Michaels Health Help
Donation protected
2020 has been a crazy year. All of our routines and sense of normalcy have been interrupted and filled with more frustration and struggle. My health/medical struggles have intensified this year, severely impacting my life and finances, which pushed me to a point to ask for help.
My medical/health struggles begin increasing in July 2020. I developed a knee pain that impacted how I walked and even my ability to shower properly. The pain reached a level that I had to go to the hospital and was informed that I had a knee infection, arthritis and a gout flare. In addition, This occurred without any change in my medication or diet habits. I also was informed of a potential tumor on my other knee. I spent a few days in the hospital until everything subsided and the pain levels decreased. I found myself back in the hospital less than a week later due to the same issue. Each stay the doctors believed they had reached the correct medication levels to prevent the knee pain from reoccurring. I was sent home after the second hospital stay and returned to the hospital for a biopsy on the other knee a week later. The biopsy procedure resulted in the same painful experience occurring in the other knee and once again another hospitalization. I spent 22 days in the hospital over the course of 3 visits.
The doctors realized that what they were doing was ineffective, placed me on steroids to battle the inflammation and recommended me to a specialist in autoimmune disorders, a Rheumatologist. The experience with the Rheumatologist clarified all the battles that I've had with gout over the last 10 years. I was informed that the advice and medication I had been given over the years was incorrect and that my blood work indicated I was naturally susceptible to gout. She informed me that there are treatment options, which would give me normalcy and not negatively impact my ability to work or live a normal life.
The treatment options were either to spend the next 2-3 years potentially in/out of the hospital and doctors office while they attempt to figure out the correct prescription balance or an aggressive 6 month treatment plan. Either treatment will be painful and will result in me potentially missing work as a result. The aggressive plan requires a 4 hour I.V. treatment every 2 weeks over the course of 6 months. After the treatment, I'll be able to lead a normal active life without fear of needing a walker/crutches or hospitalization as my body will produce uric acid at a severely low level. While I have insurance, the treatment is still expensive. I have exhausted my savings due to my recent hospital stays and have been unable to complete normal mechanic side gigs for additional income.
If you are seeing this, then you are friends and family and people I value. I would have never expected to be this vulnerable and ask for help. This is normally flipped around as I take pride and value being able to help my friends and family. If you have the means to help, I greatly appreciate it. Even if you don't, just keep me in your prayers so that I can have the wisdom and strength to properly navigate this period in my life.
With love and gratitude,
Mike
My medical/health struggles begin increasing in July 2020. I developed a knee pain that impacted how I walked and even my ability to shower properly. The pain reached a level that I had to go to the hospital and was informed that I had a knee infection, arthritis and a gout flare. In addition, This occurred without any change in my medication or diet habits. I also was informed of a potential tumor on my other knee. I spent a few days in the hospital until everything subsided and the pain levels decreased. I found myself back in the hospital less than a week later due to the same issue. Each stay the doctors believed they had reached the correct medication levels to prevent the knee pain from reoccurring. I was sent home after the second hospital stay and returned to the hospital for a biopsy on the other knee a week later. The biopsy procedure resulted in the same painful experience occurring in the other knee and once again another hospitalization. I spent 22 days in the hospital over the course of 3 visits.
The doctors realized that what they were doing was ineffective, placed me on steroids to battle the inflammation and recommended me to a specialist in autoimmune disorders, a Rheumatologist. The experience with the Rheumatologist clarified all the battles that I've had with gout over the last 10 years. I was informed that the advice and medication I had been given over the years was incorrect and that my blood work indicated I was naturally susceptible to gout. She informed me that there are treatment options, which would give me normalcy and not negatively impact my ability to work or live a normal life.
The treatment options were either to spend the next 2-3 years potentially in/out of the hospital and doctors office while they attempt to figure out the correct prescription balance or an aggressive 6 month treatment plan. Either treatment will be painful and will result in me potentially missing work as a result. The aggressive plan requires a 4 hour I.V. treatment every 2 weeks over the course of 6 months. After the treatment, I'll be able to lead a normal active life without fear of needing a walker/crutches or hospitalization as my body will produce uric acid at a severely low level. While I have insurance, the treatment is still expensive. I have exhausted my savings due to my recent hospital stays and have been unable to complete normal mechanic side gigs for additional income.
If you are seeing this, then you are friends and family and people I value. I would have never expected to be this vulnerable and ask for help. This is normally flipped around as I take pride and value being able to help my friends and family. If you have the means to help, I greatly appreciate it. Even if you don't, just keep me in your prayers so that I can have the wisdom and strength to properly navigate this period in my life.
With love and gratitude,
Mike
Organizer
Michael Rocha
Organizer
Austin, TX