First off!  Thank you for reading my story. 

Some of you may have wondered why I walked away from a band that was touring professionally over different parts of the world and throughout the US?  They were on county music video channels, being played on radio stations across the nation and appearing on morning and late night TV shows.  
So, why would someone who enjoyed this walk away you ask? 

Well ... for those of you who don't know,  I have been struggling with my health for quite some time.
After being unfortunate enough to have been bitten by 4 different ticks some years back, my life began to take a turn down a road I wished I'd never have had to travel.  

The short of it is, I was enjoying my life .... I was fortunate enough to be making a living doing what I liked and that is a blessing all of us should cherish if we're lucky enough to get to experience, right?   And I did.

So why walk away?

In my off-time in TN, I would help people do interior painting, remodeling and upkeep jobs here and there. 
I enjoyed this too.  I got to work with my hands.  I it was a learning experience, plus you're helping people out.  Why would you not enjoy that?   Well,  on a few different instances "Helping people out" entailed doing landscaping/mowing and outdoor work.

During the course of this work, you can come into contact with some nasty parasite insects.  That being said, on a couple different occasions (even though I checked for ticks carefully enough I thought),  hours later I was startled to find one had managed to become attached.  The tiniest thing, that carries something even more tiny and life-wrecking if you're not able to find it in time.  

Following these tick attachments I never once had a bullseye rash of any kind.  I did get a flu-like result for a couple of days after one in 2014 I remember clearly.   My GP at the time said not to worry about it if I didn't get a "bullseye rash."  So, I recovered after 2-3 days of feeling like I had a bad spring flu and "That was that."

Or at least so I though.

Most everyone who knows me knows, I've been somewhat of a health conscious person (some may say too health conscious),  but pursuing those healthier choices did nothing to stop the aftermath of misery that would find me after a year later.  

You can try and do everything right and it still go wrong.   

While on tour, my health started deteriorating.  I mistakenly thought it was just the "Getting older" process.
My joints became achy and inflamed,  especially in my fingers (which in my profession) I used almost every night, and a general overall tiredness started happening.  Neither of which (I now suspect) were being caused by actual aging.  Add to that digestive issues, weight and muscle loss.  Nothing anyone wants to experience, especially when you start seeing doctors who try their best but still can't give you any good answers.  The tests pile up and the amount adds up and you're still getting no answers. 

Yes, I had the blood tests, which now I realize are incorrectly sero-negative because the bacteria the ticks ingest into you does not stay in the blood.   It moves towards tissue and muscle, thus blood tests can show one being negative, yet in reality ... they are in their blood, not in their tissue or organ(s).  Something out of a Sci-Fi Horror film?  Pretty much.

So, after a certain amount of time, I was left with no choice but to walk away from the touring life.   I couldn't keep up as I once did.  I would wake up in a new place on a tourbus, feeling like I had been beaten with a baseball bat and have to play a show in what seemed like slow-mo, hoping no one noticed. 
In addition to the physical toll it was taking on me, I started forgetting chords songs I'd played 1000 times. 

Why? 

I also started having sensitivity to some sounds and light.  Those of you who have seen me perform thought the sun glasses were to try and be cool didn't ya?  I was hiding something,  something I couldn't identify, and at the time the physicians (multiple physicians I was seeing) could not identify either.  How could they?  They didn't specialize in this particular bacterial illness.

One of the infectious bacteria I actually was diagnosed with (via blood test) is called Tularemia.  Read up on that one if you dare, but I assure you ahead of time, it's not something anyone would ever want, especially people who work with their hands.
It attacks your nervous system and more if it can. 
Luckily,  we caught that one in time and I was treated pretty successfully.  While my number is not zero it is in the negative range.   So far, so good thankfully.

Regardless, these symptoms all led to me eventually coming to the point of having no other choice but to give up on my career and focus on trying to find out what was causing my issues. 

Fortunately by that time, I had saved my nickels the best I could,  but like a crack in a dam, the dripping water of disappearing finances as a result of doctor visits and tests became a stream and you all know the rest. 
Even with health insurance, when you pursue answers you don't receive and you don't feel recovered or treated, you push on, hoping your result will change. 

This naturally, eventually resulted in my life savings being depleted.  Poof!   Everything I saved gone.  Worse, I was unable to work, to re-earn what I had spent, due to the physical toll this has taken on me.   Since I couldn't keep up and replenish what I was spending trying to get well enough to work,  you  guessed it ..... I lost my health insurance.   A lot of these physicians now will not take health insurance when it comes to treating infections from insect bites, so you're left with self-pay.

So, here I was still experiencing continuing symptoms no one could put their finger on,  going completely broke and no way to get back to where I was previous to all of this mess.  It's something out of a horror film.

As it stands currently, I am pursuing diagnosis/treatment from a Dr about 6 states away from me. Obviously, this entails travel either by car or plane with hotel stays at times, and those financial expenses are before I even get to walk into his office (or phone consult due to covid).  Those of you who have known my dilemma and have helped me (and you know who you are)  know I am completely grateful for you. You are angels.

Through all of this, I have still managed to try and make some money here and there the best I could, but because it's so very expensive (more than you can imagine, certainly more than I imagined) I have come to a place where I have to admit I need financial help.   This is both debilitating and humbling for me.

So, those of you who have read this far (and thank you for reading this far if you have)  please understand, I battle this almost daily and do throughout the year, almost every year since it started.  This battle can take a toll on not only one's health but their finances and with that being said, please know anything I can handle financially on my own I will.  It's my battle to fight however,  sometimes we are left with no other alternative but to admit to ourselves we can't accomplish something  without the help of others.

I am at this point.  The point where I can use any amount of help you may be generous enough to provide.  

Please know, I am thankful to every single one of you (whether I know you personally or not) helping me find the other side of this nightmare. 

I promise you, more than you can imagine, your help IS absolutely and sincerely appreciated. 


Thank You,
Dave