Hi there! My name is Sierra Bouthillier.

For those of you who don’t know me:

I have lived on Whidbey Island for my entire life, (25 years), & you may know me from working at The Star Store! (10 years.)

In the last couple years I have turned more inward, but you may also know me from the farmer’s market, street dances, local music, or foraging on the local trails.

I am choosing to make a Gofundme as a last resort.

I have been having debilitating symptoms of POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), & MCAS (mast cell activation syndrome) for around 5 years now.

To give a little information - POTS & MCAS usually go hand in hand - but there is a root cause. This can be anything from receiving a surgery or experiencing a physical injury, to another condition such as Long-Covid, Lyme Disease, or Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome.

POTS is a complete dysfunction of your nervous system, causing your body to have inappropriate reactions such as adrenal dumps, tachycardia, or syncope. (Passing out).

MCAS is a condition which causes your mast cells (immune cells) to release their chemicals too easily or too often. This can cause hives, itchiness, stomach issues (won’t go into details there), & dizziness. For me, it causes all of these issues, on top of debilitating migraines.

I have been fighting nonstop for two years now to find the root cause.

Within the last year or so, the effects have gotten so intense that I am now physically unable to work full-time, I cannot take my two wonderful dogs (Lyca & Sheriff) for the long walks they need, & cannot even get up a set of stairs without my heart rate going up to 150bpm at least. Throughout every day I experience pre-syncope, dizziness, shortness of breath, inappropriate tachycardia, PVCs, & heart palpitations. On really bad days, I get allergic reactions to seemingly nothing, which cause full-body hives. I finish out most nights with an extreme migraine, wake up gasping for air multiple times, & have experienced convulsions while falling asleep.

I have now been to the local walk-in clinic, the ER, Providence Cardiology, & will be seeing two new doctors (homeopathic neurologist & PCP), in the next few weeks.

Living this way, suffering in silence for years has taken a toll on me both physically, & mentally. I have not been able to be who I actually am, & feel trapped inside of a body that betrays me every day. Anyone who is close to me knows how frustrating, upsetting, & discouraging this has all been for me. & You know even more how unlike me it is to ask for help from anyone, let alone everyone!

That being said, all of what I’m going through has only proven to me that I am stronger than I ever knew myself to be, & I will continue to hold onto hope that someday I can begin treatment for these conditions.

The main issue, is money. I have been paying off as many bills as I can, as they come. Working only part-time while balancing the price of specialists & hospital visits has put me in a really bad spot financially, as the bills have now piled up past what I can afford, & will continue to as I move forward in this fight.

My goal for this Gofundme is to be able to pay off my remaining medical bills, & continue on advocating for myself & finding a specialist who can truly help me.

If you can’t afford to contribute, please just share or keep me in your thoughts/prayers. With all of my heart, I appreciate anyone who has taken the time to read this, share, or donate. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

— Sierra.