This is Renee. She should be looking ahead to a fun bright future with schooling, husband, and children not her next round of chemo and steroids. With her life turned upside down with her diagnosis she is faced with doctors appts and striving to get some of her health back. If you can help we thank you.

On Thursday, December 16, 2022, Renee went to the doctor because she recently hadn’t been feeling well and had large bruises that just appeared on several parts of her body. The doctor ordered blood work. On Friday, December 17th, her doctor’s office called her at work and told her to go to the ER at the local hospital and that they would be waiting for her. They anticipated her arrival with papers ready to transfer her to Indianapolis hospital because she was in kidney failure. While “Indy” was preparing a room for her (didn’t end up going there because they were full because of flu outbreak), the ER doctor ran more blood work and reported that she has leukemia cells in her blood, so they changed plans, and she was then transferred to the University of Chicago. She was given fluids, oxygen, and a blood transfusion before she was transferred. They found she was in kidney failure, strange mass in both her lungs, leukemia cells in her blood, and fever. She spent over two weeks in ICU on oxygen, several round of platelets, more transfusions, antibiotics, and steroid treatments. After many tests, they learned that the mass in her lungs is/was blood, a condition called Diffuse Pulmonary Alveolar Hemorrhage. She was bleeding internally. The blood in her lungs and the kidney biopsy sent them in the right direction for a diagnosis, Stage 4 Lupus Nephritis. Many people have lupus. Most cases are mild but, hers is not. Hers attacked her kidney’s, lungs, blood vessels, and bone marrow. She also has Pancytopenia (low red and white blood cells and low platelets). Her body is also not holding onto any vitamins, they are almost non-existent on her blood work. The damage is done. Now Renee is having chemotherapy treatments every two weeks for 4 to 6 months (depending on her progress), along with a multitude of medication to suppress her immune system, so it will stop attacking her vital organs. She is weak and in pain all the time now and the chemotherapy just wipes her out. She is now also suffering from extreme swelling in her lower extremities, which makes it hard for her to even walk due to the pain. She isn’t supposed to work and will have to try and get short term disability until she regains her health, which the doctors feel will be more than a year. Family is trying to help supplement her finances, but that won’t last until she can get short term disability. Just the cost of travel for the chemotherapy treatments (she has almost an hour drive each way), her portion of her medicine that insurance doesn’t pay for, and travel to and from doctor’s appointments (there are a lot) is draining. Rent, car insurance/payment, and household expenses add up. Her employer is trying to be accommodating by letting her work whenever she can and just sit and answer phones, just so she can have some income, but after two hours the pain, fatigue, and swelling in her legs and feet are too much and she must go home. Any help would be appreciated. Monetary, good thoughts, love, and mostly prayers for complete healing. Heavenly Father is with her. We know that.