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Hi my name is Shelly Visser. I am Kimberly Tovey’s cousin. I have been following Kim the last 27 months with ongoing health issues. She has spent numerous months in the hospital enduring countless tests and facing grueling symptoms with no answers and the doctors are still looking for a way to help relieve her symptoms. It has been a rough journey for her and it has been decided that she needs to return to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota in hope of finding answers and a treatment plan. Throughout this journey Kim has been unable to return to work as Nurse due to her frequent hospitalizations and ongoing medical issues. As you can imagine her medical expenses are extremely high. I am setting up this Go Fund Me Page to help relieve some of the financial strain she is facing. For those of you that do not know Kimberly here is a synopsis of her medical journey.
In January 2013 Kimberly had her gallbladder removed due to having issues with nausea, vomiting and significant weight loss. It was determined her gallbladder was not functioning correctly. After she had her gallbladder removed she did great for 10 days and was able to begin eating again until suddenly she spiked a temperature. From that day forward she was unable to eat or drink without having nausea, and vomiting. In February 2013 Kim was admitted to North Ottawa for a week and had a significant gastrointestinal workup preformed and ultimately was transferred by Ambulance to University of Michigan Hospital. Kim spent over three weeks at U of M with more testing and still did not find answers. She had a Dobhoff feeding tube placed at this time due to the inability to eat or drink without dry heaving and vomiting. She was discharged home and was referred to Mayo Clinic in April 2013.
At Mayo Clinic Kim spent 10 days undergoing invasive GI motility testing. They were able to uncover she had slowed GI motility. She went home at tried some experimental medication in hopes of relieving some of her symptoms. Kim did not want a permanent feeding tube placed so she really pushed herself trying to eat. Unfortunately in July of 2013 Kim had to have a permanent feeding tube placed because she was unable to consume enough calories due to the severe nausea and dry heaving.
In the fall of 2013 Kim returned to work and was ecstatic. She wore a potable feeding tube pump around the clock in order to obtain adequate nutrition. She still had severe nausea, slow GI motility and had dry heaving episodes after any oral intake but was determined to return to work as an ICU nurse!
Unfortunately in November 2013 Kim contracted salmonella poisoning while staying in a hotel with her Dad at University of Michigan. Kim went to see a new GI specialist a U of M for repeat motility testing that was suggested by Mayo Clinic. Her mother and father were sickened with salmonella poisoning after going out to eat one evening. Kim was unable to eat so she most likely contracted the salmonella poisoning from her dad. Kim spent over two months in the hospital battling recurrent salmonella. She was unable to eat, drink or run her tube feedings due to severe diarrhea. Kim and her family spent Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years in the hospital due to the severity of the diarrhea.
In December 31, 2013 Kim Was transferred to Indiana University by ambulance. Kim spent a month undergoing invasive testing trying to determine why she continued to have severe diarrhea. Unfortunately the doctors were unable to stop the diarrhea and she was discharged home. Kim was a trooper and had diarrhea 25-45 times a day for 10 months. She required frequent hydration by In Home Care Nursing in order to keep her out of the hospital. She literally lived on the toilet. She continued to follow up with specialists at Indiana University and had numerous testing done. It was determined she has vagal nerve neuropathy of the small intestine. This is not a good diagnosis. It is the one diagnosis that all the doctors’ hope would be negative. There is not a lot of treatment out there.
In June 2014 Kim was again hit with another infection. She contracted C-Difficile. Kim battled C-Diff all summer long. She had about a three week period she had negative stool cultures but continued to have the severe diarrhea. In August of 2014 Kim was again diagnosed with recurrent C-Diff. This time she was even sicker and required hospitalization. Kim spent over a month in the hospital trying to control the C-Diff. It was untimely decided to transfer Kim by ambulance down to Indiana University for a fecal transplant. This thankfully cured the c-diff and stopped the diarrhea and somewhat return her symptoms back to her baseline prior to salmonella poisoning! Thank goodness!
Unfortunately Kim’s GI motility changed so suddenly it shocked her system and she ended up with multiple feeding tubes balloon malfunctions and tubes coiling in her stomach. She ended up having to have a second feeding tube placed. She now has a direct jejunal feeding tube and a gastric feeding tube. She spent nearly a month straight in the hospital last fall with all the feeding tube problems.
Kim never seems to be able to catch a break. She continues to require frequent infusions from Home Care Infusion to help maintain hydration. All winter long she battled the flu and numerous viral GI bugs due to her weakened immune system – many times requiring hospitalization.
At this time the plan is for Kim to return to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN for another opinion hopefully will be sooner than later. Due to the fact that Kim is unable to work she qualified for Wings of Mercy to fly to Rochester Minnesota. This was a huge answer to prayer.
Kim and her family are so grateful for all the thoughts, prayers and support they have received from family, friends and from people they don’t even know. It’s all the positive support that has kept Kim so upbeat and fighting her way through this battle for the last 27 months. As we keep praying for a miracle, I am setting up a Go Fund Me page even though Kim and her family have never asked for financial support. I feel that having this Go Fund me page will help Kim know that she not only in everyone’s thoughts and prayers but also we as a community are behind her financially being as how she is still unable to work and has accumulated a lot of medical expenses.
If you would like to send cards of encouragement to Kim her home address is 11253 Oak Grove Road Grand Haven, MI 49417. If Kim is at Mayo Clinic when cards are sent they will be forward to her.
In January 2013 Kimberly had her gallbladder removed due to having issues with nausea, vomiting and significant weight loss. It was determined her gallbladder was not functioning correctly. After she had her gallbladder removed she did great for 10 days and was able to begin eating again until suddenly she spiked a temperature. From that day forward she was unable to eat or drink without having nausea, and vomiting. In February 2013 Kim was admitted to North Ottawa for a week and had a significant gastrointestinal workup preformed and ultimately was transferred by Ambulance to University of Michigan Hospital. Kim spent over three weeks at U of M with more testing and still did not find answers. She had a Dobhoff feeding tube placed at this time due to the inability to eat or drink without dry heaving and vomiting. She was discharged home and was referred to Mayo Clinic in April 2013.
At Mayo Clinic Kim spent 10 days undergoing invasive GI motility testing. They were able to uncover she had slowed GI motility. She went home at tried some experimental medication in hopes of relieving some of her symptoms. Kim did not want a permanent feeding tube placed so she really pushed herself trying to eat. Unfortunately in July of 2013 Kim had to have a permanent feeding tube placed because she was unable to consume enough calories due to the severe nausea and dry heaving.
In the fall of 2013 Kim returned to work and was ecstatic. She wore a potable feeding tube pump around the clock in order to obtain adequate nutrition. She still had severe nausea, slow GI motility and had dry heaving episodes after any oral intake but was determined to return to work as an ICU nurse!
Unfortunately in November 2013 Kim contracted salmonella poisoning while staying in a hotel with her Dad at University of Michigan. Kim went to see a new GI specialist a U of M for repeat motility testing that was suggested by Mayo Clinic. Her mother and father were sickened with salmonella poisoning after going out to eat one evening. Kim was unable to eat so she most likely contracted the salmonella poisoning from her dad. Kim spent over two months in the hospital battling recurrent salmonella. She was unable to eat, drink or run her tube feedings due to severe diarrhea. Kim and her family spent Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years in the hospital due to the severity of the diarrhea.
In December 31, 2013 Kim Was transferred to Indiana University by ambulance. Kim spent a month undergoing invasive testing trying to determine why she continued to have severe diarrhea. Unfortunately the doctors were unable to stop the diarrhea and she was discharged home. Kim was a trooper and had diarrhea 25-45 times a day for 10 months. She required frequent hydration by In Home Care Nursing in order to keep her out of the hospital. She literally lived on the toilet. She continued to follow up with specialists at Indiana University and had numerous testing done. It was determined she has vagal nerve neuropathy of the small intestine. This is not a good diagnosis. It is the one diagnosis that all the doctors’ hope would be negative. There is not a lot of treatment out there.
In June 2014 Kim was again hit with another infection. She contracted C-Difficile. Kim battled C-Diff all summer long. She had about a three week period she had negative stool cultures but continued to have the severe diarrhea. In August of 2014 Kim was again diagnosed with recurrent C-Diff. This time she was even sicker and required hospitalization. Kim spent over a month in the hospital trying to control the C-Diff. It was untimely decided to transfer Kim by ambulance down to Indiana University for a fecal transplant. This thankfully cured the c-diff and stopped the diarrhea and somewhat return her symptoms back to her baseline prior to salmonella poisoning! Thank goodness!
Unfortunately Kim’s GI motility changed so suddenly it shocked her system and she ended up with multiple feeding tubes balloon malfunctions and tubes coiling in her stomach. She ended up having to have a second feeding tube placed. She now has a direct jejunal feeding tube and a gastric feeding tube. She spent nearly a month straight in the hospital last fall with all the feeding tube problems.
Kim never seems to be able to catch a break. She continues to require frequent infusions from Home Care Infusion to help maintain hydration. All winter long she battled the flu and numerous viral GI bugs due to her weakened immune system – many times requiring hospitalization.
At this time the plan is for Kim to return to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN for another opinion hopefully will be sooner than later. Due to the fact that Kim is unable to work she qualified for Wings of Mercy to fly to Rochester Minnesota. This was a huge answer to prayer.
Kim and her family are so grateful for all the thoughts, prayers and support they have received from family, friends and from people they don’t even know. It’s all the positive support that has kept Kim so upbeat and fighting her way through this battle for the last 27 months. As we keep praying for a miracle, I am setting up a Go Fund Me page even though Kim and her family have never asked for financial support. I feel that having this Go Fund me page will help Kim know that she not only in everyone’s thoughts and prayers but also we as a community are behind her financially being as how she is still unable to work and has accumulated a lot of medical expenses.
If you would like to send cards of encouragement to Kim her home address is 11253 Oak Grove Road Grand Haven, MI 49417. If Kim is at Mayo Clinic when cards are sent they will be forward to her.