Donate to help pay for Kelly's medical treatment

Hi, my name is Kelly, and I am fundraising to help pay for my medical treatment.

I am currently going through my second bone stress injury as a competitive runner. I have a stress reaction (stage before a stress fracture) in my left third metatarsal that is delayed in healing. My original MRI in July 2023 is when I was diagnosed. My latest MRI in September 2023 showed no improvement despite conservative treatment. The current plan is to (a) use a biologic drug for bone building (b) try a new, experimental treatment with a Doctor in Boston, and (c) have repeat imaging (MRI) until the injury is healed. This new treatment has been shown to heal Bone stress injuries (BSIs) in runners within 6 weeks. However, this entails a flight, a $725 copay, uber... food costs.... yada yada. This treatment is going to be a Hail Mary for me to avoid surgery on my foot if I cannot heal on my own.

Moreover... this injury carries so much weight from the struggles I have faced these past 3 years of breast cancer surgery, the diagnosis of a bone condition, and my spouse being diagnosed with a life threatening heart disease. I don't know how I will make ends meet for this treatment regimen, and anything you can do to help will be so greatly appreciated.

My story, for those that haven't been following along:

It honestly starts with my history of breast cancer. My first encounter with an oncologist was in 2019, when I had a lumpectomy for 2 benign tumors. My family has the BRCA2 gene and a history of triple negative breast cancer. I began early screening as young as 18. In December 2020, I felt lumps return, again. Within 6 weeks, I was under the knife for a bilateral mastectomy. We caught things early enough, and there was no radiation and no chemotherapy necessary. I thought I had been through the hardest of my battles, and I chose no reconstruction so I could return to life and sport as soon as possible. I healed like a champ, and asked no questions when I was cleared to run, starting what I thought would be the comeback I desperately deserved.

Little did I know that this return to sport was about to flip my world upside down. Within 2 months of returning to sport, I had symptoms of a stress fracture in my first metatarsal that would go undiagnosed until June 2021. I was devastated, and began a monthly ritual of seeing my sports doctor for an Xray and Physio for new rehab exercises. I say monthly because healing wasn't really happening as expected... and every 4 weeks I was due for a repeat Xray. Exact same kind, exact same place, pretty much exact same results.

Months came and went, and each Xray I was defeated, after doing "all the things" you're supposed to do. How could I recover from a bilateral mastectomy but I couldn't heal a hairline fracture in my toe? This started a line of medical tests, diagnoses, and treatments that I tried. Some were fine, like a bone stimulator. Others sent me to the ER with undesired side effects.

6 months down the line of healing/testing, I was working with a bone specialist to really understand what was going on. I try not to put this doctor on a pedestal or in a hero position. In December 2021, it felt like maybe she was saving my life, but what she discovered actually turned my world upside... again.

Multiple tests came back, showing that I was not producing a collagen necessary for bone building/healing, even though I had all the biomaterials necessary for the creation. She told me I had one option - to try a drug that was in clinical trials for acute bone fracture healing - as she suspected I had a flavor of fragile bone disease.

I dove headfirst into trusting her call on this. I began a daily injection for a grueling 12 weeks, which made me very ill for multiple hours afterwards. I kept my head down and complied with all of the bloodwork, Xrays, MRIs, bone scans...

In March 2022, it felt like a miracle. My bone was healed, nearly 9 months after the first MRI diagnosis. Yet, the battle wasn't over. Genetic testing confirmed that I indeed had a genetic mutation related to collagen matrix formation, and consequently, bone strength. Some of my providers questioned my ability and clearance to run again, and I felt very alone and hopeless.

This news sent me into a mental health crisis. I began to fear putting weight on my bones. I was terrified to walk long distances, stand for too long, or even dream of running hard again. Every single ache or pain sent me into a spiral of fearing I had another stress fracture. I took a 5 week break from running at this time, effectively avoiding the fear. When I attempted to return (again) to sport in summer 2022, I faced daily panic attacks, an increase in fear and hopelessness, and an irrational need for constant reassurance that my bones weren't broken (many unnecessary MRIs).

Between then and now, I never gave up on running. Rather, I struggled to get back to where I was as other life stress came in the way, bringing me to my lowest lows... which included the most recent bone stress injury diagnosis in July 2023. On the same foot. With the same delayed healing. And the same long, expensive road ahead.

Any and all help for me to climb this mountain and see the other side of this struggle is so greatly appreciated.

Closing/Additional Information:

gofundme does take significant fees out of your donation. If you wish to donate via Venmo, please find me at @KellyNicoleHoughton.

I will be posting about my journey on my running instagram if you wish to support me in that way. I could really use some friends right now!

I will also be selling clothes and shoes on Poshmark if you wish me to support me in that way. I will update the postings after I am back from my treatment.

Lastly, some links to research articles for the treatment(s) I am fundraising for:

Shockwave Therapy Resource

Shockwave Therapy (the Doctor in Boston)

Tymlos for delayed fracture healing

Tymlos Research