Help ease the burden of rare and chronic illnesses

TL; DR: I have had a decade of medical issues, generalized anxiety and PTSD, and could use some help paying down some medical bills and getting some more help.

Diagnoses

This spring, I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's hypothyroidism, an autoimmune condition. I also am approaching my 10th cancerversary this fall of being diagnosed with Ocular Melanoma, a rare cancer that affects six people per million in the US. Ocular Melanoma has a 50% metastasis rate, and I get preventative scans of my liver and lung each year to make sure those areas are clear as well as checking my eyes yearly at least at eye specialists. I have one more rare disease called tuberous sclerosis, which affects many organs (thankfully mine is a mild case, however I did need to have open kidney surgery in 2020 to remove a benign tuber that was at risk of blocking blood flow). I also get MRIs of my brain for this rare disease.

Where things are now

I have benign nodules in my kidneys and brain that have remained stable for a few years now, however we continue to monitor them. I have lost a decent amount of vision in my left eye because of the radiation and other plethora of treatments I've received. I don't have any emergencies that I am tending to at the moment, however my mental, emotional, and physically health have all been affected by the decade of intense medical issues I've been through. I am burnt out and of course I developed chronic fatigue and an autoimmune issue after all I've experienced.

Financial strain on treating these conditions

Each year, I pay thousands of dollars out of pocket for preventative CT scans, MRIs, and other exams or procedures. All of these medical things also add to the medical debt that just continues to sit there, going up and down as I pay some and then get charged more. I really want to integrate some more holistic and integrative medicine and care such as acupuncture, reiki, and functional medicine, but the costs are so high. Even seeing my therapist more often would be helpful.

Independent vs Interdependent, Honesty in asking for help

I have been trying to do it all by myself without extra help. I have been trying to pretend like I'm okay for so long and just focus on the positives. I am slowly building my life coaching business with mini-courses, and was hoping to have these ready by now to gain some income from my work. That way, I don't have to ask for help from anyone like this.

The truth is, I am struggling. My chronic fatigue, and the PTSD from being diagnosed with yet another condition, plus the biopsy of my thyroid this spring, and trying to get my meds adjusted properly to help my chronic fatigue... It's all exhausting... I could really use some help.

I know we all could use help these days with the economy and medical system the way it is. If you have anything you feel like you could give, I would appreciate it so much.

If you are unable to give monetarily, please consider sharing this GoFundMe. I will also gladly accept any prayers and positive thoughts, vibes, and energy! ✨

Thank you for reading.

Sincerely,

Rachel