Kate’s Lyme Treatment
Donation protected
Hi, I am the mother of Kate, who is fighting valiantly against the pain, fatigue, nausea, and other symptoms brought on by chronic Lyme disease. A 15 year old’s life should not consist of intravenous medications, pills, and doctors’ appointments. Two years ago, in August of 2015, Kate started high school with a full academic load, complete with advanced classes. She had college clearly in her sights. But the sudden on-set of limb numbness and difficulty breathing that started in eighth grade kept pursuing her despite all the doctors (neurologists, cardiologists, pulmonologists, and more) and lab work that said nothing was wrong. By November 2015 Kate was in such pain that her face would turn sheet white as teachers and classmates looked on in alarm. She could not make it through two hours of class. Brain fog crept in and kept Kate from being able to comprehend and concentrate for even short periods of time. Out of complete desperation, we were blessed to have an appointment with a chiropractic neurologist who wanted her tested by iGeneX for Lyme disease. After ten months of increasingly debilitating symptoms, we finally had a diagnosis. Kate had Lyme disease.
We immediately sought treatment from a Lyme literate doctor. After our first appointment, we started to understand the financial implications of chronic Lyme disease. One doctor’s appointment and one month worth of medicine and herbal supplements ended up costing approximately $2,000. Unfortunately, oral antibiotics wreaked such havoc on Kate’s body that we had to change strategies. Intramuscular antibiotic injections finally showed a slight improvement, but after months of self-administering the injections it was time to begin intravenous treatment. Kate has been on IV antibiotics since December 2016 with a surgically implanted PICC line and now her medical costs have climbed to approximately $2,500 per month. These costs would eat up more than 50% of my husband’s take-home pay if it were not for outside support. Since chronic Lyme disease is not acknowledged by the CDC, our health insurance provider is unable to support us in this journey. Fortunately, family and the LymeLight Foundation have generously supported us by helping cover Kate’s medical costs. We are grateful for their support. Without it our $25,000 in medical expenses over the past year and a half would have swamped us, creating even more strain on our small family.
With our LymeLight grant already consumed, would you consider becoming part of Kate's healing journey? Recovery from chronic Lyme disease typically takes three to five years.
Currently:
Kate is almost completely housebound and has to reserve energy to do the things most of us simply take for granted. She is unable to attend school. Even a brief car ride can wear her out for the rest of the day. On a good day she has approximately two hours in which she is semi-functional. For special events, such as going to the movies, Kate tries to save up her energy in the days beforehand since she knows how exhausted she will be afterward. Oftentimes, Kate pays for these special events with days of additional exhaustion and pain that inevitably follow.
We appreciate your love, friendship, prayers, and support as we go through this difficult time. We are grateful for any donations.
We immediately sought treatment from a Lyme literate doctor. After our first appointment, we started to understand the financial implications of chronic Lyme disease. One doctor’s appointment and one month worth of medicine and herbal supplements ended up costing approximately $2,000. Unfortunately, oral antibiotics wreaked such havoc on Kate’s body that we had to change strategies. Intramuscular antibiotic injections finally showed a slight improvement, but after months of self-administering the injections it was time to begin intravenous treatment. Kate has been on IV antibiotics since December 2016 with a surgically implanted PICC line and now her medical costs have climbed to approximately $2,500 per month. These costs would eat up more than 50% of my husband’s take-home pay if it were not for outside support. Since chronic Lyme disease is not acknowledged by the CDC, our health insurance provider is unable to support us in this journey. Fortunately, family and the LymeLight Foundation have generously supported us by helping cover Kate’s medical costs. We are grateful for their support. Without it our $25,000 in medical expenses over the past year and a half would have swamped us, creating even more strain on our small family.
With our LymeLight grant already consumed, would you consider becoming part of Kate's healing journey? Recovery from chronic Lyme disease typically takes three to five years.
Currently:
Kate is almost completely housebound and has to reserve energy to do the things most of us simply take for granted. She is unable to attend school. Even a brief car ride can wear her out for the rest of the day. On a good day she has approximately two hours in which she is semi-functional. For special events, such as going to the movies, Kate tries to save up her energy in the days beforehand since she knows how exhausted she will be afterward. Oftentimes, Kate pays for these special events with days of additional exhaustion and pain that inevitably follow.
We appreciate your love, friendship, prayers, and support as we go through this difficult time. We are grateful for any donations.
Organizer
Beth Musgrave
Organizer
Redwood City, CA
