Hi, I am Ayana, also known as YAYA from Yaya DIY Creations. I was diagnosed with IIH on November 8, 2023. I am raising money for an emergency surgery to improve my quality of life.

I have been trying to raise money through my very small business, Creations By Yaya, but processing orders is extremely slow due to my illness. I hand-make small batches, package, and ship each order myself. This is becoming increasingly harder now that my medication has increased.

I have also had supporters ask for a way to help who have already ordered or would like to help more. Thank you all, it truly means the world to me.

As for my illness, I happen to be unlucky and have a very rare and serious case. I can best describe it as swelling in the brain or an endless buildup of fluid putting pressure on my brain. Unfortunately, there is NO CURE. I have mentally wrestled with accepting this reality and the fact I may lose my vision. However, surgery may make it more manageable and prevent vision loss. My medication was doubled (increased) to offset my symptoms until surgery, but the side effects are just as bad and debilitating.

Here is a brief summary from Google about my illness, however, every case varies:

My Condition:

Definition:

Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension, IIH, is a condition characterized by increased pressure in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) surrounding the brain, without an identifiable underlying cause.

Causes:

The exact cause of IIH is unknown

Some symptoms include:

Persistent headache, often worse in the morning or when lying down

Visual disturbances, such as blurred vision, or temporary loss of vision, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), nausea and vomiting, neck pain, and extreme fatigue.

Treatment aims to lower CSF pressure and relieve symptoms:

Weight loss (IF obese)

There is NO CURE. With proper treatment, most people with IIH can manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life. However, some may experience long-term complications, such as permanent vision loss.

IIH is also known as pseudotumor cerebri.

It is a rare condition, affecting about 1-2 per 100,000 people.

Research is ongoing to better understand the causes and treatments of IIH.

I want to say thank you to everyone who has helped thus far. It truly means everything to me. I will do my best to still make orders and bring you all videos up until surgery. There is no timeline for the surgery. I will schedule it once the funds are raised. Until then, I am managing with medication, which is also expensive. I will keep you all posted.

For those who decide to help by ordering, please forgive me for the longer-than-usual processing times. I hope this explains more why orders may take longer to process. Thank you!