- E
Hello my dear friends and community,
I’m writing with an update, with the last post being in May.* Through your essential support a number of milestones in recovery have been reached. I have been able to continue the treatments started in January and continue to see slow steady incremental gains in cognitive functioning, pain management and resiliency in day-to-day living. I continue to struggle with technology, reading, numbers, listening comprehension and fatigue. My medical providers and the non-profit foundation that has provided essential guidance this year both continue to be optimistic about further gains in all areas, and I am hopeful too.
One month ago I was approved for Federal Disability. I have learned the Federal Disability program also provides support in retraining towards new careers. As you all know, I’m not one to just let life go by and am already dreaming of possibilities.
In other big news, this past week I have become clear that it is time for me to return to Idaho. I am excited and grateful for this clarity. I’ll be relocating to my friend’s equine therapy ranch and am looking forward to continuing my healing there, closer to family and in a place that is very dear to my heart. I hope to lure as many of you as possible to visit this special place.
It will take one to five months from now for the funds to be made available from Federal Disability. I had hoped to make it through from the last update without needing to ask for help again. Alas that is not the case, as I have run out of funds from the last round, so I am reaching out with what I hope to be my last request for your financial help. I have a simple monthly budget for ongoing treatment and day-to-day costs so I don't need much, but if this were a cardboard sign it would say -- every bit helps and the need is now.
I continue to be deeply grateful for the love and support you all have graced me with during this life-changing experience. I am hopeful in my continued recovery and look forward to each sunrise and sunset with a renewed sense of awe for the grace in how life unfolds.
Love,
Lori
*Unbeknownst to me, YouCaring was purchased earlier this year and as of Aug 1 the old site has been shut down. If you are interested, the content below is of the earlier posts that I was able to retrieve from old emails.
Thu, May 3
Hello my dear friends and community,
It’s been a year since the last update and I’m (yes, it’s me, Lori) writing to let you know that I am still in the Bay Area. It was a difficult year, being homeless. By the grace of friends and family I stayed safe. I’m incredibly grateful to share I’ve been staying with friends of friends south of the city since early January.
The recent months of stability have meant I’ve been able to see my medical providers steadily. In January I also connected with a non-profit foundation that supports athletes in TBI recovery. With all of this support I have seen improvements in things like reading and writing and am a lot less dizzy and disoriented every day. The migraines are also less common. I still get overwhelmed easily and have to be careful to manage my energy daily and limit my exposure to intense experiences. Symptom flare-ups are a real thing and I’ve had a couple of them. They are intense and the recovery ranges from a couple days to a month or longer but each time I’ve made it back.
I saw Neurology on Tuesday and they continue to urge me to stay the course. Every appointment they reassure me that this process takes time and that it is slow. It’s also unique to each person and they also tell me that I’m doing everything possible to take care of myself and that I’m doing great.
The federal disability process continues to trudge along and while I had hoped to be able to navigate financially on my own by now by producing some art or being able to do something beyond managing my day-to-day care, I haven’t reached that point of autonomy yet and and am going to run out of money for daily living.
I’m writing today to say thank you for helping me get this far. I’m in a safe place, and I have all the medical care one could ask for in this recovery. I humbly ask for your help again, with the basics; things like gas in the car, toothpaste and the extra medical costs not covered by Medi-Cal.
Sending you my warm wishes and best of thoughts.
Love,
Lori
———
Fri, Apr 14, 2017
Hello dear friends and community of our beloved Lori,
Our last update was in July* and we’re writing to let you know that Lori is currently in the San Francisco Bay Area. She let go of her apartment sanctuary and is now homeless. She remains deeply grateful for people in her life who are able to support her however they can, including offering places to stay.
Lori has made progress in that she can now drive, she’s capable of living alone and cooking for herself. She can also read and connect online minimally.
Lori continues to struggle with sensory integration that results in overwhelm in the form of migraines, confusion, short-term memory issues and debilitating fatigue. As a deep soul searcher, Lori’s intention for clarity and healing has shown her that finding a stable home is crucial for her continued progress. Being homeless takes up the little energy Lori has to take care of herself on a daily basis.
It's important for Lori to stay near San Francisco in order to receive basic resources such as food stamps, ongoing medical care as well as city and county aid. She’s also in a lengthy process of applying for federal disability.
What Lori needs most right now, in addition to longer term places to say, is financial support for daily living. And so we are reactivating this fundraiser to ask for a donation towards this part of Lori’s healing journey.
We wish you well and thank you for all the ways you touch Lori’s life.
*I couldn't find a copy of that update.
———
Apr 16, 2016
The Story
The Accident
As you might have heard, Lori was in a scooter accident in late 2015 that left her with what she initially thought was just a concussion. Since then, her symptoms have gotten worse and she has been diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury (TBI), which may take up to six months to heal.
Needing To Heal
After talking with doctors and several people who have healed from TBIs, it became clear that the only way for Lori to get better was to drastically cut back almost all activities: conversation, physical exertion, screen time, reading....really anything that requires even a small amount of concentration. For the past few months she has been very easily confused, and even short activities tire her out for most of the day. For any of us, these symptoms would be scary. For someone as energetic and driven as Lori, this has been an incredibly trying experience, compounded by the fact that her ability to work relies on her physical and mental wellbeing. And yet, she's taken it with incredible grace—interspersed with understandable moments of fear and anger.
One of the hardest things for someone as self-sufficient as Lori is has been asking for help. But she now recognizes this as a silver lining in all this. She has learned how many friends she has and how willing they are to help her. Now she's asked me (Miki) to help her ask you for a little more assistance.
How You Can Help
If you've ever been a freelancer, you (hopefully) know that you don't have access to disability insurance unless you pay into it yourself each month. It's expensive, and since Lori was just getting her production business up and running when the accident happened, she didn't have it yet. That means she has no money coming in while she's unable to work, so she's asking for whatever contributions you are able to make. The money will help her stay in her apartment in San Francisco, close to some of the best brain trauma treatment options in the country, while she heals. Much of her food is paid for by food stamps and she has good, affordable healthcare, so her costs are mostly rent, transportation to appointments, and a few treatments (like acupuncture) not covered by insurance.
About Lori
For those of you who don’t know Lori well (or at all—thank you for being here!), I wanted to share a bit about her life. Lori’s love of adventure and the outdoors led her into a professional ski career, which led her to start a women’s outdoor magazine and to lead a visual team during the Salt Lake City Olympic Games. Her love of the visual language led her to get a BFA in photography, which led to many years on commercial shoots as well as an ongoing project on the marshes of Southern Iraq. Her entrepreneurial spirit led her to work at several startups and small design agencies. And all these talents most recently came together in her own production company, which was just starting to thrive when the accident happened. Even this setback has not stopped her creativity. Art being one of the few activities available right now, she’s been painting, playing music, making beautiful mobiles, and, of course, photographing. You can see some of what she’s seeing on her Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/schwilling/
I’m writing with an update, with the last post being in May.* Through your essential support a number of milestones in recovery have been reached. I have been able to continue the treatments started in January and continue to see slow steady incremental gains in cognitive functioning, pain management and resiliency in day-to-day living. I continue to struggle with technology, reading, numbers, listening comprehension and fatigue. My medical providers and the non-profit foundation that has provided essential guidance this year both continue to be optimistic about further gains in all areas, and I am hopeful too.
One month ago I was approved for Federal Disability. I have learned the Federal Disability program also provides support in retraining towards new careers. As you all know, I’m not one to just let life go by and am already dreaming of possibilities.
In other big news, this past week I have become clear that it is time for me to return to Idaho. I am excited and grateful for this clarity. I’ll be relocating to my friend’s equine therapy ranch and am looking forward to continuing my healing there, closer to family and in a place that is very dear to my heart. I hope to lure as many of you as possible to visit this special place.
It will take one to five months from now for the funds to be made available from Federal Disability. I had hoped to make it through from the last update without needing to ask for help again. Alas that is not the case, as I have run out of funds from the last round, so I am reaching out with what I hope to be my last request for your financial help. I have a simple monthly budget for ongoing treatment and day-to-day costs so I don't need much, but if this were a cardboard sign it would say -- every bit helps and the need is now.
I continue to be deeply grateful for the love and support you all have graced me with during this life-changing experience. I am hopeful in my continued recovery and look forward to each sunrise and sunset with a renewed sense of awe for the grace in how life unfolds.
Love,
Lori
*Unbeknownst to me, YouCaring was purchased earlier this year and as of Aug 1 the old site has been shut down. If you are interested, the content below is of the earlier posts that I was able to retrieve from old emails.
Thu, May 3
Hello my dear friends and community,
It’s been a year since the last update and I’m (yes, it’s me, Lori) writing to let you know that I am still in the Bay Area. It was a difficult year, being homeless. By the grace of friends and family I stayed safe. I’m incredibly grateful to share I’ve been staying with friends of friends south of the city since early January.
The recent months of stability have meant I’ve been able to see my medical providers steadily. In January I also connected with a non-profit foundation that supports athletes in TBI recovery. With all of this support I have seen improvements in things like reading and writing and am a lot less dizzy and disoriented every day. The migraines are also less common. I still get overwhelmed easily and have to be careful to manage my energy daily and limit my exposure to intense experiences. Symptom flare-ups are a real thing and I’ve had a couple of them. They are intense and the recovery ranges from a couple days to a month or longer but each time I’ve made it back.
I saw Neurology on Tuesday and they continue to urge me to stay the course. Every appointment they reassure me that this process takes time and that it is slow. It’s also unique to each person and they also tell me that I’m doing everything possible to take care of myself and that I’m doing great.
The federal disability process continues to trudge along and while I had hoped to be able to navigate financially on my own by now by producing some art or being able to do something beyond managing my day-to-day care, I haven’t reached that point of autonomy yet and and am going to run out of money for daily living.
I’m writing today to say thank you for helping me get this far. I’m in a safe place, and I have all the medical care one could ask for in this recovery. I humbly ask for your help again, with the basics; things like gas in the car, toothpaste and the extra medical costs not covered by Medi-Cal.
Sending you my warm wishes and best of thoughts.
Love,
Lori
———
Fri, Apr 14, 2017
Hello dear friends and community of our beloved Lori,
Our last update was in July* and we’re writing to let you know that Lori is currently in the San Francisco Bay Area. She let go of her apartment sanctuary and is now homeless. She remains deeply grateful for people in her life who are able to support her however they can, including offering places to stay.
Lori has made progress in that she can now drive, she’s capable of living alone and cooking for herself. She can also read and connect online minimally.
Lori continues to struggle with sensory integration that results in overwhelm in the form of migraines, confusion, short-term memory issues and debilitating fatigue. As a deep soul searcher, Lori’s intention for clarity and healing has shown her that finding a stable home is crucial for her continued progress. Being homeless takes up the little energy Lori has to take care of herself on a daily basis.
It's important for Lori to stay near San Francisco in order to receive basic resources such as food stamps, ongoing medical care as well as city and county aid. She’s also in a lengthy process of applying for federal disability.
What Lori needs most right now, in addition to longer term places to say, is financial support for daily living. And so we are reactivating this fundraiser to ask for a donation towards this part of Lori’s healing journey.
We wish you well and thank you for all the ways you touch Lori’s life.
*I couldn't find a copy of that update.
———
Apr 16, 2016
The Story
The Accident
As you might have heard, Lori was in a scooter accident in late 2015 that left her with what she initially thought was just a concussion. Since then, her symptoms have gotten worse and she has been diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury (TBI), which may take up to six months to heal.
Needing To Heal
After talking with doctors and several people who have healed from TBIs, it became clear that the only way for Lori to get better was to drastically cut back almost all activities: conversation, physical exertion, screen time, reading....really anything that requires even a small amount of concentration. For the past few months she has been very easily confused, and even short activities tire her out for most of the day. For any of us, these symptoms would be scary. For someone as energetic and driven as Lori, this has been an incredibly trying experience, compounded by the fact that her ability to work relies on her physical and mental wellbeing. And yet, she's taken it with incredible grace—interspersed with understandable moments of fear and anger.
One of the hardest things for someone as self-sufficient as Lori is has been asking for help. But she now recognizes this as a silver lining in all this. She has learned how many friends she has and how willing they are to help her. Now she's asked me (Miki) to help her ask you for a little more assistance.
How You Can Help
If you've ever been a freelancer, you (hopefully) know that you don't have access to disability insurance unless you pay into it yourself each month. It's expensive, and since Lori was just getting her production business up and running when the accident happened, she didn't have it yet. That means she has no money coming in while she's unable to work, so she's asking for whatever contributions you are able to make. The money will help her stay in her apartment in San Francisco, close to some of the best brain trauma treatment options in the country, while she heals. Much of her food is paid for by food stamps and she has good, affordable healthcare, so her costs are mostly rent, transportation to appointments, and a few treatments (like acupuncture) not covered by insurance.
About Lori
For those of you who don’t know Lori well (or at all—thank you for being here!), I wanted to share a bit about her life. Lori’s love of adventure and the outdoors led her into a professional ski career, which led her to start a women’s outdoor magazine and to lead a visual team during the Salt Lake City Olympic Games. Her love of the visual language led her to get a BFA in photography, which led to many years on commercial shoots as well as an ongoing project on the marshes of Southern Iraq. Her entrepreneurial spirit led her to work at several startups and small design agencies. And all these talents most recently came together in her own production company, which was just starting to thrive when the accident happened. Even this setback has not stopped her creativity. Art being one of the few activities available right now, she’s been painting, playing music, making beautiful mobiles, and, of course, photographing. You can see some of what she’s seeing on her Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/schwilling/