Hi, all. I am Shawna’s daughter, Brittany, and I will be keeping this page current with the latest update on Mama’s status. I thought I would give all those interested a little bit more information about my mom’s condition. So here is a quick summary of what we know so far, with more in-depth info to come soon.


Diagnosis: Particularly aggressive form of Tumefactive MS

Presented as a large lesion, very similar to a tumor, taking up almost a quarter of her brain on the right side, along with previously known “satellite” lesions.

Symptoms:

1.       Seizures
2.       Dizziness
3.       Overall confusion
4.       Incoherence
5.       Difficulty in speech
6.       Memory problems
7.       Loss of comprehension
8.       Other neurological symptoms

All of these symptoms combined make it difficult for Mama to have conversations, and if she is having a bad day she often will not be able to reply to messages or answer any questions, so I encourage anyone to contact me instead!
 

Treatment Plan:
1.       Take down swelling in brain with high-dose steroids regimen and plasmapheresis
2.       Frequent intravenous administration of MS drug targeting main tumefactive lesion

Doctors have been monitoring the swelling and lesions with MRI imaging every step of the way. The program at UT Southwestern Medical Center’s MS Clinic has been incredible and we thank them for all of the hope and support they’ve given us.


What you can do to help:
1.       Prayers!
2.       Contact daughter Brittany Kozura for more info
3.       Donate to the new medical [email redacted]/Shawna-ms

I want to thank everyone for the prayers and get well wishes, they are all very much appreciated! With Mama now being out of work, taking care of medical bills is going to be much more difficult. If you are able and willing, we would appreciate a donation to her online medical fund page: GoFundMe.com/Shawna-ms