Dawn's Medical Fund
Donation protected
Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a disease associated with pulmonary embolism (PE), a life-threatening blood clot that usually forms in a vein deep in the legs and travels to the lungs. I developed CTEPH and need your help to get a life-saving surgery.
Backstory: It all began when I started having trouble breathing while doing simple tasks like walking up a flight of stairs, making my bed in the morning and bending down to tie my shoes. All of these everyday activities left me gasping for air.
Always an active person and healthy eater I thought I had developed asthma or bronchitis, so I went to the doctors. At first, they thought it was bronchitis, gave me medicine and sent me on my way, but after a week with no improvement I sought out other medical advice.
A wonderful doctor at the Baton Rouge Clinic did some tests and discovered I had unusually elevated blood pressure. She admitted me to the ER immediately. According to her, I could drop dead at any moment due to a possible blood clot traveling through my circulatory system.
A week and many tests later, I was diagnosed with PH or Pulmonary Hypertension. Some people develop hypertension over the course of their lifetime, but I developed a rare form, which causes blood clots (PEs or pulmonary emboli) to get stuck in the blood vessels of my lungs. This rare form is called CTEPH or Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.
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There's good news though! A potential cure for CTEPH exists. It entails a surgery to remove the blood clots from my lungs to help me breathe easier. It's called PTE surgery or Pulmonary Thromboendarterectomy.
The goal of a PTE surgery is to remove blood clots from arteries in the lungs to allow for better blood flow and prevent the right side of my heart from further becoming enlarged leading to heart failure.
There's only a few specialized centers throughout the U.S. and world that are capable of performing this complex surgery. The doctors at UC San Diego are among the few, highly qualified specialists that can perform this surgery and save my life.
I will be flying from Baton Rouge, LA to San Diego, CA in March to have this surgery.
I will need funds for travel to UC San Diego, lodging in San Diego, living expenses when I return home as I'll be unable to work for a few months as I recover, and medical expenses associated with the surgery.
This operation will change my life. I'll be able to enjoy outdoor activities I did before like walking more than a block without being winded, jogging, and biking which aren't possible now.
Please donate so I can receive this important surgery in San Diego and begin the path towards a better future.
If you would like to know more, please click the link: https://phassociation.org/cteph-awareness-day-2017/
Backstory: It all began when I started having trouble breathing while doing simple tasks like walking up a flight of stairs, making my bed in the morning and bending down to tie my shoes. All of these everyday activities left me gasping for air.
Always an active person and healthy eater I thought I had developed asthma or bronchitis, so I went to the doctors. At first, they thought it was bronchitis, gave me medicine and sent me on my way, but after a week with no improvement I sought out other medical advice.
A wonderful doctor at the Baton Rouge Clinic did some tests and discovered I had unusually elevated blood pressure. She admitted me to the ER immediately. According to her, I could drop dead at any moment due to a possible blood clot traveling through my circulatory system.
A week and many tests later, I was diagnosed with PH or Pulmonary Hypertension. Some people develop hypertension over the course of their lifetime, but I developed a rare form, which causes blood clots (PEs or pulmonary emboli) to get stuck in the blood vessels of my lungs. This rare form is called CTEPH or Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.
.
There's good news though! A potential cure for CTEPH exists. It entails a surgery to remove the blood clots from my lungs to help me breathe easier. It's called PTE surgery or Pulmonary Thromboendarterectomy.
The goal of a PTE surgery is to remove blood clots from arteries in the lungs to allow for better blood flow and prevent the right side of my heart from further becoming enlarged leading to heart failure.
There's only a few specialized centers throughout the U.S. and world that are capable of performing this complex surgery. The doctors at UC San Diego are among the few, highly qualified specialists that can perform this surgery and save my life.
I will be flying from Baton Rouge, LA to San Diego, CA in March to have this surgery.
I will need funds for travel to UC San Diego, lodging in San Diego, living expenses when I return home as I'll be unable to work for a few months as I recover, and medical expenses associated with the surgery.
This operation will change my life. I'll be able to enjoy outdoor activities I did before like walking more than a block without being winded, jogging, and biking which aren't possible now.
Please donate so I can receive this important surgery in San Diego and begin the path towards a better future.
If you would like to know more, please click the link: https://phassociation.org/cteph-awareness-day-2017/
Organizer
Dawn Marie
Organizer
Baton Rouge, LA
