, meditation, acupuncture, steroids, Remicade, PEG tube, or CHEMOTHERAPY. Karen was mistreated on Crohn’s drugs without having it. Dr. Sarah Glover had promised her she could "prove" Crohn's, yet never did. Biopsies and Prometheus negative for all Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. 

What mimicked Crohn’s was "infectious colitis". She was diagnosed with Lyme Disease (Dr. Michael Cichon) and parasitic coinfections (Dr. Keith R. Holden and Dr. David Minkoff). When she should’ve been treating the infection with antiparasitics, she was suppressing her immune system. Doing so for 3.5 years proved disastrous. Corticosteroids cause parasitic infections (with permeable intestines) to disseminate to tissues, muscles, and organs.

All I ask is that we improve Karen’s quality of life. She didn’t deserve to lose her family, home, health, and retirement funds. Every dime has gone to medical bills, doctor’s appointments, $6K leg orthotics, hospitals, airplane flights & hotels for medical help. Rather than go on a summer family vacation, Karen is faced with which hospital could best help her regain a sliver of life.

Karen’s​ ​obstacle​ ​will​ ​be​​ paying out-of-pocket for whatever her Medicare won’t cover (it's depleted for 2017). She’ll need medical transport, a hospital bed, bedside commode, wheelchair, Palliative Care, medications, and a live-in caregiver.

Please​ ​help​ ​us​ ​get​ ​Karen​ ​to​ ​her​ ​kids!​ ​Every​ ​penny​ ​goes​ ​towards​ ​medical​ ​expenses​ ​and​ ​treatment. Then, ultimately back to her daughter and son in FL.​ ​Let’s​ ​make​ ​it happen! 

​We​ ​understand​ ​that​ ​money​ ​can​ ​be tight​ ​and​ ​the​ ​job​ ​market​ ​slim.​ ​Every ​contribution​ ​makes​ ​a​ ​difference.​ ​Our​ ​goal​ ​is​ ​$25,000. Anything​ ​that​ ​you​ ​can​ ​do​ ​to​ ​help​ ​make​ ​her and her kids​ ​dreams come true is a blessing. Karen thanks everyone for their prayers, love and support! 

Follow Karen's health battle at www.wormcolitis.com 

#Care4Karen  #Care4RareDiseases #Chapinproud #RareDiseaseAwarenessFeb29th #ECalumni #StPeteGal #iriechic