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Hope For Recovery
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$6,400 raised of $10K
75 donations
For those of you who do not know me, this is my story.
My name is Kelsea Boone. I am 21 years old, and for the past ten years I have been struggling with an eating disorder. It all started for me in the sixth grade after I had changed schools; due to several traumatic events, a lot of loss, and poor coping skills, it has continued on since then and been a problem throughout my entire life. I began restricting, over-exercising, and pushing my body further than it could handle. This past year, I entered treatment at McCallum Place, a clinic and treatment center specializing in eating disorder recovery.
I was at my past job for almost five years and my boss was the one who encouraged me to enter treatment. Even after time in the ER, my symptoms worsened as I kept restricting and exercising. One day my boss had called me in to work and laid out papers in front of me. She gave me the number of someone she knew who had struggled with an eating disorder for 18 years and who is now fully recovered, so that I could talk to her and ask any questions I might have. The other paper had all of the information about McCallum Place. She had called and figured everything out for me. All I had to do was call and agree to an evaluation.
The day after Thanksgiving, I entered McCallum Place's IOP (Intensive Out-Patient) program. In IOP, you go to treatment Monday-Friday From 4:30-7:30. You attend two therapeutic groups, eat dinner, and then leave. Before programming on my first day, I met with my psychiatrist. She had received my blood work and told me that all the major markers for malnutrition were present, continuing to inform me that my heart was so weak that it could stop at anytime. I was put on a powerful prescription medication to keep me from getting sick after eating. Not only was my body rejecting food, getting sick could put an enormous amount of pressure on my heart and make it stop. When I started IOP, I was extremely nervous and did not know how things were going to turn out. You always hear so many negative things about treatment centers... but this is where I would find some of the best support that I could get. After two weeks in IOP, I was put into their 10 Hour PHP (Partial Hospitalization Program) because I was not getting any better.
On December 18, 2014, I started PHP. In 10 hour, patients are at McCallum from 9:30 am-7:30 pm. I decided to not enroll in any new classes, go on medical leave at work, and enter treatment full time. I was completely overwhelmed. I had to get a new team-- a new therapist, psychiatrist, and dietitian-- and meet a whole new group of people. My first week was extremely stressful. I had to get used to the new schedule, the new team, the community, and the staff. I was so overwhelmed by all of the food I cried at almost every meal. But after that week, I hit my stride; I transitioned smoothly. Everything was going great... until insurance dropped me to a lower level from out of nowhere. I was nowhere near my goal weight and I still had a lot of things to work on. They gave me four days of the 6 Hour PHP Program, and afterwards dropped me back to IOP. My team was taken by surprise by this. I was, too.
Returning to IOP was very difficult for me. I was struggling a lot already, and my vitals became unstable. On February 16, 2015, after only two weeks in IOP, my insurance dropped me completely, discharging me from McCallum out of nowhere. I was on my own.
After discharging, I relapsed due to lack of support and structure. I began exercising and restricting heavily, just feeling completely helpless and hopeless. Not only was my anxiety worse than it had ever been, but I became extremely depressed. Physically, my health was horrible. I was dizzy all the time and having blackout spells. I had developed involuntary vomiting as my body rejected the food I would try to eat. I had an extremely low heart rate and low blood pressure; some days I could barely make it out of bed. After two weeks on my own, I had an appointment with my doctor. She told me I needed to get back into treatment as soon as possible, and to call intake/admissions right after I left her office. On March 12, 2015 I readmitted to McCallum in the 10 Hour Program. My first day back, I had staff members pulling me aside to ask if I was okay. I had a few friends there who cried when they saw how sick I had become on my own, and I cried at all of my meals that day. It was a rough start, but with all of the support there, I managed to get back on my feet. Once again, I had a new team, but the transition was easier this time. I began really opening up in sessions and groups, challenging fear foods and doing exposures regularly. Everything was going really well-- even better than last time. That was until insurance once again randomly dropped me, this time straight to IOP. At this point, everyone was stunned-- even the professionals on my team. Not only was I still nowhere near my goal weight, but my vital signs were medically unsafe. I went from having a very low heart rate to having an abnormally rapid heart rate. That criteria alone made everyone confused as to why I was getting dropped. My team tried everything they could to keep me in 10 or 6 hour, but insurance denied all of their requests and appeals.
Now I am back in IOP. At first I was authorized for three days of treatment, which would then be followed by another review. Luckily, at that next review, I was given nine days. After my review last Thursday, I was given six days; my next review will be on Friday. When the authorization and coverage window starts getting smaller, it is typically a sign that the insurance company is getting ready to drop you. My family and I are beyond stressed right now, terrified that I am going to get dropped again. And all we can do is hope for the best.
That is why I have decided to make this page. Everyone who knows me knows that I am terrible with asking for help... but at this point, I feel like this is all I have left. Without insurance, treatment will be impossible for my family and I to pay for. 10 Hour PHP is $880 per day, 6 Hour PHP is $680 per day, and IOP is $350 per day. I have set the goal at $6,000 so that if I get dropped I can choose between almost three weeks of IOP, eight days of 6 hour PHP, or six days of 10 hour PHP.
All I can ask for is anything that you are willing to give. Any amount I receive will be a huge blessing to my family and to my recovery. Whatever you give is plenty to me.
Thank you.
My name is Kelsea Boone. I am 21 years old, and for the past ten years I have been struggling with an eating disorder. It all started for me in the sixth grade after I had changed schools; due to several traumatic events, a lot of loss, and poor coping skills, it has continued on since then and been a problem throughout my entire life. I began restricting, over-exercising, and pushing my body further than it could handle. This past year, I entered treatment at McCallum Place, a clinic and treatment center specializing in eating disorder recovery.
I was at my past job for almost five years and my boss was the one who encouraged me to enter treatment. Even after time in the ER, my symptoms worsened as I kept restricting and exercising. One day my boss had called me in to work and laid out papers in front of me. She gave me the number of someone she knew who had struggled with an eating disorder for 18 years and who is now fully recovered, so that I could talk to her and ask any questions I might have. The other paper had all of the information about McCallum Place. She had called and figured everything out for me. All I had to do was call and agree to an evaluation.
The day after Thanksgiving, I entered McCallum Place's IOP (Intensive Out-Patient) program. In IOP, you go to treatment Monday-Friday From 4:30-7:30. You attend two therapeutic groups, eat dinner, and then leave. Before programming on my first day, I met with my psychiatrist. She had received my blood work and told me that all the major markers for malnutrition were present, continuing to inform me that my heart was so weak that it could stop at anytime. I was put on a powerful prescription medication to keep me from getting sick after eating. Not only was my body rejecting food, getting sick could put an enormous amount of pressure on my heart and make it stop. When I started IOP, I was extremely nervous and did not know how things were going to turn out. You always hear so many negative things about treatment centers... but this is where I would find some of the best support that I could get. After two weeks in IOP, I was put into their 10 Hour PHP (Partial Hospitalization Program) because I was not getting any better.
On December 18, 2014, I started PHP. In 10 hour, patients are at McCallum from 9:30 am-7:30 pm. I decided to not enroll in any new classes, go on medical leave at work, and enter treatment full time. I was completely overwhelmed. I had to get a new team-- a new therapist, psychiatrist, and dietitian-- and meet a whole new group of people. My first week was extremely stressful. I had to get used to the new schedule, the new team, the community, and the staff. I was so overwhelmed by all of the food I cried at almost every meal. But after that week, I hit my stride; I transitioned smoothly. Everything was going great... until insurance dropped me to a lower level from out of nowhere. I was nowhere near my goal weight and I still had a lot of things to work on. They gave me four days of the 6 Hour PHP Program, and afterwards dropped me back to IOP. My team was taken by surprise by this. I was, too.
Returning to IOP was very difficult for me. I was struggling a lot already, and my vitals became unstable. On February 16, 2015, after only two weeks in IOP, my insurance dropped me completely, discharging me from McCallum out of nowhere. I was on my own.
After discharging, I relapsed due to lack of support and structure. I began exercising and restricting heavily, just feeling completely helpless and hopeless. Not only was my anxiety worse than it had ever been, but I became extremely depressed. Physically, my health was horrible. I was dizzy all the time and having blackout spells. I had developed involuntary vomiting as my body rejected the food I would try to eat. I had an extremely low heart rate and low blood pressure; some days I could barely make it out of bed. After two weeks on my own, I had an appointment with my doctor. She told me I needed to get back into treatment as soon as possible, and to call intake/admissions right after I left her office. On March 12, 2015 I readmitted to McCallum in the 10 Hour Program. My first day back, I had staff members pulling me aside to ask if I was okay. I had a few friends there who cried when they saw how sick I had become on my own, and I cried at all of my meals that day. It was a rough start, but with all of the support there, I managed to get back on my feet. Once again, I had a new team, but the transition was easier this time. I began really opening up in sessions and groups, challenging fear foods and doing exposures regularly. Everything was going really well-- even better than last time. That was until insurance once again randomly dropped me, this time straight to IOP. At this point, everyone was stunned-- even the professionals on my team. Not only was I still nowhere near my goal weight, but my vital signs were medically unsafe. I went from having a very low heart rate to having an abnormally rapid heart rate. That criteria alone made everyone confused as to why I was getting dropped. My team tried everything they could to keep me in 10 or 6 hour, but insurance denied all of their requests and appeals.
Now I am back in IOP. At first I was authorized for three days of treatment, which would then be followed by another review. Luckily, at that next review, I was given nine days. After my review last Thursday, I was given six days; my next review will be on Friday. When the authorization and coverage window starts getting smaller, it is typically a sign that the insurance company is getting ready to drop you. My family and I are beyond stressed right now, terrified that I am going to get dropped again. And all we can do is hope for the best.
That is why I have decided to make this page. Everyone who knows me knows that I am terrible with asking for help... but at this point, I feel like this is all I have left. Without insurance, treatment will be impossible for my family and I to pay for. 10 Hour PHP is $880 per day, 6 Hour PHP is $680 per day, and IOP is $350 per day. I have set the goal at $6,000 so that if I get dropped I can choose between almost three weeks of IOP, eight days of 6 hour PHP, or six days of 10 hour PHP.
All I can ask for is anything that you are willing to give. Any amount I receive will be a huge blessing to my family and to my recovery. Whatever you give is plenty to me.
Thank you.
Organizer
