Help Callie fight back against CRPS

Callie Deslaurier suffers from a type of progressive nerve dystrophy called CRPS or Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. On the McGill pain scale it clocks in at a whopping 42 - 47 out of 50, making it the most painful chronic pain condition known. This is higher than non-terminal cancer, higher than the amputation of a finger without anesthesia... and it's progressive, which means it only gets worse as time wears on. There is no cure, currently.

Callie's team of doctors have been working diligently for the last 16 years to try and at least stave off some of the more dreadful effects, with mixed success. She has a spinal implant, a very specific medical protocol, a schedule of constant nerve blocks and internal applications of Botox, and access to medical marijuana. She has a customized wheelchair that is tailored to her specific pain points. She has some good days, or parts of days; but when things get bad they get BAD. And they get bad all the time.

However: she's recently been medically approved for a set of infusions which can help to push back this overwhelming tide. This is an off-script use of these infusions, which are generally for folks who suffer from severe depression/suicidal thoughts. Pain specialists have discovered that another effect of these infusions is the cessation or management of extreme chronic pain, and we have hope that there is some relief for her on the way.

The problem is that it is not covered by insurance for this use (of course not). Every doctor on Callie's care team agrees that this will help her, but it will be - at least initially - out of pocket. And it's expensive - of course it is. We plan to appeal and try to get insurance to cover at least some portion of the treatment, but that can take time. Lots of it, sometimes, and with no guarantee that they'll decide in her favor.

In the meantime, we are hoping to go ahead with the treatments ASAP. The earliest we seem to be able to schedule her for right now is mid- to late-May, and if we wait for insurance to figure things out it could be June or July or even later. 

I know I'm asking a lot. But she's suffering, and this could help. 

If you can't or would rather not donate to this fund but would still like to help, you can make a purchase of her handmade soaps at www.wanderingmooncrafters.com and some of those funds will go toward her treatment as well. Sharing the link helps too!

Thanks for reading this far. Fingers crossed, right?