Help Bobbie Survive
[UPDATED 2/4/2022]
Hi! I'm Bobbie a 24 y/o artist & community leader. I'm a Black nonbinary lesbian and have been struggling with my disability for 4 years.
This disability has taken a toll on my day-to-day life and has made physical work a difficult task for me. In March 2021, my body was so overworked it began to shut down and I ended up in the ER. At the ER, it was confirmed that my chronic pain may be linked to a neurological condition and that I will need further testing.
To receive this testing, I had to leave Chicago in May 2021 and the life I had made with my, now ex-girlfriend (and our lovely cats) and move back in with my family in New York. Returning to and living in NY was/is a struggle for me as I am closeted, and my family home is a place of great pain for me. My mental health has deteriorated greatly since moving back to NY. This is my only option for proper care as I cannot advocate for myself, nor can I currently afford health insurance, let alone rent, on my own.
In November 2021, after countless doctor's appointments, diagnostic tests, and scans that led nowhere, I was finally able to meet with a fabulous rheumatologist. I went into the appointment expecting another dead end, but after an X-Ray and a blood draw, she tentatively diagnosed me with Ankylosing Spondylitis with Sacroiliitis.
To say that I was relieved is an understatement. I have been living with chronic pain in my right leg, foot, and hip since I was 20 and pain in my right arm and hand since I was about 22. I never thought I'd be able to put a name to, let alone a reason for my pain. The next steps were an anti-inflammatory painkiller and intense physical therapy. My doctor told me to try the anti-inflammatory for 3 months, and if it had little to no effect, she would try a more intense treatment.
I'm sad to say, however, that the anti-inflammatory has not helped as much as my Doctor and I would've liked it to.
We had originally set up this GFM to help pay off incoming and existing medical debt, and some of that debt was paid off with the support from everyone who has donated and shared my GFM! I'm eternally grateful for every dollar and kind message that has been sent my way via this GFM, and for everyone who has sent funds through the years in general.
This GFM is going to transform into a sort of medical and disability-related rainy day fund, as the side effects and effectiveness of the proposed biologic drug that I will be taking for Ankylosing Spondylitis is up in the air at this time. I'm hoping that the combination of physio and this medicine will help me live a more pain-free life. A pain-free life to me means having a handle on my Ankylosing Spondylitis and eventually moving away from my family once I'm more physically and financially stable.
I've always struggled with asking for help and seeing my self-worth, but all of the people that I love have made me realize that I am worthy of care, happiness, and comfort.
My deepest thanks to all of you for supporting me.
Best wishes,