Help Millie Fowler Access Essential Medical Care

Thank you all for your support! We are so blessed and thankful! I cannot put my gratitude into words right now but God bless and update as I am able. Love to you all! -Millie ❤️

Hi family, friends, neighbors and strangers alike. If you don’t already know me my name is Millie Fowler and I suffer from a wide range of neurological and musculoskeletal disorders. The doctors do no have a name or treatment for my condition although we have tried many things, too many to count. I will do my best to explain some of what I experience. Bear with me as it’s hard for me to explain and will take many days for me to write.

Some of my symptoms and disabilities include but are not limited to Multiple Sclerosis, Bells Palsy (partial facial paralysis) Bilateral Hemi facial Spasms, Bilateral Trigeminal Neuralgia (Electric Shocks throughout both sides of my face), Occipital Neuralgia (electric shocks all over my skull), Adrenal Insufficiency making is harder for my body to fight infections or anything my body is doing to itself, Multiple Cranial Nerve Disorders due to unrepairable damage to the area of my brain where all the major cranial nerves meet. This affects the majority of my body in different ways at different times from seeing to swallowing, walking, sitting, talking, thinking, short term memory loss, all activities of daily living and more. Daily I suffer from various spastic nerve episodes. Sometimes it affects from the shoulders up. Sometimes it affects from the bottom of my abdomen up and other times it affects my whole body. While each part of my body is affected differently they are all debilitating, cause excruciating pain and often one will trigger another and another and continue to spread throughout my body. If my whole nervous system is affected I am left basically paralyzed. Any of these episodes can last anywhere from an hour to multiple days non stop. My face is constantly affected with one half paralyzed and the other in a constant state of spasm leaving my eye unable to open, my upper lip and cheek swollen and pulled upwards while my lower lip is pulled downward and I am unable to close my mouth unless an episode causes it to spasm leaving both sides of my face paralyzed and me unable to speak or ask for help. Although we have identified some triggers like stress, light, noise, touch and movement, it still comes at random for no obvious reasons. It even happens in my sleep often waking my whole family.

Although I have had many of these issues for years it is progressively and rapidly getting worse. It’s like my body is very quickly losing a major fight against itself and my system is shutting down.

I have a large wonderful group of doctors ranging from my amazing Primary Care who monitors me weekly to my Neurosurgeon who tried to minimize the effects of the damage unsuccessfully. to just about everyone else in between. No one can find an answer or explanation for the damage. All we can do is try to manage my symptoms but what may help one issue can often make others worse. It is a constant, dark, uphill battle with no light at the end of the tunnel.

So here I am on GoFundMe, a place I never thought I would have found myself, asking for help. As things get worse my needs increase as do the expenses. I currently need to upgrade my wheelchair again to a power chair with very specific specifications to accommodate my disabilities and very small house. Did you know most wheelchairs are not made to fit through a standard doorway?! It’s mind boggling. There is a lot of home medical and safety equipment that we will need to acquire or have installed. I also need a customized ramp to get into my home. I need a hitch lift to transport my wheelchair or a wheelchair accessible van. Then comes the array of medications my insurance won’t cover or are no longer covering that are too expensive to pay for out of pocket. I’m then left to suffer or go through unexpected withdrawals as we fight with the insurance as most medications are dangerous to just stop taking. Then come the medical bills which just stack up from one year to another. And since we live above the poverty level we are not able to qualify for financial aid but that does not mean we can afford the insane amount of expenses.

I know I’m asking for a large sum but I in all honesty it will likely just scratch the surface of what we truly need.

I have the most amazing husband who works full time, cares for the kids, dogs and house. He wears all the hats you could ever imagine and more, plus he is my solo full time caregiver day and night. I am hoping there will be enough funds we can also pay someone to give my husband some respite care he so greatly needs after so many years.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story. Please pass it along to anyone you know who may be willing to help or simply spread the word. No donation is too small. Every little bit helps! Thank you again and God bless you all.