Help Patrick fix his guts!

Hi my name is Sara and I’ve created this fundraiser on behalf of my partner, Patrick Chaney, so he can finally fix his guts!

Patrick has been chronically ill for years and has reached a point of needing to quit his job to focus all his attention on understanding and treating his illness so that he can find a way to move forward into a manageable state of health.

It is never easy to ask for financial help, especially when everyone in the world is struggling, but crowdfunding works - every little bit helps - and today (Dec 4th) is Patrick’s birthday, so what better way to show you care than by helping him take charge of his health and live with less pain!

He has been trying to figure out what is wrong with his health while also attempting to live a normal life and work full time. He has been sick for five years and the cumulative toll has become too high - his health has deteriorated to a level that is no longer sustainable while maintaining a full time job. This year he has finally made some headway in diagnosis, finding that he has off the charts levels of a yeast called Candida in his guts. One of his current doctors has suggested he find an integrative doctor in New Hampshire where they are able to prescribe the type of anti-fungal treatment that might work. He needs time to find a new doctor in NH, money to pay for these meds, and the time to let his body do battle with the fungus that has taken over his intestines. The medicines and supplements he has to buy every month to function are expensive. Taking time away from work will be helpful in focusing on his health but with no potential re-start date, the length of time he'll be unable to work is uncertain.

If you know Patrick then you know what a kind, thoughtful, and generous person he is - always listening to others with focused attention and compassion and sharing his considerable scientific knowledge on health, digestion, and brain function etc. with anyone who asks. If you don’t know him, let me tell you: He is an amazing musical and visual artist, an avid and devoted meditator, a contemplative nature enthusiast and a lovely human being through and through. I have never been more supported by a partner in my life and it amazes me that he is able to be so caring and wonderful while struggling with such intense issues. But he is, every single day, and I want to help him however I can and I am certain that y’all want to help him too!

Here is Patrick’s story in his own words:

Five years ago I got food poisoning and spent three months on antibiotics. I have been suffering from chronic gastro-intestinal issues, extreme fatigue, cognitive impairment, and a variety of nutrient deficiency related issues ever since. I’ve spent years seeing conventional doctors who have either dismissed my symptoms or haven’t been able to provide effective treatment. I finally found an integrative practitioner who ordered extensive testing which revealed that I have severe yeast/fungal overgrowth in my gut, which is likely the root cause of all my other issues. I’ve been working full time at a community center for adults with mental illness and even though I find the work very rewarding, I am not well enough to continue and had to make the difficult decision to leave.

It's taken a long time to be able to admit that I need help, but I'm realizing that it's the only way for me to get better.

A window into an average day:

-I wake up exhausted every morning. I don’t drink alcohol at all, but most days I feel like I have a hangover. Every morning is a project to get my brain and body into a state where I’m capable of meeting the demands of the day. Often I’m so fatigued that caffeine and my ADHD meds have no effect. For most of the last year, I’ve been experiencing total loss of appetite, so eating is often a chore, both to consume food and to digest. Some days are worse than others but every meal I eat gets stuck in my stomach and small intestine and I experience painful clenching and cramping sensations until the food eventually moves down. I frequently burp up undigested food. Sometimes when I take my supplements, I burp up dry powder. What comes out the other end is also often undigested. I take stomach acid pills but they do not always work. There’s no guarantee that the nutrients I consume will be absorbed, and I find myself in a catch 22 of sorts where I can’t absorb nutrients because my digestive system doesn’t work, but my digestive system doesn’t work because I don’t have those nutrients.

A few examples of the nutrient puzzle I have to manage in order to function:

Vitamin B6 deficiency and toxicity: Candida produces chemicals in my body that interfere with my ability to process vitamin B6. I have paradoxical B6 deficiency and toxicity, I need it but I can’t process it. Last checked my blood levels were 4 X the upper limit because the unprocessed B6 builds up in my system. This has serious consequences for my brain because B6 is required to synthesize serotonin, dopamine and GABA which are all crucial for mood and cognitive function.

Vitamin D deficiency and intolerance: I get vitamin D deficiency every year but consuming it in any form makes me very ill. D2, D3, calcifediol and yes, even sunlight rapidly induce magnesium deficiency and systemic inflammation. Taking vitamin D causes muscle twitching and spasms, electrolyte imbalances, diarrhea with stomach acid in it and intense irritability and anxiety.

Candida produces chemicals in my body that interfere with my ability to retain magnesium. Despite massive daily doses of supplements, my levels are barely above deficiency.

What will this money be used for?

-Paying for integrative practitioner (not covered by insurance)

-Paying for antifungal prescription (not covered by insurance)

-Paying for the hundreds of dollars of supplements needed monthly

-Paying for rent and food for a few months of recovery

Thanks for reading his story and considering a donation.

Please share this in the usual places on social media etc.

Feel free to contact me with any questions or if you'd like to know more about anything we've mentioned here. Patrick is always willing to share the health and nutrition knowledge he's accumulated through the years with anyone struggling with similar problems.