Nicole's Chemotherapy Treatments

My name is Nicole, and if you know me, you probably know that I have been fighting a ruthless battle with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Ulcerative Colitis and Crohns Disease for nearly a decade. Friday the 25th of March I got the weighing news that I will be beginning Chemotherapy Treatments at the end of this week. I will be administering injections of Methotrexate myself on a weekly basis, and have Entyvio infusions until I achieve remission. All of this comes after 3 surgeries that I got recently which we all believed would cure my disease, or at least put me into remission. After months of recovery from getting my entire large intestine removed and replaced with a small pouch, I learned that my ulcers and edema had spread into my small intestine. I have been internally bleeding for almost a week now. Just as one would think, Chemotherapy treatments come with a hefty price tag. Entyvio is $18,000 a treatment, and unfortunately my insurance carrier only pays 90% on an in-network level. My medicinal costs and doctor visits are understandably through the roof, and certainly nothing that a twenty two year old can handle themselves. My last doctors visit in relation to the Chemo cost me $530. Ideally I would be able to raise the first $500 inside of the week to pay for my first infusion. Any and all funds, including any overages, will go to outstanding and future medical bills in relation to my treatments.

I could have given up several times already, but I refuse to. When I was 17 years old I was 87 lbs and admitted to the hospital for 3 months consecutively; I was taking 5 breaths per minute, being monitored overnight by nurses to make sure each breath wasn't my last. Every 6 months since I was 14 I was admitted to the hospital for weeks, sometimes months at a time.

It isn't easy for me to ask for help. I am a working actress and vocalist, artist, student, and I have 3 jobs - yet still cannot make ends meet with all my medical expenses. I would not be asking for love, support, and help if I did not truly need it.

I'd like to keep fighting, and I'd love nothing more than to feel like others would like to see me keep fighting as well. If you are unable to donate, all I ask is for positive energy and prayers to whatever higher power you believe in - I'll need them.

Thank you so much for keeping me in your thoughts.