MY BIRTHDAY WISH

Remember back in the day, when communities were strong and family and friends came together to support each other in the event of illness or tragedy? Well, this is what I'd like to do for my friend Karen for my birthday this year. Come together as a community to help someone in need. Now, meet Karen:

Nov 2011: Karen was working full time in veterinary management, living in Southern California with her son Christopher. Then she got the flu, or so she thought, with body aches, feeling "run down", stiff neck, headaches. But the headaches got worse and worse, until one morning, her son was unable to wake her up.

Karen was hospitalized for over a week with viral meningitis and encephalitis (brain swelling) and while this is typically not fatal, it can cause permanent brain damage and cognitive impairment. Karen was treated with antibiotics and antivirals. She initially recovered and returned to work a month later, only to relapse once again.

July 2012: Unable to work, Karen moved to be with family in Sisters, OR. With a neurologist, infectious disease specialist, and her primary doctor, the goal was to manage the long term effects the brain swelling caused. Chronic migraine, problems with memory, concentration, and lack of mental clarity were constant.

Late 2012: Karen had a relapse of meningitis. She was again admitted to the hospital and treated. The morning after she was discharged, she woke up and couldn’t breathe. She was admitted to the hospital and treated for suspected pneumonia, however her lungs didn’t respond to treatment. She then had a bronchoscopy, followed by chest surgery and lung biopsy. All results were inconclusive, but they suspected she had some form of interstitial lung disease (ILD). THIS IS NOT CAUSED BY SMOKING, but smoke, fire, and chemicals can trigger a flare up. The main treatment for this is steroids, immune suppressants, and chemotherapeutic agents.

Summer 2013: Karen attempted to go back to work, but couldn't work consistently and was put on disability.

Let me tell you this. When you are on medical disability, medical care costs become excessive, but your income will be cut in half. Unless you are independently wealthy, have wealthy relatives, or some other secure financial framework, you will be sentenced to slowly drown in debt .

2013-current: Karen has had several additional hospitalizations for her lung disease, and the chronic steroid use has caused significant and disproportionate weight gain, fluid retention, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, sleep apnea, GERD, adrenal insufficiency, and anxiety/depression. She is on continuous oxygen, takes several expensive medications that aren’t always covered by insurance, and has several doctors managing her case.

In addition to the physical toll this has taken, it has taken a significant financial toll, as well as significant emotional toll.

Karen lives alone and still has a lot of treatment ahead of her; referral to a lung specialist in Seattle (travel, hotel, office visit, etc), physical therapy, counseling, additional hospitalizations and possibly surgery to reset her metabolism, address her GERD, and hopefully reverse her diabetes.

I just want to do something nice for Karen, and I know she has many other people who want to help but don’t know how. Consider a small donation and a SHARE, and let’s see if we can’t ease her burden, even just a little bit.

THANK YOU in advance for any support you can give!!!