I went to the ER for what I was told was “just back pain.” I was sent home without testing, still in pain, and left feeling like I wasn’t being taken seriously.

The truth is, I know what my normal pain feels like. I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), along with arthritis and spinal narrowing in my mid and lower back. Chronic pain is something I live with every day.

This was different.

When this started on March 13th, the pain showed up in my back—but it didn’t feel the same. I was also jaundiced, and could feel bloating in my belly. I knew something wasn’t right. I kept going to doctors and ERs trying to get help, but no one ran tests. It was repeatedly dismissed as spinal pain. I was given Toradol shots and morphine shots that didn’t help, subtly shaded as a drug seeker, and I would end up going back just hours later, still in severe pain and asking for answers.

By the time I was finally admitted (shout out to intake nurse Norma Jean at Tulare Adventist who saw how much pain I was in, let me cry, and apologized profusely that no one had taken me seriously before she requested urinalysis and labs— you saved my life!) to the hospital on March 16th, things had escalated into something life-threatening. What was dismissed as “back pain” turned out to be acute pancreatitis due to gallstones, severely inflamed gallbladder due to said stones, and you guessed it.. sepsis!

I spent three days hospitalized, from March 16th to March 19th, fighting something that could have killed me.

During that time, I had to undergo two separate procedures. The first was to remove the blockage causing the infection. The following day, I had emergency surgery to remove my gallbladder.

I’m home now, but recovery is slow and painful. I’m still on strong antibiotics, still dealing with significant pain, and I have surgical drains that will remain in place for the next couple of weeks. Even basic daily tasks are exhausting right now.

On top of everything, I’m still trying to get care for my ongoing back issues.

The reality I’m facing now is overwhelming. I’m unable to work, which means I currently have no income, while medical bills, rent, and daily expenses are piling up. I don’t have a clear timeline for when I’ll be able to return to normal.

Asking for help is not easy for me. I’ve turned it down before. But right now, I need to focus on healing, and I can’t do that while worrying about how I’m going to afford basic necessities.

If you’re able to donate, share, or support in any way, it would mean more than I can express. Thank you for helping me get through this.