I'm a humble hardworking Mom, caring for my Mother, my sons and myself as a team truck driver.

I am the sole provider for my family. At this time my 68 year old Mother is doing food delivery to pay bills while I am out of work, but it only brings in enough for groceries and small utilities, if that.

Any and all money that is donated is used to pay utilities, rent and car payment, pet food for our animals.

And as of 3/8/25 I have pending charges of $ $53,059.80

for my hospital stay, so far. I do not know yet how much my insurance will cover.

On February 10, 2025 I felt so bad I had to call an ambulance at 3 am in the morning to collect me to take me to the nearest emergency room, which happened to be in Monroe Michigan. I was there a day early to deliver a refrigerator load of fruits to a local grocery distribution center. The appointment couldn't be changed, so we had to sit and wait about 24 hours.

I had already been sick, the same stuff everyone gets this time of year. Except, the last 24 hours I had been getting worse and worse, despite taking all of the over the counter medications. Sleeping, doing as much fluids as possible, everything you are supposed to do.

(I even recorded myself trying to breathe because I thought I was losing my mind, that the sounds I was hearing were not actually coming from me. - I was wrong.)

I finally got enough strength and my partner helped me call 911 so I could get an ambulance. When they finally got to me, which they almost left without me, somehow missing the big red honking semi truck I was in, I immediately got hooked up to a ton of machines.

Soon I was in the ER, and the flurry of tests began.

One nurse was struggling to do a blood draw on me and they finally realized what my pulse oxygen truly was.

79

My pulse oxygen level was 79.

Wow! Things really changed from there. From there I remember getting more monitors, more blood tests, oxygen and I have no idea what else.

All I know is soon I had more wires than I knew what to do with, that some test results (like urine tests) made them pretty much run my stuff to the labs and doctors.

Eventually I was sent upstairs to a private room.

I think this was around noon maybe on the 10th.

By this time I was on almost 12 liters of oxygen because I could not maintain myself. I could not stand up without almost passing out.

Not only was I coughing constantly, but I also couldn't function. Using the restroom was a huge chore, just sitting up was a chore. The staff was making me eat and drink. It would take me over an hour to finish a little prepackaged fruit cup and a street taco size quesadilla. (trying to find food from a hospital menu that probably won't hurt too much can be difficult.)

This started my 9 days of being the sickest I can ever remember in my life.

I spent this time in a flurry of trying to breathe, trying to get up to use a restroom without passing out from standing and sitting and coughing all at the same time, and trying to find out what was actually wrong with me.

Doctors and nurses were trying. I am not lying when I say one arm had over 16 blood draws in my hand alone. They pulled from both IV ports I had in my arms, plus numerous other blood draws.

They tested for everything. They even took sputum from me to culture it to see what was going on.

I had IV medications, I had pills, I had breathing treatments.

The worst, the worst night I was on full oxygen, over 12 liters, sitting up in a hospital bed, and still could not maintain oxygen over 81.

At this point they ordered a bi valve machine.

If you have ever experienced this torture device, I commiserate with you. I believe this was the step they were trying so they did NOT have to intubate me.

This machine essentially breathed for me. It blew air into my nose and sucked it out of my mouth by a series of tubes and vacuums. But for reference, duct tape a leaf blower on the most powerful setting to your nostrils, then duct tape a heavy duty industrial shop vac to your mouth, highest setting. And that is the feel of it.

At this point in my stay, I was convinced I was dying, and maybe I was. It was the middle of the night and they strapped this onto me. I was alone, my partner was unable to be with me, as it was after hours and my family were on opposite sides of the country. I grabbed my phone and I wanted to record a video to tell my family how much I love them, and I couldn't even breathe enough to talk. All I could manage was a photo. The horrible photo you see at the top of this page.

I do not know how long I was in that machine. I just know it was middle of the night when it went on and it was past the 7 am shift change before it came off.

I do not know if some combination of medication and machine worked, but I was able to come off of it and stay on a whopping 10 liters of oxygen now.

More days, more tests, more medication. More head scratching.

Eventually after 7 days I was deemed oxygenated enough to bathe myself in a shower.

Showering with an oxygen tank and heart monitor, wow. yeah. fun. not.

More tests, more medications, more headscratching.

8 days, I want to go home. But I still can't maintain my oxygen. This whole time they are telling me, well, you are going to have to go home on oxygen.

Finally the 9th day, I'm still on oxygen, but I'm maintaining at 91 pulse oxygen rate for several hours with no oxygen on my face.

For insurance purposes I'm told I have to be at 89 to go home.

I'm finally released. My partner literally has to uber to get to me, take me to the truck and pretty much drag me by the hand to get to our truck. I have to stop and sit to catch my breathe.

Before this, I've never been a smoker, drinker or drug user. I used to be made fun of because I never did things. I'm a responsible adult, who has priorities and a family to care for. I don't have time to be stupid, but finding out walking from the fuel island to the first literal parking space at the truck stop made me weak and almost pass out, was devastating.

My final diagnosis was pneumonia, ARDS and wheezing. And that was their best guess, but they were still unsure as a final definitive diagnosis.

My company was great, they let my partner sit, waiting for me for 9 days, not asking anything of him except updates on my condition, and concern for they could do to help me. But I'm going to have staggering medical bills, and I'm out of work for the foreseeable future. Yes, there is short term, long term disability insurance, but I have no idea when this will come through.

In the meantime, I have not worked since February 7th, 2025 and I'm humbly asking anyone if they can help me live and take care of my family, who in turn is also ill. I know that these bills are going to be staggering, but I wanted to live.

So, if you can help me please, I would be very thankful and appreciative.

Health updates:

This is a long road. Sleeping when your lungs still have a lot of fluid is difficult. I'm finding I get a few hours from sheer exhaustion, and then up for most of the day.

Trying to get scheduled for doctors appointments in this day and age is so long, just for paperwork even.

But I'm doing everything I can to heal and keep trying to get my own things taken care of.

**2/25/25**

I am trying to get paperwork filled out and a telehealth visit can't fill out short term disability, so I'm trying to find a local doctor that I can see before the End of MARCH to get paperwork filled out and a follow up. I am finding out more about part of my diagnosis, and learning what I can. ARDS information Its ... alot.

My Mom and Boys are an amazing support system for me, all 3 of my sons. And my partner is out on the truck back at work now, so take care of him on the roads please.

2/26/25. Thank you all. I've finally gotten access to my medical records & test results, and I've added my first chest xray and the day I was discharged. I can say my chest pretty much feels the same as the day I left. I'm still trying to get paperwork filled out for work, and today I have to schedule more doctor's appointments. Yesterday I could not because I took a shower, and then had to rest. But I did use my hair dryer. So I felt better, looked better for sure. But so not up to par.

Thank you all.

*2/27/25*

Thank you. Yesterday was spent on the couch. Still exhausted today but hoping to shower. Still working on getting forms filled out for work and hoping I have energy to make phone calls to make doctors appointments today. Wish I could schedule online and not have to try to have breath for phone calls, but oh well.

3/2/25

I was able to get a Doctors appointment for March 4, 2025. I'm sure there will be alot of testing done and more medication in my future. I wanted to be clear that I have only myself paying my bills, no one pays anything for my family except my Mother. So, we are doing what we can, with little hope right now.

**3/4/2025**

Today I met with my Primary Care. Great news, my lungs sound good, not like the crinkle crackle of paper as they were. Bad news, I need to schedule Respiratory and Physical Therapy to return to strength. In the beginning I will be doing this in home because going to the Doctor exhausted me. My doctor has added a second inhaler in addition to the one prescribed in the hospital.

I had some blood work to do today, and have to have another chest xray/ct scan before my April 8th appointment for a follow up to see how I'm progressing from there.

I have applied for grants to help financially, and that paperwork is in progress. Short term disability process has started, no word on when that will have a determination.

Again, anything donated here is going straight to living expenses.

And any and all help is greatly appreciated.

If you are local, we have farm fresh free range chicken and duck eggs for sale.

Thank you for your support.

**3/7/25**

Today I got to discuss the bloodwork my PCP did. So I have extremely high cholesterol, which is not surprising, genetics are playing such a big role in that and I know that. No medication for that at this time because my liver is still not doing well due to all the stuff that happened before and in the hospital.

I have to do a vitamin B12 shot because my numbers are 236. 400 is normal. So for the next 6 months I'm on that.

I have to take a super high dose vitamin D pill once a weeks for the next 6 months also.

And the final kicker. I have A1C levels of 7.7, so I'll be starting some diabetic control medications. And right now it depends upon insurance. I'll be on that for 3 months and have more bloodwork to evaluate the effectiveness of the medication.

Still trying to get an inhaler approved through insurance too. Still waiting.

I also have an appointment with Pulmonary on March 18.

Anything anyone can donate is greatly appreciated.

Thank you all.