Please help Support Whitney & Rion
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No introduction is good enough for this woman. But I CAN say, Whitney is one of the most incredible human beings I have ever met and her 17 month old daughter Rion is, well for any of you that know her, is just like her mother :) This mother has been through some extremely traumatic experiences over the last week or two and is in some desperate need of love and support so that she can continue her needed treatments and therapies, take care of her sweet daughter, and maintain her household. This is her story.
Last Monday, 4/8/2019, she woke up with severe leg pain that gradually got worse throughout the day, with an onset of numbness and tingling following later in the day, along with a struggle to stand and walk without assistance. She was sent to Columbus Regional ER where a couple of life threatening illnesses were ruled out. Her legs buckled and upon discharge she collapsed, which reversed those discharge orders. Then they decided to check for other serious conditions that involved paralysis at that time, which included an attempt at a spinal tap, which was failed 3 separate times. She was admitted into the hospital directly after.
Tuesday she went back for another spinal tap, which was successful, thankfully. She was also given a neuro exam by her neurologist which showed potential nerve damage to her legs. Her reflexes were not responding in her legs or feet and she had lost some feeling. At that point she was completely unable to stand or walk and was placed on complete bed rest. She started a medication for nerve damage and neuropathy three times a day on Tuesday.
Wednesday morning there was progress seen in the ability to move her legs. She was able to do some physical therapy and walk across her hospital room with a walker, gait belt, and some assistance. It seemed that things were looking up at this point.
Wednesday evening a severe headache started and in the middle of the night, severe symptoms in her neck and back occurred making it almost impossible for her to sit upright or hold her head up. She was nauseous all day. When physical therapy and occupational therapy came in to evaluate her, she was unable to take more than a few steps with the walker without becoming extremely ill with violent vomiting. Her medical team then discussed the possibility of her new symptoms being related to complications from her spinal cord procedure and speculated that spinal fluid was leaking from her spinal cord. The only way to fix this was to perform another procedure on her spinal cord, making it the fifth time they were in or around her spinal cord in just a couple of day span. The procedure seemed to work, and again, things were looking up.
Thursday evening she began having issues with dangerously low blood pressures. This continued into Friday morning.
After working to get her blood pressure up to a normal/stable level, she met with physical therapy Friday morning and set some goals for her to achieve. Her strength and determination enabled her to walk down the long hallway enough to be released to home, after being away from Rion, her family and friends for almost a week. To say she was happy to be released is an understatement.
The specialists she has seen thus far believe that the syndrome affecting her autonomic nervous system that is already known and she is being treated for, that has always presented with cardiac issues, crossed over and is now causing symptoms in her neurological system. They weren't sure, but at that time it was their best guess to release her, with the understanding that she would 1. Be looking at completing physical therapy 2-3 times per week, 2. Use her walker when walking at all times until she "graduates" from it in physical therapy, 3. Continue on the medication for nerve damage and neuropathy, 4. Have follow up appointments with her family physician and neurologist, 5. Complete follow up testing at Vanderbuilt in Nashville, TN upon regaining enough strength to do so, 6. No driving, whatsoever, 7. Off work until further notice.
At this point, things were looking up because at least she was home, until Saturday evening when a severe headache started again and she woke up Sunday morning with extreme pressure in her head when she attempted to sit or stand upright. As the day went on the pain continued to worsen and the symptoms came back that were similar to the first time her spinal cord was leaking fluid a few days before. She was taken to Methodist hospital where the spinal leak was confirmed. Her team at Methodist had a different approach given the amount of spinal cord procedures and trauma to her back that had already been endured. Medications were given, the leak was still present, so bed rest and remedies were discussed. She was released with the understanding that if the leak does not stop, another spinal procedure would be unavoidable. Typically this procedure would be their "go-to" to fix the issue she was having, but in her case it was a last resort.
Several spinal cord procedures, 4 days in the hospital, 2 ER visits (CRH and Methodist in Indianapolis), a brain MRI, spinal cord MRI, complications of procedures, all medical bills of which will be rolling in any time, and not to mention the necessary follow up therapies for an unspecified amout of time, multiple times per week. She has upcoming extensive testing at Vanderbilt in TN. She has been ordered not to resume work indefinitely at this time, and with no short term disability, leaving her with no way to provide for Rion, pay her medical bills, or maintain her single income home.
At this time we are unsure of the long-term effects she may be looking at. The paralysis seems to be reversing, but without being sure of the cause, we are not sure what the future holds and if there will be long-term effects from the spinal cord procedure complications. She's not sure how long she will be unable to drive, when she can go back to work or if any of this will happen again until she knows more about what specifically is happening.
The next several months are going to be grueling for Whitney. She has to maintain positivity for her sweet Rion, and her upcoming treatments and therapies. With her being unable to work, I would just like to ask for any help at all you can give to help her make ends meet until we can get her up on her feet, literally, and back to doing what she does best, caring for other people. The amount we are shooting for is a drop in the bucket, but can absolutely help ease her worried mind of how to pay the bills when she can't work for the foreseeable future.
Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read Whitney's story.
If you can't help, please share!
Last Monday, 4/8/2019, she woke up with severe leg pain that gradually got worse throughout the day, with an onset of numbness and tingling following later in the day, along with a struggle to stand and walk without assistance. She was sent to Columbus Regional ER where a couple of life threatening illnesses were ruled out. Her legs buckled and upon discharge she collapsed, which reversed those discharge orders. Then they decided to check for other serious conditions that involved paralysis at that time, which included an attempt at a spinal tap, which was failed 3 separate times. She was admitted into the hospital directly after.
Tuesday she went back for another spinal tap, which was successful, thankfully. She was also given a neuro exam by her neurologist which showed potential nerve damage to her legs. Her reflexes were not responding in her legs or feet and she had lost some feeling. At that point she was completely unable to stand or walk and was placed on complete bed rest. She started a medication for nerve damage and neuropathy three times a day on Tuesday.
Wednesday morning there was progress seen in the ability to move her legs. She was able to do some physical therapy and walk across her hospital room with a walker, gait belt, and some assistance. It seemed that things were looking up at this point.
Wednesday evening a severe headache started and in the middle of the night, severe symptoms in her neck and back occurred making it almost impossible for her to sit upright or hold her head up. She was nauseous all day. When physical therapy and occupational therapy came in to evaluate her, she was unable to take more than a few steps with the walker without becoming extremely ill with violent vomiting. Her medical team then discussed the possibility of her new symptoms being related to complications from her spinal cord procedure and speculated that spinal fluid was leaking from her spinal cord. The only way to fix this was to perform another procedure on her spinal cord, making it the fifth time they were in or around her spinal cord in just a couple of day span. The procedure seemed to work, and again, things were looking up.
Thursday evening she began having issues with dangerously low blood pressures. This continued into Friday morning.
After working to get her blood pressure up to a normal/stable level, she met with physical therapy Friday morning and set some goals for her to achieve. Her strength and determination enabled her to walk down the long hallway enough to be released to home, after being away from Rion, her family and friends for almost a week. To say she was happy to be released is an understatement.
The specialists she has seen thus far believe that the syndrome affecting her autonomic nervous system that is already known and she is being treated for, that has always presented with cardiac issues, crossed over and is now causing symptoms in her neurological system. They weren't sure, but at that time it was their best guess to release her, with the understanding that she would 1. Be looking at completing physical therapy 2-3 times per week, 2. Use her walker when walking at all times until she "graduates" from it in physical therapy, 3. Continue on the medication for nerve damage and neuropathy, 4. Have follow up appointments with her family physician and neurologist, 5. Complete follow up testing at Vanderbuilt in Nashville, TN upon regaining enough strength to do so, 6. No driving, whatsoever, 7. Off work until further notice.
At this point, things were looking up because at least she was home, until Saturday evening when a severe headache started again and she woke up Sunday morning with extreme pressure in her head when she attempted to sit or stand upright. As the day went on the pain continued to worsen and the symptoms came back that were similar to the first time her spinal cord was leaking fluid a few days before. She was taken to Methodist hospital where the spinal leak was confirmed. Her team at Methodist had a different approach given the amount of spinal cord procedures and trauma to her back that had already been endured. Medications were given, the leak was still present, so bed rest and remedies were discussed. She was released with the understanding that if the leak does not stop, another spinal procedure would be unavoidable. Typically this procedure would be their "go-to" to fix the issue she was having, but in her case it was a last resort.
Several spinal cord procedures, 4 days in the hospital, 2 ER visits (CRH and Methodist in Indianapolis), a brain MRI, spinal cord MRI, complications of procedures, all medical bills of which will be rolling in any time, and not to mention the necessary follow up therapies for an unspecified amout of time, multiple times per week. She has upcoming extensive testing at Vanderbilt in TN. She has been ordered not to resume work indefinitely at this time, and with no short term disability, leaving her with no way to provide for Rion, pay her medical bills, or maintain her single income home.
At this time we are unsure of the long-term effects she may be looking at. The paralysis seems to be reversing, but without being sure of the cause, we are not sure what the future holds and if there will be long-term effects from the spinal cord procedure complications. She's not sure how long she will be unable to drive, when she can go back to work or if any of this will happen again until she knows more about what specifically is happening.
The next several months are going to be grueling for Whitney. She has to maintain positivity for her sweet Rion, and her upcoming treatments and therapies. With her being unable to work, I would just like to ask for any help at all you can give to help her make ends meet until we can get her up on her feet, literally, and back to doing what she does best, caring for other people. The amount we are shooting for is a drop in the bucket, but can absolutely help ease her worried mind of how to pay the bills when she can't work for the foreseeable future.
Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read Whitney's story.
If you can't help, please share!
Organizer and beneficiary
Hannah Allman
Organizer
Seymour, IN
Whitney Thoele
Beneficiary