Improve Quality of Rachel’s Life with Suzi’s Task Training

Hello Friends and Family!

It has been 34 years since I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease and every single day is a battle. Crohn's disease is an autoimmune disease with no known cause and no known cure-the doctors are only able to attempt to control the symptoms. Crohn's can attack the body any where from the mouth to the rectum and also have secondary complications. For 34 years my body has been attacking itself and I live every day not knowing what the next will bring.

My childhood was filled with normal activities such as soccer, dance, and girl scouts, but a large part of it was also doctor appointments, an unmeasurable amount of tears from the pain and frustration, hundreds of pills, procedures no child should have to endure, two hospitalizations, and my first bowel resection when I was 15 years old. It was a tough childhood, but one which also prepared me for the next step in life-college.

I went to The Ohio State University and graduated in 2003 with a Bachelors of Science in Nursing. It was a big accomplishment and one I am forever very proud of. I was lucky enough to work in the nursing field for a little over 15 years and I truly loved it. For the first 8 years I worked with heart and brain patients. Close to 3 of those years I was a travel nurse which means I moved every 13 weeks to a new city. It was an amazing experience being able to see different parts of the country. It felt like a dream come true. I settled down out west for 4 years and met people from all walks of life. My Crohn's was being controlled with a biologic, which was an intravenous medication I would receive every 8 weeks, along with a cocktail of additional medications, vitamins, and minerals.

In 2011, I decided I needed to spread my wings and moved to West Palm Beach after accepting a job in an emergency room located in the inner city part of West Palm. I instantly fell in love. Every shift was exciting with new conditions witnessed and I thought I had finally found my happiness. Everything was going great for about 2.5 years when I started having extremely bad back pain and cramping. I went to the emergency room and was admitted for what would become a 45 day admission. During those weeks I had TPN (total parental nutrition) to give me nutrients administered through a central line, endless hours of pain and tears, feelings of anger/frustration/fear, and I endured my second bowel resection followed shortly after by another surgery due to infection. Through all of this I was determined to get back to my job, and with the support of my family and close friends help I was able to do just that. I returned to work and sadly it was short lived as I was readmitted after one shift. It was at this time I was told I needed to get a permanent ileostomy or I had six months to live.

My heart was shattered and I felt like my life was falling apart. This was the one surgery I was always terrified of and adamant I would never agree to since I was ten years old. It took three months and a lot of conversations, but ultimately I agreed to have the surgery. In October of 2013, I had my third major abdominal surgery, including another bowel resection and the placement of a permanent ileostomy. The recovery was unlike any I had ever experienced. Not only was I rebuilding strength, but I was learning how to mentally and physically learn to live with an ileostomy. My family and close friends stayed by my side and with their unending support I was able to return to emergency room nursing in January of 2014. The next 3.5 years would be the best of my life. I still had to manage the Crohn's with medications and a biologic (injections this time), but things were finally looking up.

In 2017, I went in for a routine outpatient surgery to fix my ileostomy from leaking so much. When I awoke I was told the worst possible news, I was going to need another extensive surgery. I underwent my fourth bowel resection and new ileostomy placement. It was a very large surgery and the recovery was brutal. I still remained determined to go back to work. My family and close friend, Lorrie, rotated being with me and helped me to build my strength back up and mentally start to heal. I went back to work in October 2017. It was a tough time because I was still extremely sick. I would work my shifts then be in the hospital as a patient. Then I would tell the doctors I needed to be discharged in order to work my shifts. By the end of 2017 my doctors told me the worst thing I could ever hear-I had to quit nursing. It was just too taxing on my body and multiple organs were now being affected. I felt like my world was over. Everything I had worked so hard for was now being taken away from me due to something out of my control.

I was in the hospital more often than I was at home for the years 2017-2019. Mentally and physically it was draining. My family and close friends never let me be alone, but we decided in October 2018 to move me back to Cincinnati to live with my parents where I would always have their help as needed. And quite honestly, at this point we did not know what my future even looked like.

After seeing multiple doctors in Cincinnati, I was quickly referred to Cleveland Clinic due to the complexity and uniqueness of my case. The doctors at Cleveland Clinic immediately told me I was extremely sick, to the point that my intestines were so swollen old internal staples were popping up through my skin, and they said my intestines were so sick they were "frozen". The only treatment option was another big surgery, but it would be very risky. In June 2019 I underwent my sixth bowel resection, ileostomy revision, and removal of entire rectum. The recovery was even more brutal than the others and multiple complications arose including infections and difficulties with both the ileostomy and incisions. I had a brief period after a long recovery where I felt okay, but I was never back to myself.

Since 2019, I have had multiple hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and new diagnoses. Several of the new diagnoses are unfortunately extremely rare conditions which makes them even more difficult to treat. One hospitalization it was found I had bilateral chylothorax, bilateral pulmonary embolism, SVC syndrome, clot in my SVC, and had to have two chest tubes for ten days. There has never been a case documented like this and the doctors were unsure as to why these conditions occurred. It was a tough recovery after this hospitalization because I had to build up my ability to breathe along with build up my physical strength. Next I diagnosed with asthma. Additional conditions I have been diagnosed with include pyoderma gangranosum (where your body literally eats your skin), pemphigus vulgaris-which my doctor had never seen outside of a medical book (where my throat slowly swells shut and the esophagus sheds its skin), major depression, severe anxiety, PTSD due to medical trauma, iron deficiency anemia requiring monthly iron infusions, chronic joint pain, intermittent abdominal pain, intermittent skin issues similar to burns with the ileostomy, chronic fatigue syndrome, electrolyte imbalances due to the high output ileostomy. Most recently I have been diagnosed with non-epileptic seizures (where the body is in such turmoil with so much sickness and stress that the only way it knows to release these issues is through a seizure) and keratoconus (which is a rare condition affecting the cornea in which you lose your vision at varying rates of speed). I have been losing my vision quickly, so have purchased expensive special contact lenses with the hope that they stop the cornea from changing shape and maintain a steady state of vision.

As you can imagine, having to give up my career and not having an income is tough. It took 2.5 years, but with the assistance of a lawyer, I was finally able to get my disability approved. I had to declare medical bankruptcy which was extremely tough. I never imagined my life would be this way at this age. Having a very minimal amount of intestines makes it difficult to have medications work effectively due to the poor absorption. I also always struggle with getting enough nutrients and hydration. I was starting to have a really hard time with depression and anxiety as more time passed. My doctors began to recommend adding a medical service dog to my treatment plan. I did some research and knew it would be near impossible due to the cost. However, I have been given an extremely rare opportunity. Suzi was meant to be a tracking dog, but due to minimal elbow dysplasia in her front legs she needed to be bumped down to a medical alert dog with a person who would require less intensive physical work. After interviews, I was chosen! I paid a flat fee of $2500 for her that allows for her to live with me and build a bond while working on simple commands such as heel/sit/stay/down and also taking her out and building her socialization skills. Suzi will ultimately be a medical service dog who will be trained for seizure alert, elevated heart rate alert, and commands to decrease anxiety and increase comfort. As many of you have seen, I brought Suzi home a few weeks ago. She is in the very early stages of being a medical service dog. In order to get her to the trainer and have her trained in specific extensive task training I need to raise $12,500. If by some miracle we should raise more than $12,500 that money will go towards any care of Suzi including vet bills and food. I have a hard time asking for help for anything, but asking for money is tough. I cannot begin to tell you how much having Suzi trained would positively affect my life. My level of independence would be increased, my parents would not have to constantly worry if I am ok, and I could begin to experience a more positive quality of life. I will never be able to have my old life back, but with your help I would be able to begin to explore a new life of unknown possiblities with Suzi by my side.

GoFundMe page has been set up titled Improve Rachel's Life with Extensive Training for Suzi.

The website GoFundMe does take a certain percentage out of each donation.

Dulebohn Dog Training Services is a 501 C3 nonprofit. Any donations made are tax deductible. If you would feel more comfortable mailing a check directly to them just put my name, Rachel Mathews, in the memo line.

If you would like to mail a check directly to Dulebohn Dog Training you can do so at:

Dulebohn Dog Training, LLC

15535 Cemetery Road

Wapakoneta, OH 45895

If you would like to mail a check to my house, or give it to us at our home to be mailed, you can send to:

Rachel Mathews

4218 Fox Hollow Drive

Cincinnati, OH 45241

Once again, please put my name in the memo line.

I want to sincerely thank anyone who is able to donate and help this dream become a reality for both me and my family!

XOXOXO

Rachel Mathews and Suzi

Thank you for any support you are able to provide!