Kicking Scleroderma #ThankATeacher

Story

My name is LeAnn Cabage and doctors have diagnosed me with scleroderma. It is a condition due to an overproduction of collagen and leads to hardening of the skin. For me, scleroderma has affected my hands and feet and has caused them to crack and bleed. In addition, the doctors also diagnosed me with Raynaud’s that makes my hands and feet extremely sensitive to cold temperatures and causes numbness. I have to wear special gloves and socks to protect my skin but these two conditions coupled together have crippled me. My condition makes it extremely difficult to perform simple tasks like typing or standing on my feet. While I might be able to live with the inconvenience of my skin condition, my scleroderma progressed more quickly than the doctors anticipated. My heart, lungs, and esophagus are damaged and most days it is difficult for me to breathe and eat. I have lost close to thirty pounds since my diagnosis.I am a single mother to a beautiful nine year old daughter, Lexi. She is the joy of my life and I work hard to provide for both of us. Currently, I am a doctoral student at Iowa State University pursuing a degree in sociology. I work two jobs: I am a teaching associate at Iowa State and instructor at Des Moines Community College. It is difficult for me to admit that I need help to kick this disease because I’ve never asked anyone for anything. I pride myself on being self-sufficient and strong. But the fact is I’m losing the battle and without your help, I may not get to see my daughter grow up. I’m going to continue to fight and work as long as I can. I have been accepted into a clinical trial that can save my life but the procedure is costly. I’m asking for any donation, no matter how small, to assist me with my medical bills. The estimated cost of the procedure is $25,000.00. Thank you for helping me to “Kick Scleroderma.”The condition also has affected my ability to teach my classes at times. As the scleroderma limits my ability to type at times and to lecture, I push forward each day to provide my students with an excellent classroom environment. I love teaching and it is my passion to share knowledge with my students. After failing to receive adequate treatment from local doctors, I sought out potential treatments for her scleroderma. During my search, I located Dr. Richard Burt and his team at Northwestern Hospital in Chicago. Dr. Burt has completed numerous stem cell transplants to treat varying autoimmune disorders. After evaluating me in February 2016, Dr. Burt agreed that my internal involvement was severe and approved me for the transplant. I will start the first phase of my treatment, mobilization and harvest, on June 6, 2016. I will be receiving outpatient treatment during this time, requiring her to remain in Chicago. I will need to take neupogen, a white blood cell booster, and antibiotics to help protect her from contracting any viruses. The harvest of my stem cells will occur on June 16, 2016. I will be allowed to return home for a few weeks after my harvest. I will return to Chicago on July 6, 2016. My PICC line will be placed on the 6th and I will be admitted on July 7, 2016 and my day 5 chemo will occur. July 12, 2016 is day zero, better known as a new birthday. This is the day, my stem cells will be reinfused. I should be discharged by July 24, 2016.To provide a breakdown of the costs, my initial tests cost $2,764.73. My hotel and travel for the initial test costs me almost $400. The 12 days I will need to be in Chicago for the mobilization and harvest will cost me somewhere around $2,000. My out of pocket cost for the transplant is expected to be in the $3-4,000 range.