For the past 4 years I have been living with an autoimmune disease that causes Chronic Urticaria. I am in pain every day, from dusk til dawn. I think I’ve finally found an option that can help me.


What is CU 

Chronic Urticaria simply means "Chronic Hives." This is a condition where hives are spontaneously triggered and present themselves on the body in any location. These triggers can include: Heat, Pressure, Cold, Stress, etc. My trigger being touch.  Chronic Urticaria looks different for everyone, and often resolves itself in a few weeks or months. This condition is still not fully understood so there is no clear cause and no clear cure. 

How CU Affects Me

Chronic Urticaria affects everyone differently. While it may be a temporary inconvenience for some, it has made my life particularly hard. Over the last 4 years my CU has become so bad that I am essentially in pain from when I wake until when I sleep. Because my hives are triggered by touch/pressure it is almost impossible to avoid (some days are better than others).  Any place I have skin can be triggered, so it can hurt to walk (bottoms of my feet), carry anything over five pounds, wear any clothing that's not loose or soft enough, dry off with a towel too quickly, grab something too tightly, etc.

You get the idea. Shake my hand the wrong way and I will be in pain for the next 30 minutes. When any of these things happen, I feel a hot stinging/itching/burning sensation. Often you can see the red, irritated skin, although on the palms of my hands and soles of my feet it is not noticeable. 

As you can imagine, CU has taken a massive toll on my mental health and my study habits, as well as my relationships with friends and family. There are many things I used to do that are simply not possible with my diagnosis. It has been an uphill battle. I feel trapped in my own body and am exhausted. 

Treatment for CU

After visiting countless doctors, allergists, dermatologists, and naturopaths, I feel I have tried just about everything. Every antihistamine combination, every drug, every diet, even acupuncture. I have recently regained hope after finding an MD who specializes in the holistic treatment of allergy and immunology including the treatment of CU. The treatment consists of weekly "vitamin injections/IV" and physical therapy sessions to help my body reset. This is the FIRST person I've found who clearly understands CU and has treated others like me.

There is another treatment that can help control severe CU called Xolair injections. I have considered it but it is less safe, more expensive, and not always effective. I will resort to this if all else fails.


Donating

$6000 will be enough to get me started on the first few months of treatment, which I can start as soon as I can afford it. My insurance will cover any basic care at this office like bloodwork, but not the treatment itself; nor will insurance reimburse me for out of network treatment. In fact there is no insurance that covers the treatment at this private practice. I am really encouraged by this MD, and his success in treating patients with Chronic Urticaria. 

Anything at all helps!