Kimberly Elayyne's Medical Expenses
Donation protected
Hello, My name is Kimberly Elayyne, and if you know me, you know that my motto is “You Matter!” Well, today, I am focusing the enormous energy I show to others, on my own health journey. I wanted to share my story with you, so here goes nothing.
In January 2018, I was living in California and ended up getting bit by an animal we thought had rabies. I rushed to the hospital to get the rabies vaccine series. I didn’t realize that I would be given 7 shots total the first night. I was told there would be multiple vaccine series, and I would have to come back for them every so many days and weeks. I received the first vaccine series and a few days later came back for the second round of treatment.
After the second rabies vaccine series, I started developing symptoms. I started to feel completely out of it. I was waking up disoriented and full of massive anxiety. The other horrific symptoms I was experiencing was numbness, weakness, and tingling gradually up my body. I kept fighting through the symptoms and tried to sleep it off. The day came for my 3rd vaccine in the series. I went to the hospital to see the doctor and told her all my symptoms. She stopped the vaccine series immediately, and told me to go to the emergency room. The doctor told me that I am showing symptoms of Gullain-Barre Syndrome (GBS). Incase you don't know what GBS is, it is when the body’s immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system. It will begin with tingling and weakness in the feet and spread to your upper body.
So, on January 16th, I went to an emergency room closer to my house. They rushed me in, I was told to get a spinal tap under fluoroscopy. The first attempt didn’t work to secure spinal fluid, so the Dr. tried another spot, and another. Finally he got the fluid he needed. But keep in mind, all the attempts he tried, left a small hole in my spine where spinal fluid would leak out.
I was put in my hospital room to lay down for 2 hours afterwards to make sure that I wouldn’t get a post lumbar puncture headache. Well, I laid there for the 2 hours and stood up and this is where all my problems began.
I stood up, and I immediately could tell something was wrong. I felt like my blood pressure was going to drop and I would pass out. I was off balance. I just knew something was wrong. They ended up discharging me and sent me home.
The next day, I was horrifically nauseous to the point I couldn’t even think. I felt like my brain was sagging to the back of my skull. I can’t begin to describe to you the brain fog, off balance, and dizziness I was experiencing. It is something I have never felt before.
I ended up going back in for a blood patch to the same hospital and saw an anesthesiologist, who told me that the person who did my procedure before, went down further than normal to get spinal fluid. He wasn’t sure if the blood patch would take away the spinal fluid leak I was experiencing. It did help the brain sagging feeling, but all my other symptoms stayed.
Let me tell you how this affects me now. I currently experience constant nausea, and the feeling like I am going to pass out. I feel dizziness and off balance majority of the time. I can’t do the things I normally would do, because if I am upright for an extended period of time, my symptoms worsen. I have to lay down majority of the day. I can’t work for more than 4 hours at a time. I can’t go to school, I can’t do anything that requires strenuous activity.
Here is why I need this page
Dr. Ian Carroll at Stanford in California is the expert in spinal fluid leaks. He personally has helped multiple friends of mine that have spinal leaks and fixed them with success. He took on my case, because he believe that I have a spinal leak from the lumbar puncture.
It has taken me 6 months to get in with him, just for a consultation. My consultation is June 19th, and this appointment will determine the rest of my life.
This is what they would do:
MRI
CT Myelogram (this is where a needle with dye is injected into your spine to see where the leak is at)
Blood Patch (they use your own blood to seal the hole)
The money I would receive from this page would go to:
Purchasing a ticket to get there and back. I would need to take the train back, because I can’t fly after. I might have to go out there multiple times.
Room and board during my stay (which can last up to a month or so after, depending if I need multiple procedures done)
Food and other essentials I may need
Help with finances when I get my procedures done, I will be missing work so the money will help my basic financial needs.
Copays to the hospital
Medications
Possible nurse aid to help me for a few days after
Anything helps, honestly. I feel so bad even asking for help, but I know that I needed to do this. I have no other option. I am scared for the future, I am scared for the procedure, I am scared to lose the things I have worked so hard for. I just want to live, I just want to make it. I just want to feel good again. When you have your health, you have everything.
I want to thank you beyond imagine for being there for me, for being supportive, for being kind, for being loving. I want you to know that I am grateful that you even checked out this page, if you can’t donate, can you please pray for me? You mean the world to me, thank you for everything.
In January 2018, I was living in California and ended up getting bit by an animal we thought had rabies. I rushed to the hospital to get the rabies vaccine series. I didn’t realize that I would be given 7 shots total the first night. I was told there would be multiple vaccine series, and I would have to come back for them every so many days and weeks. I received the first vaccine series and a few days later came back for the second round of treatment.
After the second rabies vaccine series, I started developing symptoms. I started to feel completely out of it. I was waking up disoriented and full of massive anxiety. The other horrific symptoms I was experiencing was numbness, weakness, and tingling gradually up my body. I kept fighting through the symptoms and tried to sleep it off. The day came for my 3rd vaccine in the series. I went to the hospital to see the doctor and told her all my symptoms. She stopped the vaccine series immediately, and told me to go to the emergency room. The doctor told me that I am showing symptoms of Gullain-Barre Syndrome (GBS). Incase you don't know what GBS is, it is when the body’s immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system. It will begin with tingling and weakness in the feet and spread to your upper body.
So, on January 16th, I went to an emergency room closer to my house. They rushed me in, I was told to get a spinal tap under fluoroscopy. The first attempt didn’t work to secure spinal fluid, so the Dr. tried another spot, and another. Finally he got the fluid he needed. But keep in mind, all the attempts he tried, left a small hole in my spine where spinal fluid would leak out.
I was put in my hospital room to lay down for 2 hours afterwards to make sure that I wouldn’t get a post lumbar puncture headache. Well, I laid there for the 2 hours and stood up and this is where all my problems began.
I stood up, and I immediately could tell something was wrong. I felt like my blood pressure was going to drop and I would pass out. I was off balance. I just knew something was wrong. They ended up discharging me and sent me home.
The next day, I was horrifically nauseous to the point I couldn’t even think. I felt like my brain was sagging to the back of my skull. I can’t begin to describe to you the brain fog, off balance, and dizziness I was experiencing. It is something I have never felt before.
I ended up going back in for a blood patch to the same hospital and saw an anesthesiologist, who told me that the person who did my procedure before, went down further than normal to get spinal fluid. He wasn’t sure if the blood patch would take away the spinal fluid leak I was experiencing. It did help the brain sagging feeling, but all my other symptoms stayed.
Let me tell you how this affects me now. I currently experience constant nausea, and the feeling like I am going to pass out. I feel dizziness and off balance majority of the time. I can’t do the things I normally would do, because if I am upright for an extended period of time, my symptoms worsen. I have to lay down majority of the day. I can’t work for more than 4 hours at a time. I can’t go to school, I can’t do anything that requires strenuous activity.
Here is why I need this page
Dr. Ian Carroll at Stanford in California is the expert in spinal fluid leaks. He personally has helped multiple friends of mine that have spinal leaks and fixed them with success. He took on my case, because he believe that I have a spinal leak from the lumbar puncture.
It has taken me 6 months to get in with him, just for a consultation. My consultation is June 19th, and this appointment will determine the rest of my life.
This is what they would do:
MRI
CT Myelogram (this is where a needle with dye is injected into your spine to see where the leak is at)
Blood Patch (they use your own blood to seal the hole)
The money I would receive from this page would go to:
Purchasing a ticket to get there and back. I would need to take the train back, because I can’t fly after. I might have to go out there multiple times.
Room and board during my stay (which can last up to a month or so after, depending if I need multiple procedures done)
Food and other essentials I may need
Help with finances when I get my procedures done, I will be missing work so the money will help my basic financial needs.
Copays to the hospital
Medications
Possible nurse aid to help me for a few days after
Anything helps, honestly. I feel so bad even asking for help, but I know that I needed to do this. I have no other option. I am scared for the future, I am scared for the procedure, I am scared to lose the things I have worked so hard for. I just want to live, I just want to make it. I just want to feel good again. When you have your health, you have everything.
I want to thank you beyond imagine for being there for me, for being supportive, for being kind, for being loving. I want you to know that I am grateful that you even checked out this page, if you can’t donate, can you please pray for me? You mean the world to me, thank you for everything.
Organizer
Kimberly Elayne
Organizer
Fargo, ND