Alicia's Medical Treatment
Donation protected
There are some things you don't really plan for. Like your perfectly healthy, athletic daughter getting sick and staying sick. It has been seven years since Alicia became sick her freshman year of college. Even though she may not look sick she is... very sick. And Shirley and I watch her suffer every day.
There is a treatment center for Alicia's illness. It is in Dallas, Texas. It is alternative treatment and it is not covered by insurance. It is not a cure. It is a bio-feedback clinic that will help Alicia manage her symptoms. Quite frankly there have been some stunning results. Actually, there is a young lady in Greenwood, IN that Alicia has communicated with that went through the clinic. She describes her life before the clinic as 'living in hell'. Since her trip to the clinic she has gotten married and is working in a retail store. Something that would have been impossible before attending the clinic.
So, although this is really difficult for us we are asking for people to give to help us pay for the clinic and the 2 week trip to Dallas. The treatment is 3 hours a day for two weeks. If you are unable to give then we ask that you pray. We are both very hopeful and very nervous.
Here are a few paragraphs from Alicia...
I got sick all of sudden, late one January evening. It was my second semester of my freshman year of college. I went to bed a little early because I was tired, and then woke up with extreme nausea and stomach pain, and weirdly tingling, painful legs. I tried walking down the hallway to my RA when my legs gave out on me.
Things haven't been the same since. I was diagnosed with gastroparesis, given some medications and a modified diet, and sent on my way.
I managed to complete college, taking some extra time to do so, battling a barrage of symptoms every step of the way. Pain, nausea, fatigue and lightheadedness, ER visits, weird medication side effects, and vomiting plagued my time at Lee University. My last year there was a nightmare and I hoped that it was stress that causing so much extra difficulty. But I graduated and things continued to get worse. And worse. And worse.
About two years ago I was given another diagnosis, dysautonomia, and more medications and more doctors. But despite all the specialists and advice and treatments and medicines and help, daily life is a struggle. I hide it when out in public because I want to live as normally as possible, but everything is hard.
I can rarely drive more than 10-15 minutes before my lightheadedness and ever present brain fog takes over, rendering me confused and slow...and in no state to be driving. Reading is minimally easier. I eat four small meals a day, each over 1-1.5 hours to prevent vomiting. This doesn't prevent nausea and stomach pain...just the vomiting. I spend the first 2-3 hours of each day trying to get hydrated enough to walk around without fear of collapsing. Despite my best efforts and copious intake of fluids, I have a standing appointment at an infusion center every 2 weeks to receive IV fluids. I am nauseous to some degree all of the time, constantly have stomach pain, suffer from headaches, and pain in my legs.
Recently, my diagnosis of dysautonomia was specified to POTS, or Postural Orthostatic Tachycarida Syndrome. Through researching I came across the POTS Treatment Center. As uncommon and unheard of as POTS is, there is a treatment center specifically for people like me! And that means hope! My life has been derailed by this illness but this center offers an opportunity to try something that may give me my life back or at least part of it. And at this point, any bit of health back would be monumental.
Thank you for listening to my story. Thank you for your prayers . Thank you to all who are able to give.
Here is the POTS Treatment Center Website for those who want more info.
www.potstreatmentcenter.com
There is a treatment center for Alicia's illness. It is in Dallas, Texas. It is alternative treatment and it is not covered by insurance. It is not a cure. It is a bio-feedback clinic that will help Alicia manage her symptoms. Quite frankly there have been some stunning results. Actually, there is a young lady in Greenwood, IN that Alicia has communicated with that went through the clinic. She describes her life before the clinic as 'living in hell'. Since her trip to the clinic she has gotten married and is working in a retail store. Something that would have been impossible before attending the clinic.
So, although this is really difficult for us we are asking for people to give to help us pay for the clinic and the 2 week trip to Dallas. The treatment is 3 hours a day for two weeks. If you are unable to give then we ask that you pray. We are both very hopeful and very nervous.
Here are a few paragraphs from Alicia...
I got sick all of sudden, late one January evening. It was my second semester of my freshman year of college. I went to bed a little early because I was tired, and then woke up with extreme nausea and stomach pain, and weirdly tingling, painful legs. I tried walking down the hallway to my RA when my legs gave out on me.
Things haven't been the same since. I was diagnosed with gastroparesis, given some medications and a modified diet, and sent on my way.
I managed to complete college, taking some extra time to do so, battling a barrage of symptoms every step of the way. Pain, nausea, fatigue and lightheadedness, ER visits, weird medication side effects, and vomiting plagued my time at Lee University. My last year there was a nightmare and I hoped that it was stress that causing so much extra difficulty. But I graduated and things continued to get worse. And worse. And worse.
About two years ago I was given another diagnosis, dysautonomia, and more medications and more doctors. But despite all the specialists and advice and treatments and medicines and help, daily life is a struggle. I hide it when out in public because I want to live as normally as possible, but everything is hard.
I can rarely drive more than 10-15 minutes before my lightheadedness and ever present brain fog takes over, rendering me confused and slow...and in no state to be driving. Reading is minimally easier. I eat four small meals a day, each over 1-1.5 hours to prevent vomiting. This doesn't prevent nausea and stomach pain...just the vomiting. I spend the first 2-3 hours of each day trying to get hydrated enough to walk around without fear of collapsing. Despite my best efforts and copious intake of fluids, I have a standing appointment at an infusion center every 2 weeks to receive IV fluids. I am nauseous to some degree all of the time, constantly have stomach pain, suffer from headaches, and pain in my legs.
Recently, my diagnosis of dysautonomia was specified to POTS, or Postural Orthostatic Tachycarida Syndrome. Through researching I came across the POTS Treatment Center. As uncommon and unheard of as POTS is, there is a treatment center specifically for people like me! And that means hope! My life has been derailed by this illness but this center offers an opportunity to try something that may give me my life back or at least part of it. And at this point, any bit of health back would be monumental.
Thank you for listening to my story. Thank you for your prayers . Thank you to all who are able to give.
Here is the POTS Treatment Center Website for those who want more info.
www.potstreatmentcenter.com
Organizer
Bob McDonald
Organizer
Plainfield, IN
