Support Jessy's Journey to Recovery

My journey is a long one; please bear with me as I try to consolidate and communicate everything that I've experienced in the last 4 years as effectively as possible.

Unfortunately, the obstacles I've experience have kept me from being able to work since November 2022. To add insult to injury, my resume has been rejected by every company I’ve sent it into. A dagger to the ego, yes. But it’s helped me see what truly matters in my life and that is: my health, my friends, and my family. They are the ones who have carried me this far and there HONESTLY are no words for how f***ing grateful I am from the bottom of my heart for what you all have done for me. I would not be alive if I was walking this journey alone <3

In December 2021, my sister Grace and I took a trip to Belize and while we were there, the Marshall Fire happened where countless of my friends lost their homes in Boulder, Colorado; in an instant both mine and Grace’s childhood homes were at risk of being burned down by 100mph winds in December.

A few days later, Grace tested positive for COVID. Luckily I didn’t, so I took care of us for 11 days but in that time I got these terrible bug bites, which I later realized gave me a form of Lyme disease which caused my limbs to start having shock-like zaps in them and my feet and hands to become completely numb most of the time. A month after, I had a stroke due to the mix of COVID, lyme, having to put down one of my soul dogs, Axel, and a cocaine/alcohol OD due to overwhelming grief of the Marshall Fire and its effect on my community.

Instead of doing tests on me in the ER to see if there was an actual medical issue going on, the doctors sent me home. I took a short term disability LOA on FMLA from Adobe to try and get sober on my own and recover from what I thought was only COVID. In July 2022, I returned to work at Adobe and despite begging for the things I needed from my boss, everything was a mess on our team when I returned, especially the crucial programs that I ran and spent the last 3 years of my life, time, and energy investing in. I now understand why my boss couldn’t support me in the way that he said he would upon my return because he quit. I still have never gotten a response from him today.

As a leader in the Customer Marketing industry, his words meant a lot for my career, especially when 10's of thousands of tech workers were laid off at that exact time. I made a personal mistake at the airport on my way to the 2022 Adobe Champion Forum and was “let go” from Adobe. I had foot surgery that had been planned for months the week after they let me go where I couldn't walk for 2 months. And then my sister's soul dog was hit and killed by someone who didn't stop and Christmas was a BUMMER. I was drinking on my pain meds and knew I was probably going to accidentally kill myself, so I admitted myself to rehab for 90 days in Malibu.

Rise in Malibu (Jerry, Paul, Pat, Dustin, Will, Tamra, Matt, ALL OF YOU) saved my life. There will never be a way for me to be able to convey how grateful I am to you all and for what you did for me.

Unfortunately, I got COVID for the second time in May 2023 right before hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc, and this was the start of the even worse downward health spiral that I has been happening for the last 2 years.

The last 2.5 years I have been poked and prodded and the doctors made me believe that STRESS AND ANXIETY were the main causes of my symptoms. Getting doctors to believe you as a 1. woman 2. with an addiction history 3. with a history of domestic violence is basically impossible. And so devastating.

I have been officially diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, POTS, Dysautonomia, hypermobile Ehler Danlos Syndrome, chronic EBV, and Sjogrens. I have chronically low vitamin B, D, and potassium. I have a 3cm bone tumor in my left iliac crest that we are still doing testing on. I have bulging discs in my neck and back that just randomly appeared a few months ago. I also have been diagnosed ADHD and have Complex PTSD from certain things that have happened to me. Add that to 24/7 searing body pain that never goes away, and you get a recipe for disaster.

I am currently in the process of being diagnosed with chronic Lyme and about 6 of its co-infections, vascular EDS, and a couple other things that I prefer not to share publicly.

In the last 4.5 years, I have spent my entire life savings on medical care, recovery, and treatments totaling to around $300,000. I am in $30,000 of medical debt on credit cards and my Medicaid claims, referrals, and pre-authorizations are starting to be denied by Medicaid for tests and procedures that have already been scheduled. No company will hire me right now with my physical disabilities/restrictions and give me flexibility with my working schedule so I can attend my treatments, tests, and appointments.

I’m not sure what is going on with Medicaid right now, but it’s not good. I know the state of the world is not in a great place, especially financially, so I don’t take this ask lightly.

ANYTHING that you can donate to help me in my health journey would mean the absolute world to me…even if it’s just $5. I appreciate you taking the time to read my story and help me through this darker than normal chapter in my life.

If you cannot support me through this Gofundme THAT'S OK!!! There are a few other ways you can support me during this time of transition.

All my love and more

xoxoxoxox

Jessy