I am sharing my sweet friend's story in hopes of getting her the formula she needs and to help cover expenses while she fights her courageous battles.

She is a full-time baker, and that is her only source of income, personally. Her baking page is The Rustic Loaf (on Facebook), located in Claremore right off Highway 20.

If you would like to donate to help her get formula for her feeding tube or to simply help with bills during this hard time, that would be the biggest blessing. You can also ‘prepay’ for her goods and pick them up at any time. (Make sure you follow her page for updates.)

She just got cleared to bake again and is working morning and night trying to make ends meet.

Her Cash App is $josiebakes, and her Venmo is @josiebakes.

PLEASE WRITE A NOTE BEFORE YOU SEND WITH EITHER 'donate' OR 'prepay'

Thank you and here is her story!

‘Hi, my name is Josie Malone.

I'm a 31 year old stay-at-home mom to two awesome kids and a wife to a hardworking man.

In 2021, I felt a small shift in myself and slowly began losing weight. I went to a trusted doctor, an OBGYN, who agreed to do a procedure she thought would be beneficial. Instead, it caused more damage, and since has turned me away.

I was treated by several local doctors who gave me anxiety and depression meds, told me it was all in my head, and left me in the condition I was in.

Fast forward to 2023, when I met a cardiologist who diagnosed me with POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome). He believed me and felt there was something more, sending referrals to multiple doctors.

Since then, I've been diagnosed with POTS, adrenal insufficiency, IGA deficiency, sympathetic dystonia, and they suspect lupus.

I have a positive ANA but haven't pinpointed my autoimmune issue yet. Doctors have told me that none of these conditions would have happened if the original OBGYN had done her job properly.

I spent the next year fighting for answers, getting down to 82 pounds. My biggest complaint was that consuming food by mouth immediately burned my abdomen, causing early satiety, GI issues, colitis, and gastritis. I went from 136 pounds to 82 pounds.

Finally, a doctor ordered the right scan, and they found I have a vascular issue called superior mesenteric artery syndrome and nutcracker syndrome. Our main concern is SMA, but they're running further testing for my left renal vein. SMA is a condition where the superior mesenteric artery and aorta lose their fat pad, compressing the duodenum. My arteries are crushing my intestines. This condition is rare, affecting 0.1-0.3% of the population, and surgeons who can fix it are scarce.

The first course of treatment is to go on a feeding tube to gain weight. On December 26, I had a J-tube placed in my abdomen, hoping to gain weight and possibly save myself. It's also providing me with the nutrition I need without the pain of consuming food by mouth. I've had six surgeries since 2021.

However, I've run into another issue: insurance has denied coverage for the formula. Before the J-tube, I was consuming approximately 200 calories a day due to extreme pain and nausea. Now, I'm taking in 1200 calories a day, which is crucial to keeping me nourished while figuring out our next course of action and finding the right surgeon. I keep getting setbacks.

This has been a long and hard three-year battle, but at least now we know its name, and it's not 'depression and anxiety.' It's superior mesenteric artery syndrome.’