Help Me Fight Lyme Disease
Donation protected
Hi All,
I would like to invite you to read my story and donate if you can. If nothing else maybe some of my symptoms and experiences my resonate with you and inspire you or a family member to get tested for Lyme Disease.
Last October I developed what doctors believed to be tendonitis in my right arm/hand. After starting physical therapy I pinched a nerve in my neck leaving me in severe pain, my neck out of alignment, my hands numb and weak, and now the doctors thought I had carpal tunnel in both my wrists. My tendons felt crunchy, my knees and ankles hurt, and I couldn't walk without bandages for support. I went to doctors to find out what was wrong with me and I was literally told by one and I quote, "There is nothing wrong with you, you just need to be happy." I got basic blood work done and nothing was showing I was sick. But all of the sudden one doctor said I had a heart murmur, I have never had a heart murmur. And I felt sick and I was in pain. Thanks to my acupuncturist I quickly changed my diet, which helped significantly. And I was treated homeopathically for infection. My symptoms seemed to be fading, well all except the neck pain and the carpal tunnel. I had an MRI of my neck and it showed nothing that would warrant pinching. Why is this happening?
Due to these events I quit my job and moved home with my parents hoping less stress would help me. Shortly after relocating I pinched a nerve in my lower back and my legs started going numb. I was in so much pain it was hard to walk and I found walking around the block to be difficult. I had now lost 15-20lbs and not able to create muscle mass. At this point some friends were telling me to get tested for Lyme but since I had no job I didn't have the funds for expensive tests and I thought it couldn't be Lyme because the only time I knew I was bitten by a tick was so brief it didn't even get a chance to embed in my skin, and there was no classic bulleye.
I started seeing a chiropractor 3 times a week, an acupuncturist regularly, and getting water massages. Luckily I have an angle of friend who is a chiropractor and water massage therapist. I went to a nutritionist who ran a bunch of tests and determined that I needed serious help. He said my heart was beating like I was a 60 yr old women, my kidneys and liver weren't working properly, and I wasn't digesting the nutrients from my food. What? Before all this I was surfing, biking, hiking and swimming, how can all these things be wrong with me? So I got on supplements and detoxed my body. I started to feel better, except my neck still hurt and I couldn't use my hands for fine motor movements because of the carpal tunnel. My nerves were irritated and I didn't know why.
Now I was told that I had a myofasical problem that was causing my muscles to tighten when I used them and that a lot of it had to do with my emotions. Great emotions I thought how will I fix that, but I did a lot of mental work and I got a hold of my emotions, yet I was still dealing with my neck and wrists. In the mean time I finally had a little cash flow come in so I got the Igenex Lyme test, this is after I begged a doctor to authorize it (she said I was healthy too). It took 2 months to get my results. During that time I went to myofascial massages and started going to resistant stretching classes all in the hopes to find something that will help me get better.
In the beginning of July I started a liver cleanse and I over did it with the stretching. I found myself again in a lot of pain. This time I felt like my head was going to explode because there was so much pressure, and my spine felt and probably was shoved up into my skull. I started to develop an ear infection and out of no where conjunctivitis (that just went away on its own which out antibiotics), and I felt like I was going crazy. The chiropractor started to make me feel better but since I was running out of money I thought I would just lay off all my modalities for healing. Until....
My fingers started to burn and my joints started to swell and get stiff, and it looked like I was starting to develop nodes. At this point I freaked out and called my Medi-cal doctor (no I don't have regular insurance cuz I'm poor), she said that my joints looked normal but tested me for rhematoid arthritis. To top it all off my right eye was experiencing immense pressure making it hard to focus and I my vision was starting to get fuzzy around the edges, I found it hard to sleep because of the pain. My chiropractor said I had pinched nerves, what!? again.
Then I got my Igenex test results back... positive! I wanted to be sure, I am not a doctor so I took it to a specialist. She diagnosed me with Lyme. I have been living with Lyme disease for at least a year if not longer, likely longer. I have chronic Lyme. So this is where you find me now. She wants to run all kinds of blood work to determine what co-infections I may have, if I have any viruses, and other immune markers amongst many other things. One of the blood panels is over $5000 and that is at the 40% discount price if I pay up front. Medi-cal won't pay for it. On top of that there are the supplements, medications, and future testing to pay for. My parents say they can help me with what they can but they don't have much and neither do it. I can't afford the care I need to get better and hopefully be rid of my Lyme infection.
I have a hard time asking for help, always wanting to be capable to take care of myself, but there is no denying I need help. I NEED HELP! This is where I ask for your help to fund my health. I am asking for whatever kind of donation you can make so I can get the care that I need. I hope to recover and to some how use this horrible experience to help others in the future. There is no reason why people can't get the medical care they need.
I give my sincere THANK YOU! for your generosity. And for your thoughts and prayers (I am happy to accept those too). Please continue to pass my story on.
Thank you!
Blessings,
Nicole Sandoval
I would like to invite you to read my story and donate if you can. If nothing else maybe some of my symptoms and experiences my resonate with you and inspire you or a family member to get tested for Lyme Disease.
Last October I developed what doctors believed to be tendonitis in my right arm/hand. After starting physical therapy I pinched a nerve in my neck leaving me in severe pain, my neck out of alignment, my hands numb and weak, and now the doctors thought I had carpal tunnel in both my wrists. My tendons felt crunchy, my knees and ankles hurt, and I couldn't walk without bandages for support. I went to doctors to find out what was wrong with me and I was literally told by one and I quote, "There is nothing wrong with you, you just need to be happy." I got basic blood work done and nothing was showing I was sick. But all of the sudden one doctor said I had a heart murmur, I have never had a heart murmur. And I felt sick and I was in pain. Thanks to my acupuncturist I quickly changed my diet, which helped significantly. And I was treated homeopathically for infection. My symptoms seemed to be fading, well all except the neck pain and the carpal tunnel. I had an MRI of my neck and it showed nothing that would warrant pinching. Why is this happening?
Due to these events I quit my job and moved home with my parents hoping less stress would help me. Shortly after relocating I pinched a nerve in my lower back and my legs started going numb. I was in so much pain it was hard to walk and I found walking around the block to be difficult. I had now lost 15-20lbs and not able to create muscle mass. At this point some friends were telling me to get tested for Lyme but since I had no job I didn't have the funds for expensive tests and I thought it couldn't be Lyme because the only time I knew I was bitten by a tick was so brief it didn't even get a chance to embed in my skin, and there was no classic bulleye.
I started seeing a chiropractor 3 times a week, an acupuncturist regularly, and getting water massages. Luckily I have an angle of friend who is a chiropractor and water massage therapist. I went to a nutritionist who ran a bunch of tests and determined that I needed serious help. He said my heart was beating like I was a 60 yr old women, my kidneys and liver weren't working properly, and I wasn't digesting the nutrients from my food. What? Before all this I was surfing, biking, hiking and swimming, how can all these things be wrong with me? So I got on supplements and detoxed my body. I started to feel better, except my neck still hurt and I couldn't use my hands for fine motor movements because of the carpal tunnel. My nerves were irritated and I didn't know why.
Now I was told that I had a myofasical problem that was causing my muscles to tighten when I used them and that a lot of it had to do with my emotions. Great emotions I thought how will I fix that, but I did a lot of mental work and I got a hold of my emotions, yet I was still dealing with my neck and wrists. In the mean time I finally had a little cash flow come in so I got the Igenex Lyme test, this is after I begged a doctor to authorize it (she said I was healthy too). It took 2 months to get my results. During that time I went to myofascial massages and started going to resistant stretching classes all in the hopes to find something that will help me get better.
In the beginning of July I started a liver cleanse and I over did it with the stretching. I found myself again in a lot of pain. This time I felt like my head was going to explode because there was so much pressure, and my spine felt and probably was shoved up into my skull. I started to develop an ear infection and out of no where conjunctivitis (that just went away on its own which out antibiotics), and I felt like I was going crazy. The chiropractor started to make me feel better but since I was running out of money I thought I would just lay off all my modalities for healing. Until....
My fingers started to burn and my joints started to swell and get stiff, and it looked like I was starting to develop nodes. At this point I freaked out and called my Medi-cal doctor (no I don't have regular insurance cuz I'm poor), she said that my joints looked normal but tested me for rhematoid arthritis. To top it all off my right eye was experiencing immense pressure making it hard to focus and I my vision was starting to get fuzzy around the edges, I found it hard to sleep because of the pain. My chiropractor said I had pinched nerves, what!? again.
Then I got my Igenex test results back... positive! I wanted to be sure, I am not a doctor so I took it to a specialist. She diagnosed me with Lyme. I have been living with Lyme disease for at least a year if not longer, likely longer. I have chronic Lyme. So this is where you find me now. She wants to run all kinds of blood work to determine what co-infections I may have, if I have any viruses, and other immune markers amongst many other things. One of the blood panels is over $5000 and that is at the 40% discount price if I pay up front. Medi-cal won't pay for it. On top of that there are the supplements, medications, and future testing to pay for. My parents say they can help me with what they can but they don't have much and neither do it. I can't afford the care I need to get better and hopefully be rid of my Lyme infection.
I have a hard time asking for help, always wanting to be capable to take care of myself, but there is no denying I need help. I NEED HELP! This is where I ask for your help to fund my health. I am asking for whatever kind of donation you can make so I can get the care that I need. I hope to recover and to some how use this horrible experience to help others in the future. There is no reason why people can't get the medical care they need.
I give my sincere THANK YOU! for your generosity. And for your thoughts and prayers (I am happy to accept those too). Please continue to pass my story on.
Thank you!
Blessings,
Nicole Sandoval
Organizer
Nicole Sandoval
Organizer
Ventura, CA