Hello! After 4 years of waiting, a wait that was prolonged 2 years by COVID-19, I have an appointment at Mayo Clinic for diagnostic testing for my worsening nervous system disorder.

There are very few doctors or clinics in the USA that have the specialized knowledge and equipment required to assess and diagnose conditions affecting the autonomic nervous system, and I've been anxiously awaiting this opportunity to visit Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, AZ and be seen by its team world-class neurologists.

I was referred to Mayo by my then-cardiologist 4 years ago, and in the 4 years since, my condition has deteriorated. This is kind of a huge deal for me and a big chance at finally getting a treatment plan that might help slow the deterioration in my condition - as there is likely no cure, only management of symptoms and progression.

Here's the catch: I currently have health coverage (Blue Shield of California) that I purchased through the Covered California marketplace. Because Mayo is in another state, BSofCA will not cover my visit, and I'll have to pay out-of-pocket. I am currently trying to get BS to help cover expenses, but the bureaucratic maze is Kafkaesque by design, and there is no good end in sight at this time.

I will be at Mayo Clinic for the entire week of October 4, undergoing a battery of tests and consultations, and I will have to pay out-of-pocket for the entire ordeal. I am also paying for a week in a hotel across from the clinic. My expenses will be in the thousands.

Please help me to cover these expenses. My condition is worsening, and I'm now fully disabled, not working, and collecting Social Security benefits. I do not like to go into details about the physical manifestations of my health struggles, but here it goes:

My autonomic nervous system is failing. This is the system that controls all involuntary functions: digestion, blood pressure, heart rate, sweating, temperature control, salivation, tear creation, pupil response, bathroom things... etc. I recently had neuromuscular and skin biopsies that found that my small fiber nerve density is less than 50% of normal. I have fainting spells. I can't tolerate heat, since I don't sweat as I should. I have headaches, vertigo, nausea. I can't tolerate bright light, and my pupils are slow to respond to changes in light, which makes my night vision also difficult. I've been recently found to have degenerative changes in my eyes/ glaucoma. I'm beginning to develop problems swallowing and choking on my own saliva. My hands and feet are numb. I drop things. I am starting to notice more difficulty with things like writing and grasping. I have constant neuropathic pain in my legs which feel like fire ants biting me all the time. I don't sleep normally. I have migraines - the most recent of which lasted for 5 days and just eased up this morning.

I am currently being seen by ~ 10 specialists, give or take, and all of them have their own ideas. I don't think they ever talk to each other. I am not happy with my current neurologist, but she is the only neurologist in 2 counties that treats disorders of the autonomic nervous system - which makes my visit to Mayo all the more important.

My goal is to visit Mayo and come back with a treatment plan that my local doctors can follow. I will have access to clinical trials and research trials through the team at Mayo that I currently don't have.

I can't believe I'm begging people to help me pay for medical treatment, but here I am. Please help me.