Brandon Blaine
Donation protected
Hi. I'm Brandon Blaine, I am from Colorado and currently live in Texas. I have 3 great kids and a super hero wife who has somehow saved my life and kept us all going the last year.
This story started a year ago when Winter was transitions to Spring. I had to be on a high dose of steroids because of some bad asthma symptoms. My allergies haven't climatized to Texas yet :)
Turns out the steroids compromised my immune system and I developed an infection throughout my brain and behind my left eye. The fear was that I would develop stroke like symptoms, or something worse.
I lucked out and I have all my memory and cognitive abilities.
The treatment is very high doses of antibiotics (to get through the blood brain barrier) for a year or more. That and other drugs to prevent seizures (in case the bugs press on something that triggers them) and other related prescriptions. I have the oft-mentioned pharmacy going.
I've had multiple eye surgeries, brain surgery and more than 2 months combined in the ICU, Rehab Hospital and elsewhere. I have at least one eye surgery to go but I found out today the eye is not doing well enough and I might lose it.
I did not tolerate the first type of antibiotics they gave me (bactrim), and I experienced several complications. One of which is that I lost about 80 pounds in just a few months. I went from 230 to around 145.
They changed antibiotics and I've been able to put back on some weight. I'm at 160 and hope to get to 180 or so. the weight is going on as muscle so far; I need to work hard to keep it that way.
Because of all this, I haven't been able to work at my job since last June. From June through October, I had no income at all because I did not have short term disability. I'm now on long term disability, which is less than half my regular income (after you combine salary plus bonus). My wife does not work because she has a permanent disability and receives a small social security payment.
Because I do not have a paycheck to take insurance premiums from, we've had to pay the COBRA amount for insurance. We've tried to find something under the ACA but there are no plans that have the doctors I see regularly (neurologist, infectious disease, retina surgeon, pain specialist and primary care).
Our insurance premium is over $2,000 a month.
This and the hospital, surgeries, prescriptions and other expenses have drained our savings, retirement and any other account we had. Our parents and relatives have helped as much as they could.
I've had to put my classic car (55 Buick) and motorcycle (Harley Davidson Sportster) up for sale and we are looking for anything else of value to try and sell.
My story is rather unremarkable to those that are really up against it physically and or financially. I'm embarrassed to do this but I was encouraged to do so from some friends.
We try and be good people. We believe in doing good things and they will come back to us. My friends and family have been supportive and encouraging which helps when I feel that I am free falling into a pit of dispair.
Thank you for reading all through this. And thank you for your support. I hope and pray that I am worthy though often I feel I am not. I'd love to be able to see my wife sleep at night instead of breaking down from time to time from the stress of it all.
Love to all.
Brandon
This story started a year ago when Winter was transitions to Spring. I had to be on a high dose of steroids because of some bad asthma symptoms. My allergies haven't climatized to Texas yet :)
Turns out the steroids compromised my immune system and I developed an infection throughout my brain and behind my left eye. The fear was that I would develop stroke like symptoms, or something worse.
I lucked out and I have all my memory and cognitive abilities.
The treatment is very high doses of antibiotics (to get through the blood brain barrier) for a year or more. That and other drugs to prevent seizures (in case the bugs press on something that triggers them) and other related prescriptions. I have the oft-mentioned pharmacy going.
I've had multiple eye surgeries, brain surgery and more than 2 months combined in the ICU, Rehab Hospital and elsewhere. I have at least one eye surgery to go but I found out today the eye is not doing well enough and I might lose it.
I did not tolerate the first type of antibiotics they gave me (bactrim), and I experienced several complications. One of which is that I lost about 80 pounds in just a few months. I went from 230 to around 145.
They changed antibiotics and I've been able to put back on some weight. I'm at 160 and hope to get to 180 or so. the weight is going on as muscle so far; I need to work hard to keep it that way.
Because of all this, I haven't been able to work at my job since last June. From June through October, I had no income at all because I did not have short term disability. I'm now on long term disability, which is less than half my regular income (after you combine salary plus bonus). My wife does not work because she has a permanent disability and receives a small social security payment.
Because I do not have a paycheck to take insurance premiums from, we've had to pay the COBRA amount for insurance. We've tried to find something under the ACA but there are no plans that have the doctors I see regularly (neurologist, infectious disease, retina surgeon, pain specialist and primary care).
Our insurance premium is over $2,000 a month.
This and the hospital, surgeries, prescriptions and other expenses have drained our savings, retirement and any other account we had. Our parents and relatives have helped as much as they could.
I've had to put my classic car (55 Buick) and motorcycle (Harley Davidson Sportster) up for sale and we are looking for anything else of value to try and sell.
My story is rather unremarkable to those that are really up against it physically and or financially. I'm embarrassed to do this but I was encouraged to do so from some friends.
We try and be good people. We believe in doing good things and they will come back to us. My friends and family have been supportive and encouraging which helps when I feel that I am free falling into a pit of dispair.
Thank you for reading all through this. And thank you for your support. I hope and pray that I am worthy though often I feel I am not. I'd love to be able to see my wife sleep at night instead of breaking down from time to time from the stress of it all.
Love to all.
Brandon
Organizer
Brandon Blaine
Organizer
Mansfield, TX