Hi folks, Nina here.

For those who have been here since the beginning, there were behind the scenes logistics that meant we needed to start a new page instead of updating the original Gofundme site. Hopefully it isn’t too confusing!

Below is an update of my health journey over the last year. But first of all I want to thank everyone who has helped me in my illness journey over the last two years. Whether by donating money, helping with rides, or just saying they know there isn’t anything they can do but “please let me know if there is.”

You know who you are, and it means a lot to me.

People who know me, know I like to be independent and self sufficient where possible, but sometimes one can’t do things on their own… so here we are!

Initially when we started a gofundme it was as a supportive measure for finding and trying potential treatments, and for living expenses around being unable to work for the foreseeable future.

At the time I didn’t have anything specific that was helping, or a plan in place for improvement. And not a lot of helpful things to say when people asked me how I was.

But the good news is that I now have actual real updates to share. With the help of friends, I’ve been able to find some doctors and treatments that have started me on a path of not exclusive stagnation! However most of the noticeably helpful things are noticeably not covered by insurance.

My primary source of care has been a Functional Medicine based long covid clinic that I have been working with remotely since last September. The doctor has been working with me on an ever evolving treatment plan based off his experience treating long covid patients paired with my specific presentations and body chemistry. My working with him has got me on a variety of medications and treatments (almost entirely not covered by insurance) and is the reason I’ve been able to gain ground in terms of energy and recovery.

While staying in Utah this winter and spring I found an in-person doctor in Salt Lake that I was able to have a really promising and helpful appointment with; I’m excited about the possibility of what working with her on a regular basis could do for me while I’m back in Utah this fall, depending on how it fits into my budget.

So right now I’m feeling grateful and relieved at the improvements I’ve made; I’m able to do a little more activity like taking my dog a short walks, and things like taking a shower and then making myself a cup of tea without having to lay down in between! I’m usually able to spend a lot of the day sitting up if I want to, instead of having to lay down whenever possible. And I’ve gained a lot in terms of being able to cautiously do a few more things that I want to be able to do. Which all feel like big victories to me.

However things are a long way from “healthy” and I still have a long way to go. Both in terms of physical energy and stamina, and in terms of mental energy and abilities. This is far from a linear path and I still have many days where I can’t walk up the stairs without getting out of breath, or where I can’t do much besides listen to an audiobook.

For those who may be wondering: getting back to EMT work in any capacity is still simply not on the horizon. No matter how much I desperately want it to be.

That said, I keep my hopes alive that it’s still in my future when I am strong enough. Overall I am really grateful for the steps I’ve made, despite still being severely limited. It’s a really tricky balance to stay realistic about what is, while still working toward what could be. While there isn’t a simple and easy solution to any of this, I am feeling hopeful that the people I’m working with will continue to be able to support me on a path of eventual recovery.

This isn’t a complete list of what I’m doing right now, nor my capacities or lack there of; just an honest but basic overview. The current fundraising goal is based on my rough estimate to cover a year of treatments, and will go to continuing to allow me to pay for the following:

• Appointments with the doctors mentioned above.

• Treatments, supplements, and medications.

• Covering basic living expenses while I am still working toward a (far off) capacity for employment.

• Other treatments, practitioners, education that I may find or decide to pursue as I continue to learn about how this illness affects me, and what helps my specific body to move past it.

Because I have a much more concrete idea of things that will help my recovery, I am now comfortable with sharing on social media platforms as well as word of mouth, so please share away!

Thank you for any and all support!

~