Tami’s Journey
Donation protected
Not many people know this, but I have Lupus and Scleroderma. These are both chronic autoimmune diseases in which my immune system has become hyperactive and fights AGAINST the normal, healthy tissues in my body.
The symptoms started a few years ago, but I shrugged them off and assumed they were from stress, from being overweight, being on my feet going 90 mph all day at work...just results of my normal day to day life. My hair turned white, my face turned red, I was bruising very easily, my left hand was numb for months, my body ached ...things like that. Then, last year I began to notice issues with my esophagus and my stomach. The scleroderma had attacked my esophagus making it very thick and rigid, making it difficult and sometimes impossible for me to swallow food and pills. I started puréeing my food just so I didn’t throw it up. Lupus has caused gastroparesis in my stomach, which means it is paralyzed and does not empty properly. I have had to undergo quite a bit of testing to get the extent of the damage and I had surgery last week to hopefully fix some of my issues. The surgeon seems confident that what he did will get me back on track for a few years.
There is no cure for either of these diseases, there are only treatments to help the symptoms. This is the part that scares me. I most certainly believe in God’s plan, however I hope His plan includes about 50 more years of good quality life for me! I have a wonderful wife and 2 amazing teenagers that I want to enjoy!
There are no specialists for Scleroderma in our state, so I am looking at possibly having to travel out of state to seek out specialist care to manage these conditions and prevent any further progression. I am a firm believer in positivity, and I am confident that there is help available to those of us that are affected by these issues.
I am very fortunate to have great insurance, but the out of pocket and out of network expenses involved in this testing, surgery and treatment have begun to overwhelm my family and I am humbly asking for your support.
The symptoms started a few years ago, but I shrugged them off and assumed they were from stress, from being overweight, being on my feet going 90 mph all day at work...just results of my normal day to day life. My hair turned white, my face turned red, I was bruising very easily, my left hand was numb for months, my body ached ...things like that. Then, last year I began to notice issues with my esophagus and my stomach. The scleroderma had attacked my esophagus making it very thick and rigid, making it difficult and sometimes impossible for me to swallow food and pills. I started puréeing my food just so I didn’t throw it up. Lupus has caused gastroparesis in my stomach, which means it is paralyzed and does not empty properly. I have had to undergo quite a bit of testing to get the extent of the damage and I had surgery last week to hopefully fix some of my issues. The surgeon seems confident that what he did will get me back on track for a few years.
There is no cure for either of these diseases, there are only treatments to help the symptoms. This is the part that scares me. I most certainly believe in God’s plan, however I hope His plan includes about 50 more years of good quality life for me! I have a wonderful wife and 2 amazing teenagers that I want to enjoy!
There are no specialists for Scleroderma in our state, so I am looking at possibly having to travel out of state to seek out specialist care to manage these conditions and prevent any further progression. I am a firm believer in positivity, and I am confident that there is help available to those of us that are affected by these issues.
I am very fortunate to have great insurance, but the out of pocket and out of network expenses involved in this testing, surgery and treatment have begun to overwhelm my family and I am humbly asking for your support.
Organizer
Tami Schramm Wilson
Organizer
McDonough, GA