Medical Bills Suck: The Nikki Story
Donation protected
My name is Nikki. I'm pretty sure anyone who reads this knows me and knows about the year I've had. 2016 and I aren't on good terms. Things have been rough and while my husband and I have been trying really hard to get through this on our own financially, we've come to a point where we need to ask for a little help from our friends and family.
My story: back in February I developed a sinus infection that just wouldn't quit. It traveled from my face to my ear and to my throat. I was laid out for weeks on two rounds of strong antibiotics trying to get rid of it. That infection kicked off a year of misery. From February to April I was hit over and over again with infections. In between infections I was in so much joint/muscle pain I could barely walk, I was so tired it was hard to function, and I kept having these dizzy spells that led me to passing out continuously. I was at my job on and off struggling to make things work.
In March, I was put on Short Term Disability from work so I could focus on trying to get better. That month my neurologist diagnosed me with a seizure disorder and I was put on medication to stop the fainting spells I was having that turned out to be epilepsy. In April, after continuing to fight off infections and inflammation in my joints, I was given a slow-release steroid shot that finally seemed to shock my immune system back into action (somewhat). The infections finally stopped and for the first time I was able to stand for a longer period of time, despite the persistent pain and swollen joints I continued to have. After more tests, I was diagonsed with fibromyalgia and an auto-immune disorder called reactive arthritis.
In May, my husband and I got married (in a short and small ceremony with friends - it had been planned for awhile so we decided not to move it). I thought things were getting better. I slowly went back to work, working part time for two weeks before attempting (and failing) to go back full time. June was a month of frustrations as I tried to work through the pain and the growing side effects of medication. A bad bout of stomach flu put me back on the sidelines and headlong into another flare of-up of inflammation. In July, after admitting my side effects were not going away at all (and were in fact getting worse), my PCP switched my medication and sent me over to a different specialist for a second opinion and more tests. At the end of the month, I admitted I couldn't function at a normal pace anymore and I left work on un-paid FMLA to focus on my health.
August, September, and October have been a blur of pain, new medications, and doctor's visits. I've dealt with pain, inflammation in my hands, feet, and knees, and more seizures. It's been rough. In September, my FMLA ran out, and after my PCP informed me and my work that I'd be out approximately another 26 weeks for testing and recovery, the company I had worked for for two years had to let me go so they could fill my position. With the help of the company's HR rep, I filed for Long Term Disability based on the notes from my doctor. Unfortunately, we learned this month that I was denied LTD for various reasons and I am in the process of appealing it. Unfortunately, the appeals process will take some time and I haven't been receiving a paycheck and have been unable to work for three months now. This has put both my husband and I in a very hard position.
Thankfully we have insurance but the out-of-pocket expensives for the MRI, bone scan, physical therapy, injections, etc are getting out of hand and the constant stream of copays I have to pay for every weekly visit are becoming almost impossible to keep up with. Jake's salary is enough to cover our rent and utilities but my own personal bills and loans are quickly becoming mountainous. I thought by now, mid-October, that I would have answers. That I'd either have medication that worked, the doctors would know what to do, I'd be back at work, OR that the Long Term Disability would be in place to help me focus on my health. None of those have happened. I'm stuck and lost and panicking and I am now turning to you, my friends and family.
I need help.
I currently have less than $300 in my bank account with over a $1000 due to medical bills and much more due to student loans and monthly bills. I'm creating this GoFundMe to simply ask for help paying the medical bills that are piling up. Even just that much will help relieve some of the stress as we struggle to figure out the rest of it. Jake and I spent the past year raising my 15 year old sister as she fought her eating disorder and severe depression. My 23 year old sister and her boyfriend have been living with us since May. We have both dedicated much of our time and energy over the past few years to our favorite local charity and we try to help others as much as we can. Now we're reaching out to others to help us.
To be honest, I don't like asking for help. This is hard for me. But I've had multiple people ask how they can help and if they can send me money to cover some of my medical bills. So that's why I'm setting this up. I'm swallowing my pride and asking for help. Because asking for help ISN'T a bad thing and if I want to continue to encourage others to do so, I need to stop being so stubborn and ask as well. So this is me. Asking for help. I don't know how long it will be until I'm able to even work. I don't know how long it will be until we receive LTD. I don't know if I'll ever really be able to go back to work like I did before. I hope so. But I don't have any answers. So I need a little help.
The current medical bills we have (not counting the ones we've already paid over the past year) total to almost $1200 (including upcoming appointments and medications I have). So that's what I'm asking for. It'll help to not have to stress over past debt. It would mean so much to know we've caught up on the bills I've cost us with my chronic illness. It doesn't matter how much you're able to donate, I will still be forever thankful to you for helping us at this time. If by some miracle I actually receive more than I asked for, that money will go to all future medical bills (and if we're able to pay for all the medical bills and I recover, any extra money we will give to our favorite local charity).
If you're reading this, and you've gotten through this whole thing, THANK YOU. Whether you donate or not, thank you for hearing my story. If you do donate... I don't really know if I have words for how grateful I will be. This year has really sucked and it's my family and friends who have gotten me through it all and who will continue to help me on this journey for answers. I'm already so grateful for my support network. You will have my endless gratitude and a bazillion virtual hugs and all the thank you's in the world. Thank you for helping me.
"For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
My story: back in February I developed a sinus infection that just wouldn't quit. It traveled from my face to my ear and to my throat. I was laid out for weeks on two rounds of strong antibiotics trying to get rid of it. That infection kicked off a year of misery. From February to April I was hit over and over again with infections. In between infections I was in so much joint/muscle pain I could barely walk, I was so tired it was hard to function, and I kept having these dizzy spells that led me to passing out continuously. I was at my job on and off struggling to make things work.
In March, I was put on Short Term Disability from work so I could focus on trying to get better. That month my neurologist diagnosed me with a seizure disorder and I was put on medication to stop the fainting spells I was having that turned out to be epilepsy. In April, after continuing to fight off infections and inflammation in my joints, I was given a slow-release steroid shot that finally seemed to shock my immune system back into action (somewhat). The infections finally stopped and for the first time I was able to stand for a longer period of time, despite the persistent pain and swollen joints I continued to have. After more tests, I was diagonsed with fibromyalgia and an auto-immune disorder called reactive arthritis.
In May, my husband and I got married (in a short and small ceremony with friends - it had been planned for awhile so we decided not to move it). I thought things were getting better. I slowly went back to work, working part time for two weeks before attempting (and failing) to go back full time. June was a month of frustrations as I tried to work through the pain and the growing side effects of medication. A bad bout of stomach flu put me back on the sidelines and headlong into another flare of-up of inflammation. In July, after admitting my side effects were not going away at all (and were in fact getting worse), my PCP switched my medication and sent me over to a different specialist for a second opinion and more tests. At the end of the month, I admitted I couldn't function at a normal pace anymore and I left work on un-paid FMLA to focus on my health.
August, September, and October have been a blur of pain, new medications, and doctor's visits. I've dealt with pain, inflammation in my hands, feet, and knees, and more seizures. It's been rough. In September, my FMLA ran out, and after my PCP informed me and my work that I'd be out approximately another 26 weeks for testing and recovery, the company I had worked for for two years had to let me go so they could fill my position. With the help of the company's HR rep, I filed for Long Term Disability based on the notes from my doctor. Unfortunately, we learned this month that I was denied LTD for various reasons and I am in the process of appealing it. Unfortunately, the appeals process will take some time and I haven't been receiving a paycheck and have been unable to work for three months now. This has put both my husband and I in a very hard position.
Thankfully we have insurance but the out-of-pocket expensives for the MRI, bone scan, physical therapy, injections, etc are getting out of hand and the constant stream of copays I have to pay for every weekly visit are becoming almost impossible to keep up with. Jake's salary is enough to cover our rent and utilities but my own personal bills and loans are quickly becoming mountainous. I thought by now, mid-October, that I would have answers. That I'd either have medication that worked, the doctors would know what to do, I'd be back at work, OR that the Long Term Disability would be in place to help me focus on my health. None of those have happened. I'm stuck and lost and panicking and I am now turning to you, my friends and family.
I need help.
I currently have less than $300 in my bank account with over a $1000 due to medical bills and much more due to student loans and monthly bills. I'm creating this GoFundMe to simply ask for help paying the medical bills that are piling up. Even just that much will help relieve some of the stress as we struggle to figure out the rest of it. Jake and I spent the past year raising my 15 year old sister as she fought her eating disorder and severe depression. My 23 year old sister and her boyfriend have been living with us since May. We have both dedicated much of our time and energy over the past few years to our favorite local charity and we try to help others as much as we can. Now we're reaching out to others to help us.
To be honest, I don't like asking for help. This is hard for me. But I've had multiple people ask how they can help and if they can send me money to cover some of my medical bills. So that's why I'm setting this up. I'm swallowing my pride and asking for help. Because asking for help ISN'T a bad thing and if I want to continue to encourage others to do so, I need to stop being so stubborn and ask as well. So this is me. Asking for help. I don't know how long it will be until I'm able to even work. I don't know how long it will be until we receive LTD. I don't know if I'll ever really be able to go back to work like I did before. I hope so. But I don't have any answers. So I need a little help.
The current medical bills we have (not counting the ones we've already paid over the past year) total to almost $1200 (including upcoming appointments and medications I have). So that's what I'm asking for. It'll help to not have to stress over past debt. It would mean so much to know we've caught up on the bills I've cost us with my chronic illness. It doesn't matter how much you're able to donate, I will still be forever thankful to you for helping us at this time. If by some miracle I actually receive more than I asked for, that money will go to all future medical bills (and if we're able to pay for all the medical bills and I recover, any extra money we will give to our favorite local charity).
If you're reading this, and you've gotten through this whole thing, THANK YOU. Whether you donate or not, thank you for hearing my story. If you do donate... I don't really know if I have words for how grateful I will be. This year has really sucked and it's my family and friends who have gotten me through it all and who will continue to help me on this journey for answers. I'm already so grateful for my support network. You will have my endless gratitude and a bazillion virtual hugs and all the thank you's in the world. Thank you for helping me.
"For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Organizer
Nikki Jeske
Organizer
Leander, TX