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This is the shorter version feel free to keep reading if you want details of what these past 4 years have been like for Ashley. Ashley has experienced an abounding amount of doctor appointments, diagnostic appointments, surgeries, ER visits, Mayo Clinic and Hospital stays in the last 4 years that are highly costly. As of now, with COVID struggling to keep them afloat work and company wise, they have found themselves in an immense amount of medical debt and collections with their credit. Ashley would never ask or admit that they are struggling or need help out of guilt and embarrassment, but would give the shirt off her back for her family and friends and continues to be so thoughtful and loving. As of now, their hospital bills, after using their honeymoon fund and stimulus to pay down, are thousands of dollars. She would never ask for much, so that is why we are asking if just only a little bit, will help immensely, take the stress off of their debt along with all her medical pain & undiagnosed stomach distention going on. Thank you.
Longer version...It’s been a rough four years of health for Ashley, and unfortunately, all those years, appointments and surgeries have recently made it also rough, financially for her and her family.
It started in 2017 when she was diagnosed with Preeclampsia while pregnant with Hunter, we all remember tiny little Ashley and after giving birth via Emergency C-Section, she thought that this would be her first time and last time ever being in a hospital. Boy was she wrong. In 2018, Ashley had laparoscopic surgery to remove a 5 inch cyst on her right overy. Although, the surgery went well per her surgeon, a month later, left her with a distended stomach, making her look like she is 7 months pregnant. From local doctor appointments costing $50 a visit, to numerous specialists costing over hundreds of dollars, testing, diagnostics, lab work, it has all added up. One day in 2019, her local endocrinologist told her, “I can’t diagnose you, either go get a bariatric surgery consultation or go to the Mayo Clinic.” In tears she walked into a surgery center, unsure how she would even afford it, where the nurse touched her stomach and said “we can’t do weight loss surgery on this, it’s not fat, I’ve been doing this for over 17 years and I have never seen something like this in my life, you need to go see a doctor.” Well, obviously she has been from doctor to doctor. So she was still very frustrated from the pain, distention, constant migraines it caused, high blood pressure, pelvic pain, etc. she was finally accepted to become a patient at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville in September of 2019. They ran numerous tests, where her last appointment in December 2020, told her she had small intestinal bacterial overgrowth but that this is NOT the diagnosis for the stomach distention and to continue to come back for more examinations. By this point, her insurance only covered partial testing at the Mayo Clinic. Not the appointments, labs, scans, etc. leaving her to owe over $7,000, which she is still doing weekly payments today. Although, between the Mayo Clinic and local specialists, they did diagnose her with Chronic Migraine, an Osteoma Tumor in her head, Age Related macular degeneration, vision loss, Sinus Tachycardia, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Lung Nodules, SIBO, GERD, PCOS, Hydrosalphinx, Endometriosis, Narcolepsy & more, nobody could ever diagnose her chronic stomach distention and pain. Some specialists have told her they thought she could have a rare Syndrome called Hollow Viscus to another doctor thinking it was a rare disease known to be found in Children from parts of the world called Kwashiorkor. None of these could be tested nor found in her blood work but she to this day continues to see a Neurologist, a Neuro-ophthalmologist, sleep therapist, pulmonologist, endocrinologist, reproductive endocrinologist, IVF specialist, colo-rectal specialist, gastroenterologist, OBGYN’s, cardiologist to even holistic doctors, all adding up to numerous bills. Still, no diagnosis. She has written in to the TV show, my medical mystery & even applied to the Cedar-Sinai Undiagnosed Patient Program. A girl who never has been to a hospital in 29 years, within the last 4 years, her surgeries have now included a C-Section, right ovarian cystectomy, Appendectomy, (her appendix ruptured and during this surgery, the anesthesiologist knocked her front tooth out) LEEP procedure, along with numerous MRI’s, over 25 CT Scans, ultrasounds, diagnostics, and she became anemic from the lab work done. All of this is very costly. This past February, as Covid slowed a lot of her doctor appointments down, and unfortunately put a burden on the family and the family business, Ashley tried to hold off from the distention pain & newly severe pelvic pain she was experiencing, but finally got in with her OB to find out she had a 6 inch cyst on her left ovary this time, and would need another cystectomy. Her surgery was performed at Winnie again, which the surgeon told her that the tube was growing on to her bowel, and that she basically had to do the surgery with Ashley upside down on the OR table due to a very sticky, inflamed bowel (which she has never been told and also, this was her fourth surgery at Winnie at the time, and they make you either pay up front or set up monthly payments before surgery is performed) after surgery, she continued to get worse instead of better. Ashley & Chris have had trouble conceiving children for the last 3 years, and also are worried about how to even hold a child in her stomach with the way it is, so they have been seeing an IVF specialist who set up a payment plan they knew they couldn’t afford and procedure to see what was happening as far as not being able to have a sibling for Hunter that they so desperately wanted. On March 5, the pain got to be unbearable and her Chris went to ORMC to wait in the ER waiting room for 6+ hours then to a room for 4+ more hours to only be told, that she was pregnant and no other diagnosis for the pain. They both were very puzzled and frustrated as she has become infertile in the last 3 years and just had surgery on her ovary, with no intercourse since before surgery. Both were so puzzled at this new discovery, but she woke up on Saturday, March 13, the day of Hunter’s 4th birthday party, to her lower part covered in blood. She called her On Call OBGYN since it was the weekend and was told to go the hospital. Ashley tries her best to be the mother that Hunter deserves and it has been a very challenging road, so she decided to tough it out for Hunter’s sake, with him luckily saying at the end of the night it was his “best day ever with his family and friends”. THAT is what pushes Ashley forward and gives her the strength to continue. All for Hunter and her family. The next day, her OB had her admitted to Winnie Palmer, (pay up front) and her hCG (pregnancy hormone level) kept jumping up, but not significantly or to where it was supposed to be, and after numerous scans, tests, blood work, that is where they were diagnosed them with “pregnancy of the unknown location.” Basically, the sac could be anywhere inside of the abdomen. She had her blood drawn every day, until one night, where she hadn’t eaten in 5 days because of the pain & bleeding, she began vomiting what looked like “coffee grounds.” Another call to her OB, and she was told yet again, to go to the hospital. She arrived to Winnie, again, where they diagnosed her with a internal GI bleed, they also thought she had Fallopian torsion, but ruled it out only to be told she wouldn’t be able to “deal with the pain” if that was the case. They also gave her two doses of methotrexate a very strong drug that breaks down tissue in your body, although they still could not determine if her pregnancy was ectopic, viable or not. She was discharged after being monitored for three days, and she had an appointment with her OB a few days later, when they did and ultrasound and her OB told her that they needed to surgically remove the left Fallopian tube as it was showing signs of internal bleeding, and they weren’t sure how. Upset at the news of more infertility issues ahead, Chris and Ashley decided that this was the best decision to stop the pain. She arrived to Winnie again, on March 25, where the nurses recognized her from previous stays, and supported her and also nicknamed her “the alien baby lady” from her distention. She woke up from Surgery to be told by her OB that her left Fallopian tube somehow attached itself to her left ovary and that although, rare, the ovary basically “ate” her tube and they unfortunately had to take both out. The doctor also mentioned that she took the camera inside of her uterine and bowel to try to see if she could figure something out, and found an issue motility wise, that they will talk about once the pathology report comes back. Devastated at this news since now their chances to conceive would be minimal. Today, Ashley is still in constant pain, with no relief, and has numerous appointments coming up for her GI Bleed, pelvic floor, colonoscopy, endoscopy, etc. she is worried that the same thing will happen to her right reproductive organs since her bowel is inflamed and nobody has been able to figure out a cure. Chris and Ashley used their Honeymoon fund to pay what they could towards the medical bills, skipping out on a honeymoon after their wedding, along with all the stimulus checks received going straight towards the medical bills and they monthly payments they’ve endured.
Before surgery in February, they were in medical debt of over $4,000 with over $450 in collections and delinquencies on Their credit. They got home to a mailbox full of bills from the numerous ER visits and the first surgery, the cystectomy totaling $2,650. This does not include the surgery she just had performed, which she has already set up a payment plan for of $50 a month just for the surgery, until paid off. Not including admission, lab work, scans and anesthesia. They have been through so much and just a little support would go a long way since she hasn’t been able to work consistently for the last 4 years, she does her best to get up and go. She is fighting pain every single day of her life, and wants to give up, but continues forward with the faith, love and prayers from her family, friends, husband and most importantly her little boy. Your contribution will help their debt immensely and try to get them out of drowning in medical debt on top of this undiagnosed illness. We all know and love Ash and she would NEVER admit to needing help, nor asking for it and would give you the shirt off her back to help you. She is known as our friend for her thoughtfulness and love so let’s give some of it back to her this time and hopes and prayers of figuring out what this mystery illness is, because all that she wants is to just feel better. Lots of love
Longer version...It’s been a rough four years of health for Ashley, and unfortunately, all those years, appointments and surgeries have recently made it also rough, financially for her and her family.
It started in 2017 when she was diagnosed with Preeclampsia while pregnant with Hunter, we all remember tiny little Ashley and after giving birth via Emergency C-Section, she thought that this would be her first time and last time ever being in a hospital. Boy was she wrong. In 2018, Ashley had laparoscopic surgery to remove a 5 inch cyst on her right overy. Although, the surgery went well per her surgeon, a month later, left her with a distended stomach, making her look like she is 7 months pregnant. From local doctor appointments costing $50 a visit, to numerous specialists costing over hundreds of dollars, testing, diagnostics, lab work, it has all added up. One day in 2019, her local endocrinologist told her, “I can’t diagnose you, either go get a bariatric surgery consultation or go to the Mayo Clinic.” In tears she walked into a surgery center, unsure how she would even afford it, where the nurse touched her stomach and said “we can’t do weight loss surgery on this, it’s not fat, I’ve been doing this for over 17 years and I have never seen something like this in my life, you need to go see a doctor.” Well, obviously she has been from doctor to doctor. So she was still very frustrated from the pain, distention, constant migraines it caused, high blood pressure, pelvic pain, etc. she was finally accepted to become a patient at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville in September of 2019. They ran numerous tests, where her last appointment in December 2020, told her she had small intestinal bacterial overgrowth but that this is NOT the diagnosis for the stomach distention and to continue to come back for more examinations. By this point, her insurance only covered partial testing at the Mayo Clinic. Not the appointments, labs, scans, etc. leaving her to owe over $7,000, which she is still doing weekly payments today. Although, between the Mayo Clinic and local specialists, they did diagnose her with Chronic Migraine, an Osteoma Tumor in her head, Age Related macular degeneration, vision loss, Sinus Tachycardia, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Lung Nodules, SIBO, GERD, PCOS, Hydrosalphinx, Endometriosis, Narcolepsy & more, nobody could ever diagnose her chronic stomach distention and pain. Some specialists have told her they thought she could have a rare Syndrome called Hollow Viscus to another doctor thinking it was a rare disease known to be found in Children from parts of the world called Kwashiorkor. None of these could be tested nor found in her blood work but she to this day continues to see a Neurologist, a Neuro-ophthalmologist, sleep therapist, pulmonologist, endocrinologist, reproductive endocrinologist, IVF specialist, colo-rectal specialist, gastroenterologist, OBGYN’s, cardiologist to even holistic doctors, all adding up to numerous bills. Still, no diagnosis. She has written in to the TV show, my medical mystery & even applied to the Cedar-Sinai Undiagnosed Patient Program. A girl who never has been to a hospital in 29 years, within the last 4 years, her surgeries have now included a C-Section, right ovarian cystectomy, Appendectomy, (her appendix ruptured and during this surgery, the anesthesiologist knocked her front tooth out) LEEP procedure, along with numerous MRI’s, over 25 CT Scans, ultrasounds, diagnostics, and she became anemic from the lab work done. All of this is very costly. This past February, as Covid slowed a lot of her doctor appointments down, and unfortunately put a burden on the family and the family business, Ashley tried to hold off from the distention pain & newly severe pelvic pain she was experiencing, but finally got in with her OB to find out she had a 6 inch cyst on her left ovary this time, and would need another cystectomy. Her surgery was performed at Winnie again, which the surgeon told her that the tube was growing on to her bowel, and that she basically had to do the surgery with Ashley upside down on the OR table due to a very sticky, inflamed bowel (which she has never been told and also, this was her fourth surgery at Winnie at the time, and they make you either pay up front or set up monthly payments before surgery is performed) after surgery, she continued to get worse instead of better. Ashley & Chris have had trouble conceiving children for the last 3 years, and also are worried about how to even hold a child in her stomach with the way it is, so they have been seeing an IVF specialist who set up a payment plan they knew they couldn’t afford and procedure to see what was happening as far as not being able to have a sibling for Hunter that they so desperately wanted. On March 5, the pain got to be unbearable and her Chris went to ORMC to wait in the ER waiting room for 6+ hours then to a room for 4+ more hours to only be told, that she was pregnant and no other diagnosis for the pain. They both were very puzzled and frustrated as she has become infertile in the last 3 years and just had surgery on her ovary, with no intercourse since before surgery. Both were so puzzled at this new discovery, but she woke up on Saturday, March 13, the day of Hunter’s 4th birthday party, to her lower part covered in blood. She called her On Call OBGYN since it was the weekend and was told to go the hospital. Ashley tries her best to be the mother that Hunter deserves and it has been a very challenging road, so she decided to tough it out for Hunter’s sake, with him luckily saying at the end of the night it was his “best day ever with his family and friends”. THAT is what pushes Ashley forward and gives her the strength to continue. All for Hunter and her family. The next day, her OB had her admitted to Winnie Palmer, (pay up front) and her hCG (pregnancy hormone level) kept jumping up, but not significantly or to where it was supposed to be, and after numerous scans, tests, blood work, that is where they were diagnosed them with “pregnancy of the unknown location.” Basically, the sac could be anywhere inside of the abdomen. She had her blood drawn every day, until one night, where she hadn’t eaten in 5 days because of the pain & bleeding, she began vomiting what looked like “coffee grounds.” Another call to her OB, and she was told yet again, to go to the hospital. She arrived to Winnie, again, where they diagnosed her with a internal GI bleed, they also thought she had Fallopian torsion, but ruled it out only to be told she wouldn’t be able to “deal with the pain” if that was the case. They also gave her two doses of methotrexate a very strong drug that breaks down tissue in your body, although they still could not determine if her pregnancy was ectopic, viable or not. She was discharged after being monitored for three days, and she had an appointment with her OB a few days later, when they did and ultrasound and her OB told her that they needed to surgically remove the left Fallopian tube as it was showing signs of internal bleeding, and they weren’t sure how. Upset at the news of more infertility issues ahead, Chris and Ashley decided that this was the best decision to stop the pain. She arrived to Winnie again, on March 25, where the nurses recognized her from previous stays, and supported her and also nicknamed her “the alien baby lady” from her distention. She woke up from Surgery to be told by her OB that her left Fallopian tube somehow attached itself to her left ovary and that although, rare, the ovary basically “ate” her tube and they unfortunately had to take both out. The doctor also mentioned that she took the camera inside of her uterine and bowel to try to see if she could figure something out, and found an issue motility wise, that they will talk about once the pathology report comes back. Devastated at this news since now their chances to conceive would be minimal. Today, Ashley is still in constant pain, with no relief, and has numerous appointments coming up for her GI Bleed, pelvic floor, colonoscopy, endoscopy, etc. she is worried that the same thing will happen to her right reproductive organs since her bowel is inflamed and nobody has been able to figure out a cure. Chris and Ashley used their Honeymoon fund to pay what they could towards the medical bills, skipping out on a honeymoon after their wedding, along with all the stimulus checks received going straight towards the medical bills and they monthly payments they’ve endured.
Before surgery in February, they were in medical debt of over $4,000 with over $450 in collections and delinquencies on Their credit. They got home to a mailbox full of bills from the numerous ER visits and the first surgery, the cystectomy totaling $2,650. This does not include the surgery she just had performed, which she has already set up a payment plan for of $50 a month just for the surgery, until paid off. Not including admission, lab work, scans and anesthesia. They have been through so much and just a little support would go a long way since she hasn’t been able to work consistently for the last 4 years, she does her best to get up and go. She is fighting pain every single day of her life, and wants to give up, but continues forward with the faith, love and prayers from her family, friends, husband and most importantly her little boy. Your contribution will help their debt immensely and try to get them out of drowning in medical debt on top of this undiagnosed illness. We all know and love Ash and she would NEVER admit to needing help, nor asking for it and would give you the shirt off her back to help you. She is known as our friend for her thoughtfulness and love so let’s give some of it back to her this time and hopes and prayers of figuring out what this mystery illness is, because all that she wants is to just feel better. Lots of love
Organizer
Chloe Wood
Organizer
Oviedo, FL