Lisa's MS Battle: Urgent Infusion Funding

MS Treatment

Hi everyone!

I have struggled and fought for months about this and I’m really having a hard time with it. The reality is I have no choice.

So very few people know but I have Multiple Sclerosis. For several reasons despite myself and several doctors fighting it, my insurance does not pay for the infusions that keep all my symptoms at bay and keep me 95% “normal Lisa”. Without the treatments well the symptoms are terrible. They include burning headaches. When I say burning I mean it feels like there is a blow torch in my brain. It’s extremely painful. It causes extreme fatigue, debilitating balance issues and visual problems that literally make it feel like my eye balls may pop out. It cause major sleep disturbances. This is all very painful however with the infusions I have maybe 2-3% of these symptoms. The infusions give me my normal stamina and physical abilities. Without the medication I push to be “normal Lisa” and I crash. I spike fevers from out of no where typically from 101-105. Without the medication, silly little stressors that normally don’t bother me, cause me to breakout in hives everywhere.

With my infusion I have zero fevers and zero hive break outs. With the medication stairs, walking on different surfaces, and even getting in and out of the car is a non issue. Without the medication, not only is it all a big challenge, I stumble, fall and its leads to multiple injuries.

Now why am I telling you all of this? Well a grant paid for my infusions. Due to choices the current administration has made, the grants have been suspended. They are going to “restart” but only at 15% of the amount that they were used to receiving. This has left me and many people without any help. I tried contacting the company for help. I was denied “for now”. The list is at minimum a 6 month wait period. My infusion is due March 18th. There is no other medication currently that works for me. There is another one on the horizon, maybe. Will it work for me? I don’t know. How long will it take for my symptoms to come back once I miss the March infusion? Days to maybe two weeks at best. When the infusion is given, most people stay 2 hours. I have to stay 6-8 hours due to my insane histamine responses. I have to pre medicate for a week prior with several histamine blockers including Tagamet, Claritin and montelukast. Once I get there I’m also pre medicated with injectable Benadryl, steroids and I’m placed on low dose epinephrine drip with my Epi pens close by. Sometimes I get to leave in 6 or 8 hours. Occasionally they’ve admitted me for overnight for observation.

Because my insurance won’t pay for the infusions, they pay for nothing related to it. Nothing! The grant covered everything. The grant is gone. That’s just the reality of my situation.

I’ve never asked for help for myself, I’ve always made it all work out someway and somehow. This time I cannot. I hate asking for help. It’s taken me a month to realize I had no other choice. It’s taken me a month to realize I had to ask for help. So here I am. My friends that know about this all say “do a go fund me” and I’ve resisted. I can’t resist anymore. I need the help for the March infusion. Then hopefully I will qualify for the company to help and fingers crossed my “turn” has come up. I have not stopped finding other avenues but my time has run out for the March infusion. So it truly is with a heavy heart that I’m starting this go fund me. If you want to help but don’t want to do go fund me I have Zelle, Venmo and PayPal. I’m

grateful for any amount, as you know it all adds up. Just all the medications alone is over $7,500. The hospitalization depends how long I stay. It is typically around $2300-2500. The least it’s ever been is $1,900. You may question why can’t the money from the sales of the puppies pay for this? Well, that money pays the bills for the house, the dogs, the puppies, insurances, the car, and all vet care. Breeding is not a huge money making venture. You’re lucky if you break even and maybe have a little bit afterwards. I didn’t want to do this but I’m scared, no more like terrified. I have hit the wall and that’s not something I am used to doing. If anyone has any questions please direct them to me via private message. Thank you.