Help support Mindy's courageous struggle to live!
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"DID YOU KNOW THAT AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE IS IN THE TOP TEN LEADING CAUSES OF MORBIDITY IN MIDDLE- AGED WOMEN?"
A short essay on Mindy's unexpected turn in life due to misdiagnosed and misunderstood diseases...
June 2022:
Please read this through to the end. Mindy has tried her best to convey her message in brief, but feels she needs to share the details of who she is and her goals.
Mindy grew up on Chicago’s north shore in Highland Park. She went to privileged schools and got good jobs out of college. Mindy got married and enjoyed life with her husband, Gil. But then, six years ago, things went terribly wrong.
When Mindy looks in the mirror these days, she sees two things: mainly, she sees a nightmarish image of her physical self which hardly resembles the person she once was. She also sees a human being that somehow, for some reason, is still alive despite the auto-immune diseases that continue to ravage her body.
Looking back, Mindy wishes she could have afforded better health insurance. She wishes her devoted husband Gil could have worked as a chef during the pandemic. She wishes she had saved every single penny she could when we she and Gil were both at their peak earning levels professionally. But not all wishes come true, do they?
There isn’t a thing she has ever owned or could ever buy that she would not trade in to eradicate this slow-motion debilitation of her body. She still doesn’t know if it’s a blessing or a curse that she is fully aware and can feel all the pain of her various symptoms: the way her stomach gets infected from the feeding tube, the rapid decay of all her teeth that doctors want to keep in on the off chance that she can ever eat normally again, or how her body is therefore suffering from malnourishment and weighing 65 pounds.
Mindy needs YOU to be her miracle. Mindy pleads for folks to search deep into their souls and offer any financial assistance so she can receive the help she needs just to eke out daily life needs — let alone get the most appropriate medical care! She is not a scammer, as you can see by the fact that people Mindy and Gil both trust have helped spread the word about Mindy's condition. They know her struggles; they have already helped both monetarily and emotionally — AND SHE IS STILL ALIVE!
Hospice? No thanks. Mindy is not ready to be “discharged” permanently. Could they ease her pain? Yes, but at a mental price she is not ready to pay. Please give and help Mindy live some semblance of a more normal life while doctors figure out how to fix her! Mindy THANKS YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF HER STILL-WORKING AND STILL-FEELING HEART along with her loyal and loving husband, Gilbert.
If you want to see a miracle, be the miracle” – Morgan Freeman...
(With much gratitude for anyone who visits Mindy's site. Prayers, shares, and contributions are greatly appreciated as Mindy is the kindest, most loving, most humble and appreciative person who is greatly suffering; thus she is in dire need of assistance from heroic donors and the right and better medical care, as time is most definitely of the essence).
MEDICAL TREATMENT:
In 2016, Mindy lost 28 pounds and all muscle mass within 2 weeks and before she knew it passed out and ended up in the hospital in Tallahassee and a cat scan was ordered of her stomach. Hospital did catch a glimpse of her lungs on scan and alarmingly indicated nodules all over both lobes which initially indicated TB so she was quarantined. Under further investigation, it turned out to be a macrobial, bacterial infection (MAC) in the lungs that could be managed but also could be lethal. They determined through a bronchoscopy that it was not active. Therefore, they did not treat it and kept Mindy to run other tests for 10 days. Nothing else alarmingly showed up; thus she was released.
Mindy left that hospital with a diagnosis at 74 pounds but everyone was stumped by unfamiliar auto-immune diseases at that time. Mindy, through a friend, directed her primary physician to run auto-immune tests. They came back positive, but again, did not know how to treat. While awaiting a referral to Shands
Hospital, Mindy used acupuncture to contain illnesses and side effects of all diseases/syndromes that did keep her more stable. Mindy has formally been diagnosed with about 10 autoimmune diseases which is common, as Lymes and Epstein Barr are petri dishes for many other illnesses including cancer, as many articles indicate.
Mindy did eventually go to Shands and the doctors she ended up with felt she was fine and determined no further testing was needed. Mindy knew she was in big trouble at that point as Shands is a teaching hospital that is considered superior.
Since then, she has been to over 20 doctors and over 15 hospitals. Mindy and her husband Gil believe that a couple doctors diagnoses caused a lot of extra complications and added infections. Severe medical issues were addressed in 2019 by a dentist who said her calcified teeth with periodontal issues and numerous cavities were due to presumed mold exposure. In summer 2021, two dentists indicated Mindy’ x-rays were misread and Mindys teeth were infected and breaking at the gum line. This serious issue was missed and now she has dangerous dental issues. They are ongoing and because of COVID, she was unable to address these serious issues in a more timely manner. The severe decay of her teeth and being unable to get treatment puts her life at great risk due to constant infection emptying.
After this six-year struggle, while Mindy and Gil continue to scrape the barrel, she is still here — and so is Gil, God bless him. Will Mindy ever look and feel like she once did? Will the miracle that she is still alive ever come full circle and allow her to have some respite from all this and live to an older age in peace?
WHY MINDY REQUESTS DONATIONS, SURVIVING A DOG ATTACK AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
People ask why Mindy reaches out to the general community for financial help. Besides the pandemic ending Gil’s chef position for almost two years and Mindy’s disability preventing her from working, they do not have family to lean on. Mindy’s parents have passed on and with them being both only children, Mindy and her two brothers did not have the pleasure of having aunts, uncles and/or cousins in an extended family. Hence, Mindy’s family circle is very small and her husband’s elderly parents are unable to help, nor can she expect them to in their very late years.
Growing up, Mindy loved to participate in dance and theatre performing. Though she dreamed of becoming a professional ballerina and a scholarship was offered to the Joffrey Ballet, she decided to take the ‘safer’ route and go to college to earn a B.A. Mindy was always in good shape, a gym rat in her prime, never smoked, drank alcohol only occasion, definitely no hard drugs, and adhered to a healthy diet in her adult life. She is a people person and enjoyed being with people and loves to laugh! Mindy was very close to her mom and her passing in 2020 left a huge void in her life. If you look at Mindy’s Facebook page, you will discover her mother’s love for her daughter and poetry. Mindy and her dad, while not as close, still loved each other very much in their own way. He passed in 2021, but the loss was still huge, and she is now essentially an orphan.
When Mindy was able to work, she was a dynamo and not only enjoyed her job but was quite good at what she did. She misses being able to work creatively due to her illnesses. Speaking of work, Mindy was pretty driven and reinvented herself after losing everything due to a dog attack in 1989 (see link below for Sun Sentinel article) as the hospital bills over two and half months piled up. Mindy lost her condo, clothing store business (Spoil Me Now), and pretty much anything she could liquidate to pay off medical bills. She is no stranger to loss. Through hard work and determination, she was hired into a boutique brokerage house and honed a new skillset that proved quite successful! She worked hard and their business flourished. Speaking of hard work, while living and working in the Virginia/D.C. area, Gil and Mindy ran a successful private catering business in addition to their full-time jobs. They were fortunate to meet celebrity clientele and numerous other lovely people in the process. Gil also was an Executive Chef at a private Senate club in downtown DC and Mindy remained in the financial sector broadening her expertise to Recruitment of financial advisors. Mindy and Gil both worked very hard to achieve their dreams of paying off debt and saving to purchase their own home. From 2008-2016 they had always rented and had roommate situations – some disastrous as in the case when one roommate left the gas going on the stove (unlit) and another fumigated his room without notification. Mindy was working from home and noticed a strange odor but by then, it was too late as the toxic chemicals permeated the house. On a side note, Mindy and Gill recently had two unsuccessful attempts to refinance their house and rent out a room to somewhat alleviate the mortgage.
Mindy sadly experiences serious gastrointestinal disorders and needs to be near a bathroom most of the time. She has received multiple and often conflicting diagnoses. In 2021, they put in an emergency feeding line which unfortunately went corrupt and led to Sepsis and an 18-day stay in a local community hospital. At that time, they removed the line and inserted a feeding tube in her stomach which has had nothing but problems. Some days a lot of time is spent in the bathroom which is not a fun nor easy way to exist. As a survivor from the dog attack - she is determined to move through this obstacle. Mindy has the will to live and the love of her husband, her two brothers and niece and nephew and dear friends who mean everything to her!
She asks humbly for any donations to help with her medical conditions. She needs much more extensive testing, evaluation, diagnosis, and hopefully a game plan for how to recover from her plethora of diseases and syndromes which plague her every day. Unfortunately, her body is unable to tolerate most traditional, western medicine, though she does have a primary care physician and gastroenterologist that she sees on a regular basis to monitor her condition. They both feel that she needs closer attention by experts who are top researchers/practitioners with regard to rare and perplexing autoimmune diseases.
What Mindy does with her time now is research the ailments and diseases that afflict her. She wants to be informed and inform others on the many auto-immune disorders that exist and how she can best live with the ones that she has until she can receive proper treatment and can return to living a more normal, robust and comfortable existence. Mindy has become well versed in the ailments and diseases affecting her life. She was surprised to learn so many things such as that auto-immune disorders affect women more than men and essentially they remain a puzzle to the medical community! She has learned that even cancer is a form of an auto-immune disorder!
Sadly, the warning signs were becoming quite prevalent after moving from D.C./Virginia to Tallahassee (moved for Gil’s work) in 2016. A visit to an autoimmune specialist sent her to two dentists that agreed that she had to have all her teeth removed before they could proceed and actively treat her autoimmune disorders, including Sjogren’s Syndrome. But there was the first catch: the dentist determined she was in too weakened a condition to have her teeth removed. In fact, the 40-year veteran dentist inferred the condition of her mouth was so bad that removal of her teeth OR lack of removal could be fatal! Mindy still needs a lot more care and testing, which is why funding is so critically needed.
(With much gratitude for anyone who visits Mindy's site. Prayers, shares, and contributions are greatly appreciated as Mindy is the kindest, most humble appreciative person who is greatly suffering. She is in dire need of assistance from heroic donors and needs to get the right medical care immediately, as time is of the essence).
LINKS, SYMPTOMS FROM ILLNESSES AND MORE:
https://www.bing.com/search?q=sun+sentinel+1989+dog+attack+on+pompano+beach%2c+fl+woman&qs=HS&sc=8-0&cvid=25F020BE1BF24527B2E4B7B0108FB68A&FORM=QBRE&sp=1 ROTTWEILER ATTACKS OWNER'S FRIEND INSIDE POMPANO HOME – Sun Sentinel (sun-sentinel.com) The dog attacked Mindy’s face; her nose and upper lip were completely removed. Surgeons created a nose and upper lip with multiple skin grafts, etc. The dog mauling has exacerbated any sinus related problems (nose bleeds, swelling, etc.) as well as oral problems associated with new upper lip being constructed and medical problems associated with this surgery. Donations will help support specialized treatments to alleviate pain, discomfort and infection.
Exposure to toxic pesticides have lowered immunity and adversely affected Mindy’s lungs and bronchial system. Donations will help support any related medical treatment to alleviate suffering and breathing problems.
Gastro problems – chronic IBS, acid reflux, prolapsed rectum, etc. Donations will help support treatment supplements to alleviate pain and build healthy digestive system. Specialized food items to help her body absorb nutrition are truly appreciated.
Perhaps you would feel better by purchasing directly from sources instead of directly to Mindy? Mindy is real, she is here, and appreciates any donation big or small – her husband/caregiver also thanks YOU!
CELEBRITIES LIVING WITH AUTO-IMMUNE DISORDERS: https://www.healthline.com/health/celebrities-with-lupus#1.-Selena-Gomez
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON AUTO-IMMUNE DISORDERS:
Mindy’s research has led her to learn 95% of people carry the EBV and the middle-aged women have a high morbidity rate related to it. Furthermore, mold is an absolute toxic, deadly fungi that affects many seemingly healthy human beings. Being exposed to mold is a huge factor in auto-immune related illnesses. Mindy personally knows an individual who was misdiagnosed with Lupus and treated for such, only to discover she never had Lupus and in fact, when drilled down, mold was the enemy. Many of the links (and Mindy would encourage you to read and educate yourself) provided below explain the many forms of virus and bacteria that cause these seemingly untreatable diseases and how to manage them. Please take a look at some celebrities that suffer with Lupus (healthline.com). Additionally, comedienne Amy Schumer revealed she has Lyme’s on BBC News.
AUTO-IMMUNE EDUCATIONAL LINKS AND MORE:
https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/2021/12/08/philanthropist-publix-heiress-carol-jenkins-barnett-dies-at-65/
The Epstein Barr Solution Book by Kasia Kines DESTROYING MILLIONS - https://g.co/kgs/kD4bcH
FAMILY AND FRIENDS' TESTIMONIALS
“Many people wonder how others get into the messes they get into. Sometimes, it’s indeed their own ‘fault.’ In the case of someone like Mindy, it’s a cluster of circumstances that requires a lot of time, expertise and money to figure out. Being a chronic patient myself — receiving a kidney transplant 15 years ago, following 10 years of treatment and some dialysis — I am well aware of how complicated it can be to advocate for yourself and get the care you know you need. I’m in good shape these days, yet still failed this winter at trying to work full-time again (for the first time in six years). I got sick a couple times. Spent a week in the hospital — so not only did I lose that week’s income, but my share of the bill was $1800. Fortunately, I am back at work and can pay off my expenses on payment plans. But Mindy can’t go back to any work. I have been helping her financially and by editing some of her posts because there isn’t another way ‘out’ for her and Gil other than OPM - other people’s money - to help them with their daily needs and to seek out better medical treatment. I urge everyone to help her get out of this pit she has fallen into! Thanks!” — Rabbi Andy Bossov, Wilmette, IL
"My wife Mindy is a truly remarkable person whose unwavering faith, discipline and courage in the face of such adversity and unimaginable pain fills me with an endless appreciation for the power and goodness of the human spirit. Armed with her own horrible experience and the knowledge she is not alone in her struggle, one of the dreams that keeps my wife fighting is to fully recover and parlay your support into a foundationthat will offer autoimmune education and financial support to others suffering as she is today."
Our thanks and blessings go with you,
Gilbert Rodriguez
(husband of Mindy Surell)
These are Mindy and Gil's dogs, Baryshnikov and Tahoe. They love their mom, Mindy,
beyond measure.
"If you have a compassionate bone in your body, please donate to my former sister-in-law’s gofundme page. She could really use your help. Too sick to work, she needs funding to continue her medical treatments with the best specialist they can find now"- Gwen
"Mindy‘s house was my comfort zone growing up in a wealthy suburb as a lone little brown girl. Mindy and I were fast friends, holding hands walking to and from school. How I missed my Mindy our friendship when my family moved to another town! We recently reconnected, both well acquainted with suffering. Our time is spent talking, praying, hoping. I’m watching my dear friend suffer from the ravages of her multiple illnesses. It is an honor to be a haven to my friend who was that for me when I felt alone." Diana Beach Batarseh 11/2020
"I met Mindy Surell thirty years ago. We became the best of friends and Mindy was always welcomed in the family home as everyone enjoyed her company and sense of humor. Sadly, Mindy had been mauled in the face by a dog and lost her home and pretty much everything - but lived through this tragic attack and worked tirelessly to carve out a new life and career. We always had so much fun and Mindy was so friendly with a generous, loving, and happy spirit. Mindy has blessed me and my sister and brother with her wisdom, love and resources whenever we needed help and advice. When I visited Mindy after she fell ill I was shocked to see my friend a shell of her former self. Her weight loss scares me as she has always been into a fitness/healthy lifestyle and strong for a petite gal. Mindy continues to fight for her life with each new health challenge she faces. I admire her strength and hope. She has great faith in God and mankind that she will heal from the diseases that have invaded her body. Mindy is a warrior, and with our help she will get well to enjoy simple things that most of us take for granted. I am a better person because of Mindy and I believe that along with her many friends both old and new we can help her get better, as well!" Cheryl McPherson 11/13/2020
Other options to donate are:
Paypal: [email redacted]
Venmo: Mindy Surell @ Mindy-Surell
Organizer and beneficiary
Gilbert Rodriguez
Organizer
Daytona Beach, FL
Mindy Surell
Beneficiary
