Assistance for Sarah's Recovery
Donation protected
**UPDATE**
When it rains, it pours.
After a visit to my PCP (Primary Care Physician), I mentioned diminished lung capacity and the inability to breathe deeply. My PCP ordered an X-ray, which found a spot in my right lung. He then ordered a chest CT scan which revealed a bilateral pulmonary embolism.
This landed me in Kaiser Urgent care with my first ever ambulance ride straight to Northside Hospital for another near week-long stay in the hospital.
This visit included a bronchoscopy and the discovery that my right embolism has turned into an infarction; tissue death due to inadequate blood supply. During my stay, I was on a heprin drip with daily Lovenox shots.
This means I originally had one clot in my ankle which broke into four separate clots; one DVT and two embolisms with one infarction for a total of five blood clots. I can't do anything halfway, it seems.
I was also suffering from metabolic acidosis and low blood oxygen, which required specialized liquids on my IV tree.
The course of treatment remains the same; I am going to remain on blood thinners for 6-12mo.
Sean and I did not budget for this stay, and have made the decision to reopen the GoFundMe for any additional support our local community is willing to offer us during this time.
As always, we are thankful for your continued love and support.
If you share, please share with my original post, as it contains the reason for the reopening of this campaign.
**
In late September of 2017, I came down with what I believed to be the flu. Unfortunately for me, it turned out to be an acute and aggressive form of Crohn's that wasn't formally diagnosed until February 2018. Between those two dates, however, I was hospitalized four times and saw various gastroenterologists over the span of twelve appointments at Emory University Hospital.
My symptoms were so severe that I was constantly dehydrated and in constant need IV fluids and electrolytes. In the span of two months, I'd lost 44lbs. At the start of all of this, I weighed 155lbs.
No one was quite sure what they were seeing, because my colonoscopy and endoscopy were both inconclusive:
Patches were found in my stomach, my lower bowels were inflamed and smooth (they should be textured like a shag carpet and instead looked like smooth linoleum), I had an ulcerative patch, and a polyp.
I had no definitive symptoms, inflammation markers, nor the chronicity expected for diseases like Ulcerative Colitis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Celiac Sprue, or Crohn’s Disease. Autoimmune Enteropathy became the diagnosis of choice for the lack of tell-tale signs, a rare and degenerative autoimmune disease typically found in infants.
My third specialist decided to treat me with a biologic, Remicade, that treated both Crohn's and Autoimmune Enteropathy beautifully. She insisted that it didn't matter what I had because right now our focus had to be getting my inflammation and symptoms under control.
However, as luck would have it, I lost my job and my incredible insurance, which had been my only lifeline. My spouse, Sean, placed me on his insurance during open enrollment, however, I wasn't able to see a new doctor until January. I was able to secure a job working from home, which has kept our heads just above water.
My new doctor formally diagnosed me with IBS and Crohn's Disease in Feburary, where I started my Remicade treatments. However, these treatments alone weren't working and my symptoms were continuing to worsen rather than improve. A second colonoscopy and endoscopy revealed Crohn's activity present in my ileum, spreading further into my small bowels, and crawling into my duodenum. I have since started dual therapy with a 6MP. This development to my treatment came a little late, however.
I was hospitalized overnight four times in the Kaiser Urgent care facilities due to severe electrolyte imbalance and dehydration. During one visit, my calcium, phosphorous, potassium, and magnesium were so low that I couldn't feel my face, my larynx was so constricted it changed my voice, my hands curled shut, and I couldn't walk on my own feet anymore. In addition to these hospitalizations, I had two extended hospitalizations at Northside Hospital; one in March, and one this month.
This latest visit was the most dire. I weighed 95lbs, I could barely walk or stand unassisted, my vision was black and spotty, and I couldn't keep food or water down. The week preceding this visit is blurry and I don't remember much of it. However, I was so lethargic and immobile that I developed what later turned out to be a DVT in three separate clots; it started out in my ankle, and broke off into my knee. At this point I was so accustomed to feeling poorly that my swollen and puffy leg didn't even register with me.
After my friend took me to my nutritionist appointment, I was informed I was in such a state of malnutrition and starvation that the only thing to be done for me was to hospitalize me and receive total parenteral nutrition and lipids via IV. I was admitted to Northside that day where I stayed for a week receiving round the clock care.
While my life has come to a standstill, the world around me has not. Rent continues to be due, bills continue to be paid, and medical bills continue to pile up. In order to repair my health, I need help repairing my/our day to day life. I am currently far too sick to return to my job, and I have no options for short term disability. Without dual income, Sean and I will be completely destitute.
My physical therapy depends entirely on how much I can eat to fuel my body. Even when utlizing the options of the hospital to reduce my bills, we are faced with mountains of debt we are unable to climb. And it doesn't appear they are going to get any smaller. We need help if I am going to be able to heal and get myself healthy again so that I can return to work with full function instead of trying to work too soon and setting myself back. I don't know how long this is going to take, but the stress of not knowing how we are going to pay our bills keeps me awake at night.
Anything you are willing to give will help us because it's more than what we have now. Thank you for your time.
When it rains, it pours.
After a visit to my PCP (Primary Care Physician), I mentioned diminished lung capacity and the inability to breathe deeply. My PCP ordered an X-ray, which found a spot in my right lung. He then ordered a chest CT scan which revealed a bilateral pulmonary embolism.
This landed me in Kaiser Urgent care with my first ever ambulance ride straight to Northside Hospital for another near week-long stay in the hospital.
This visit included a bronchoscopy and the discovery that my right embolism has turned into an infarction; tissue death due to inadequate blood supply. During my stay, I was on a heprin drip with daily Lovenox shots.
This means I originally had one clot in my ankle which broke into four separate clots; one DVT and two embolisms with one infarction for a total of five blood clots. I can't do anything halfway, it seems.
I was also suffering from metabolic acidosis and low blood oxygen, which required specialized liquids on my IV tree.
The course of treatment remains the same; I am going to remain on blood thinners for 6-12mo.
Sean and I did not budget for this stay, and have made the decision to reopen the GoFundMe for any additional support our local community is willing to offer us during this time.
As always, we are thankful for your continued love and support.
If you share, please share with my original post, as it contains the reason for the reopening of this campaign.
**
In late September of 2017, I came down with what I believed to be the flu. Unfortunately for me, it turned out to be an acute and aggressive form of Crohn's that wasn't formally diagnosed until February 2018. Between those two dates, however, I was hospitalized four times and saw various gastroenterologists over the span of twelve appointments at Emory University Hospital.
My symptoms were so severe that I was constantly dehydrated and in constant need IV fluids and electrolytes. In the span of two months, I'd lost 44lbs. At the start of all of this, I weighed 155lbs.
No one was quite sure what they were seeing, because my colonoscopy and endoscopy were both inconclusive:
Patches were found in my stomach, my lower bowels were inflamed and smooth (they should be textured like a shag carpet and instead looked like smooth linoleum), I had an ulcerative patch, and a polyp.
I had no definitive symptoms, inflammation markers, nor the chronicity expected for diseases like Ulcerative Colitis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Celiac Sprue, or Crohn’s Disease. Autoimmune Enteropathy became the diagnosis of choice for the lack of tell-tale signs, a rare and degenerative autoimmune disease typically found in infants.
My third specialist decided to treat me with a biologic, Remicade, that treated both Crohn's and Autoimmune Enteropathy beautifully. She insisted that it didn't matter what I had because right now our focus had to be getting my inflammation and symptoms under control.
However, as luck would have it, I lost my job and my incredible insurance, which had been my only lifeline. My spouse, Sean, placed me on his insurance during open enrollment, however, I wasn't able to see a new doctor until January. I was able to secure a job working from home, which has kept our heads just above water.
My new doctor formally diagnosed me with IBS and Crohn's Disease in Feburary, where I started my Remicade treatments. However, these treatments alone weren't working and my symptoms were continuing to worsen rather than improve. A second colonoscopy and endoscopy revealed Crohn's activity present in my ileum, spreading further into my small bowels, and crawling into my duodenum. I have since started dual therapy with a 6MP. This development to my treatment came a little late, however.
I was hospitalized overnight four times in the Kaiser Urgent care facilities due to severe electrolyte imbalance and dehydration. During one visit, my calcium, phosphorous, potassium, and magnesium were so low that I couldn't feel my face, my larynx was so constricted it changed my voice, my hands curled shut, and I couldn't walk on my own feet anymore. In addition to these hospitalizations, I had two extended hospitalizations at Northside Hospital; one in March, and one this month.
This latest visit was the most dire. I weighed 95lbs, I could barely walk or stand unassisted, my vision was black and spotty, and I couldn't keep food or water down. The week preceding this visit is blurry and I don't remember much of it. However, I was so lethargic and immobile that I developed what later turned out to be a DVT in three separate clots; it started out in my ankle, and broke off into my knee. At this point I was so accustomed to feeling poorly that my swollen and puffy leg didn't even register with me.
After my friend took me to my nutritionist appointment, I was informed I was in such a state of malnutrition and starvation that the only thing to be done for me was to hospitalize me and receive total parenteral nutrition and lipids via IV. I was admitted to Northside that day where I stayed for a week receiving round the clock care.
While my life has come to a standstill, the world around me has not. Rent continues to be due, bills continue to be paid, and medical bills continue to pile up. In order to repair my health, I need help repairing my/our day to day life. I am currently far too sick to return to my job, and I have no options for short term disability. Without dual income, Sean and I will be completely destitute.
My physical therapy depends entirely on how much I can eat to fuel my body. Even when utlizing the options of the hospital to reduce my bills, we are faced with mountains of debt we are unable to climb. And it doesn't appear they are going to get any smaller. We need help if I am going to be able to heal and get myself healthy again so that I can return to work with full function instead of trying to work too soon and setting myself back. I don't know how long this is going to take, but the stress of not knowing how we are going to pay our bills keeps me awake at night.
Anything you are willing to give will help us because it's more than what we have now. Thank you for your time.
Organizer
Sabine Birdsong-Chun
Organizer
Decatur, GA