- T
My wife Sheila was diagnosed with Lupus in 1996. For the last 19 years she has been fighting an uphill battle against this disease for which there is no cure.
With the exception of her liver, all of her major organs have been effected. Much of her heart muscle has died (cardiomyopathy), due to shrinking lung syndrome her lung capacity is diminished making breathing difficult when exerting any kind of physical activity, her kidneys do not work properly (thankfully we have not reached the dialysis stage yet), I could go on and on about brain lesions, spinal degeneration and other complications, but she would kill me.
Due to years of being on a prescribed high dosage of Prednisone, she developed AVN which caused her joints to deteriorate to the point where she had a total hip and shoulder replacement on her left side in 2013. Recent tests show the same deterioration has developed on her right side which means the probability of more surgeries in the near future.
Even with health insurance, our monthly cost for doctors appointments and prescriptions are equal to, if not more than most people shell out for their car payment, but we have always managed to get by.
She worked a full time (and then some, 60+ hours a week) job until December of 2014 when she was forced to go out on disability due to the pain and the fact that she started chemo-therapy for the second time in 3 years to combat the advance of the disease.
Thanks to the input, dedication, and hard work of one of her many her local doctors (Dr. Lee Shapiro), Sheila has been given the opportunity to see Dr. Daniel Wallace in Los Angeles, CA. who is considered to be one of the top, if not THE top Lupus specialist in the U.S.
While our insurance will cover the appointment with Dr. Wallace, the cost of whatever tests he orders as well as our travel expenses will be out of pocket, which with Sheila being out of work, makes things a little difficult.
I've worked hard all of my adult life and it pains me to ask friends and complete strangers for financial help, but at this point I can see no other way.
All I'm looking for is the opportunity for my wife to feel a little better and be able to enjoy life as much as the next person.
Thank you in advance for you generosity!!!!
With the exception of her liver, all of her major organs have been effected. Much of her heart muscle has died (cardiomyopathy), due to shrinking lung syndrome her lung capacity is diminished making breathing difficult when exerting any kind of physical activity, her kidneys do not work properly (thankfully we have not reached the dialysis stage yet), I could go on and on about brain lesions, spinal degeneration and other complications, but she would kill me.
Due to years of being on a prescribed high dosage of Prednisone, she developed AVN which caused her joints to deteriorate to the point where she had a total hip and shoulder replacement on her left side in 2013. Recent tests show the same deterioration has developed on her right side which means the probability of more surgeries in the near future.
Even with health insurance, our monthly cost for doctors appointments and prescriptions are equal to, if not more than most people shell out for their car payment, but we have always managed to get by.
She worked a full time (and then some, 60+ hours a week) job until December of 2014 when she was forced to go out on disability due to the pain and the fact that she started chemo-therapy for the second time in 3 years to combat the advance of the disease.
Thanks to the input, dedication, and hard work of one of her many her local doctors (Dr. Lee Shapiro), Sheila has been given the opportunity to see Dr. Daniel Wallace in Los Angeles, CA. who is considered to be one of the top, if not THE top Lupus specialist in the U.S.
While our insurance will cover the appointment with Dr. Wallace, the cost of whatever tests he orders as well as our travel expenses will be out of pocket, which with Sheila being out of work, makes things a little difficult.
I've worked hard all of my adult life and it pains me to ask friends and complete strangers for financial help, but at this point I can see no other way.
All I'm looking for is the opportunity for my wife to feel a little better and be able to enjoy life as much as the next person.
Thank you in advance for you generosity!!!!