This is an extraordinarily difficult post to write. Many of you are aware that I have lived with severe nerve damage for the past sixteen years. It took more than a decade for my condition to be properly diagnosed and for my pain to be taken seriously. Since then, specialist teams at Stanford and UCSF have pursued nearly every conceivable treatment, exhausting the range of available interventions. Yet the burning pain remains relentless. There has been no resolution—only uncertainty and, at times, resignation. I endure each day feeling as though a blowtorch is pressed against my core, managing it as best I can by forcing myself to take medications to which I am severely allergic. When even that becomes intolerable, I turn to alcohol for temporary relief. At times, it takes two glasses of wine to just take a shower and three glasses to enjoy a simple dance with my friends.

For 15 years I’ve suffered in silence, hiding and pushing through this agony. But it’s become so unbearable that I can no longer function more than a couple hours on a ‘good’ day followed by being bedridden for the next week. This is not sustainable. I can't do this anymore. I can't sit, stand, walk, or even take care of myself without help. There is a specialist in Canada that swears he can help me. But it's so expensive. Treatment is expected to take 4 weeks, with 1 additional week after for recovery. Factoring in travel, motel, food, and rental car costs on top of the cost of treatment, we're looking at $12k minimum. Please, anything would help even if it's just a dollar. I will sacrifice my first born child or make a deal with the devil.

- Angel

--

I've known Angel since middle school and she has always been such a sparkling, bright presence with an endlessly compassionate heart! She has been through SO much. She's settled into an amazing home and community in Santa Cruz, this should be the time of her life but debilitating nerve damage is drastically impeding that. Please help in any way you can, even if it's just sharing to spread the word.

- Trista