Help Jody with Medical Expenses

As many of you know, I have been dealing with some very debilitating health issues over the past few years. My symptoms were not understood by the mainstream medical community so I had to turn to the alternative medical community for answers. The issues that I am dealing with are very complex and it has been difficult to even get a complete diagnosis and effective treatment from alternative practitioners. I was getting diagnoses that were only part of the picture and therefore, treatments have not been effective. After putting together what I had learned from the various practitioners I had seen and doing a lot of research on my own, I finally discovered that my underlying conditions are mold toxicity and resulting Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS) and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS).   These all develop because of having a gene mutation that does not allow the body to detox from mold.  MCAS was only discovered in the past few years. 

 

MCAS is basically an overreactive immune system where mast cells, which are immune cells that are the first responders to any type of physical or mental/emotional threat, are overreactive and release too many mediators. One of the main mediators released is histamine but there are also hundreds of others that can be problematic.  Since these mast cells are located throughout the body, every organ and system can be affected.  Conditions such as POTS, EDS, and Dysautonomia often go along with MCAS.  Because the immune system is not properly detoxing from the mold, it becomes overwhelmed and things like bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses that the immune system would normally be able to handle also become chronic issues and autoimmune conditions often develop.  As these biotoxins increase in the system, the mast cells become more reactive and almost anything can be seen as a threat.  Sensitivities and reactions increase, even to many supplements and medications. Mast cell activation also damages connective tissue found throughout the body.  The symptoms are wide-ranging and vary greatly from person to person with this condition and wax and wane throughout one’s life depending on triggers such as trauma, stress, injuries, surgeries, environmental exposures, hormonal changes and illnesses.  It usually progresses if the underlying mold toxicity is not diagnosed and treated properly and patients can ultimately become severely disabled.  It also seems to be becoming more prevalent and more complex as mold is becoming more prevalent and more toxic because of WiFi.

 

The mold toxicity and resulting conditions explain health issues I have had from a young age and never understood. I had severe allergies and illnesses throughout childhood and, around age 11, began to experience agoraphobia, dyspnea (feeling like I couldn’t get a deep breath), tachycardia and dysautonomia. My parents took me to various doctors at the time but I was not able to explain my symptoms well and doctors back then did not understand these conditions anyway. I missed a lot of school  but eventually just pushed through since no diagnosis was made. I continued to have symptoms throughout adolescence and adulthood but they were just always attributed to anxiety. I never connected other various illnesses and health issues I experienced over the years.  From all that I am learning and my symptoms, I am fairly certain I was exposed to mold in my childhood home and probably other homes or buildings throughout adulthood and I have the gene that does not allow my immune system to handle the mold.  I am doing testing to confirm.  I discovered I have mold in my current apartment also.

 

Then symptoms increased dramatically after two trips to Costa Rica in 2009 and 2013. I didn’t know it at the time, but I had contracted latent TB and parasites during those trips which added to the toxic load and inflammation and were major triggers of the MCAS.  I became suicidal and was told I had Major Depressive Disorder and was only treated with more and more psychiatric medications. I was eventually on 6 different ones including antidepressants, benzodiazepines, mood stabilizers, and antipsychotics. Being on all these medications along with the fact that medical professionals, myself, and therefore my family did not understand what was going on, and being forced to do things that were making things worse, only increased the symptoms and suicidality. The psych meds made me a complete zombie and very cognitively and socially impaired.

 

After a suicide attempt in February 2019, I came off of all of the psychiatric medications and was able to understand more of what was going on and the suicide attempts stopped. In 2019, I got a diagnosis of Lyme and co-infections and have since also been diagnosed through extensive functional lab testing and autonomic response testing with mold toxicity, parasites, Candida overgrowth, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), leaky gut, food sensitivities, adrenal, thyroid and sex hormone imbalances, and various other downstream effects. I don’t know how long any of that has been going on.  With all of these issues, I experience about 40 challenging mental and physical symptoms daily and weigh under 90 lbs. even though I eat really well.  The Covid vaccine in April further exacerbated my symptoms because it is a trigger for those with MCAS, to the point where I am very disabled and completely homebound.  

 

Even when I was being treated by the mainstream medical community, a lot of my expenses were not covered by insurance. Now that I have turned to the alternative medical community, almost none of the expenses are covered. As I am unable to work, I have depleted all of my retirement and other savings. My sole income now is alimony.

 

I am working with a biodynamic osteopath and will be looking for other treatments to heal as well. People do make complete recoveries once they get out of a moldy environment and treat the mold toxicity and other things.  Things need to be treated in a very specific order and way though and treatment is hard to find at this point since a lot of this is still not well understood and there are not many practitioners treating correctly yet.

 

I have done a lot of emotional healing through various therapies and programs and do things on my own every day to work on my emotional, spiritual, and physical health, such as meditation, gratitude journaling, prayer, and being in nature. I am also on a very healthy low-histamine, paleo diet and take some supplements. These are important to healing but I have seen no physical improvement with only these interventions. When I was able, I was walking, swimming, and doing yoga also.

While being homebound, I have enjoyed birding and photography, reading, doing puzzles and some easy crafts, listening to music and teaching myself to play the bongo drums, and decorating my apartment. I enjoy interacting on Facebook and have reconnected with many friends and made new friends from all over the world with similar chronic health issues.

When I am well, I would like to travel, participate in an aqua-bike or triathlon, get more into birding and photography, reconnect with my daughters, and who knows what else - the sky is the limit! I am so excited to live a life of full health that I never really had.

 

I am asking for donations to help cover past, present, and future expenses of treatment and would appreciate anything that anyone can give. I also need to do mold remediation in my apartment to get well.   Please do not feel guilty if you cannot give or can only give a small amount. Emotional/prayer support is just as valuable to me as financial support. Even though a percentage is taken out if you donate through here, I would prefer that rather than checks or cash. Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me in any way - I feel it! I will beat this and devote my life to helping others with these conditions!