Help my Mom Susan get through Trigeminal Neralgia
About a month ago, out of nowhere, my mom, Susan Chicovsky, started getting severe, debilitating pains shooting across the right side of her face. I took her to the ER, where we were told she must have Trigeminal Neuralgia, a rare, incredibly painful disorder that causes the Trigeminal nerve to send excruciating pain signals across the side of the face. Her condition is atypical so she is in pain all the time. As a result, we have been to the ER five times in the span of three weeks. Unfortunately, TN is not treated in a hospital, it requires working closely with specialists, and getting in to see specialists takes time. So far, we have been seen by a Neurosurgeon and a Pain Management Doctor. We have an appointment to see a Neurologist, and are hoping that soon we will find effective pain control methods. I am doing everything in my power to get her scheduled for a nerve block procedure that could help a lot.
As it is right now, medications have not been working to control her pain much. On top of that, the side effects of medications she's on have made it impossible for her to function on her own. She has been bed-ridden with the side effects: dizzy, spaced out, weak, disoriented, nauseous and constantly exhausted. I have been taking care of my mom full time by myself for the past month, and I haven't been able to work or leave the house for anything other than trips to the grocery store, filling her prescriptions and to take her to doctors appointments. Neither one of us have been able to work for a month, and because of the nature of Trigeminal Neuralgia, its unclear how long it will be until we can find something that works.
I found a company called Wendy's Team that can come to our house and stay with my mom and help me with household chores, meal prep and help take care of our five animals (four cats and a dog). Hiring them to come in two days a week for six hours at a time would allow me to go back to work as a house painter and start making some money again. Unfortunately, this kind of home care is not covered by my mom's insurance, so we have to pay out of pocket, and it costs more money than I make hourly. My mom and I have been living off of her dwindling savings account, and it would be incredibly helpful to be able to do this. The money you donate would go straight to paying for Wendy's Team, and a little will go toward ER bills and cost of medications. We really need help. I want to help my mom get back to her healthy, effervescent, loving self. Anything you are able donate will be amazing, we can't thank you all enough.
