Help support Edd’s ongoing medical issue

My name is Edd Stockton and I’m asking for your help. I am 56 years old, and for the most part, I have always been in excellent health, despite being diagnosed with high blood pressure and Type II diabetes about 12 to 15 years ago. For the last year and a half, I have been dealing with an unknown medical issue which was initially thought to be something called contact dermatitis, which is an itchy rash caused by direct contact with a substance or an allergic reaction to it. The rash isn't contagious, but it can be extremely itchy and very uncomfortable. What immediately began accompanying the rash was something called GERD, which stands for Gastroesophageal Reflux disease. It occurs when stomach acid repeatedly flows back into the tube connecting your mouth and stomach. Many people experience acid reflux from time to time, yet for me, this has been nearly debilitating. When a GERD attack hits me, it produces a violent reaction where I will vomit uncontrollably until the acid reflux passes. Even if I haven’t eaten much, the GERD will still result in my dry heaving over a toilet bowl until it passes.

After visiting a few doctors regarding this issue, the contact dermatitis turned out to be an incorrect diagnosis, and was correctly diagnosed as a case of hives. Hives, also called urticaria, are raised, splotchy areas of skin that can be itchy welts. On me, they usually begin as tiny dots resembling a mosquito bite, but will then grow into large welts and form in clusters. Hives can affect any part of the body, but in my case, often appear on my legs, buttocks, back, and arms. See the diagram included and the pics below which shows, in detail, the issue I'm struggling with.

What also accompanies my hives is itchy hands and palms, and swelling of one or both sides of my tongue, my lower jaw, and my lips. I was told that hives are a good indication that I could be allergic to something; however, after being tested for allergies, nothing was found that is connected to my hives. Nonetheless, I was prescribed medication to try and deal with the issue, as well as an epi pen, in the event the tongue and lip swelling affect my ability to breathe. Thank goodness that has not yet happened, but you can see the pics below, which was just a week ago, to show how much I will tend to swell up.

This past August, I was rushed to the Emergency Room, as my blood sugars were highly elevated, due to the many medications I’m on for GERD and hives, as well as for my hypertension and diabetes. My blood sugar was close to 800 mg/dl, which is critical and life threatening. I was rushed to the hospital where they were able to successfully treat my Hyperglycemia and my doctor was tasked to recheck my kidney function and basic labs over the following weeks.

I have had a myriad of medical exams, tests, and biopsies and at present, no one can determine the cause of my GERD and hives issue, which seem to be in combination. For the last year and a half, I will feel GERD coming on and will deal with that for a couple of days, and when it begins to subside, the hives will begin showing up in various spots on my body. I might have a few days to a week completely clear, and then the cycle begins again. It’s enough to deal with the hives, but the GERD literally shuts me down physically for sometimes up to 2 to 3 days. It’s painful and exhausting and I'm unable to function normally. And due to the physically debilitating nature of the GERD, I’ve missed quite a few days from the part-time job I do have, currently my only source of income. Additionally, many folks have noted that I look considerably thinner lately and have wondered if everything is okay with me. GERD has greatly affected my appetite, eating habits and the ability to hold down food, and over the last year, I’ve gone from weighing 185 to now weighing 162. And while I love being nice and thin, I continue to lose weight which is making me a bit concerned about my overall health, fitness, and wellbeing.

For anyone who knows me, they know I hate asking for help. Any issues I have, I prefer to deal with on my own and not bother or harass people. However, a few good friends have pointed out that there is nothing wrong with asking for help when you need it, which is why I’m creating this GoFundMe. My husband Andrew and I have a goal to pay off our debts and relocate overseas, with the hopes of possible retirement down the road. To that end, I’ve been seeking full-time remote employment to financially support that goal; but since being laid off from my former job at Charter nearly 2 and a half years ago, and aside from trying my hand at real estate (which did not provide health insurance as an independent contractor; and ultimately didn't pan out as hoped or planned), I’ve had very little income coming in for the last 2 years, except for the part-time job I still have, which also provides no health insurance. Being uninsured for this period of time has caused the medical bills to begin piling up and I am trying to avoid going into serious debt over my medical issues, particularly when there is currently no end in sight to these issues. I still have more tests and procedures to go through in the hopes of determining the cause of the GERD and hives issue; however, I can’t afford to have them done just yet. So, I’m asking for your help, as difficult as it is for me to do.

My goal is $10,000 which will not only completely pay off past and existing medical bills but will also provide a little cushion for future tests and procedures to address and hopefully eradicate my medical issue. After researching how GoFundMe works and reading about other fundraising campaigns, my issues seem a bit insignificant compared to others, but this issue is important to me in hopefully getting it resolved, as I want to live a long and, Lord willing, healthy life with my husband. I hope you will consider donating $20, or $15, or even $10. Please know that any amount will be thoroughly appreciated and Andrew and I will remain eternally grateful for your generosity and kindness!