My name is Nikki and I am a wife and mom of 4! I was diagnosed with IIH-idiopathic intracranial hypertension (pseudo tumor cerebri) in December of 2020-Spring of 2021. During the past 4.5 years, I have dealt with many of the debilitating side effects. This disease makes your body feel like it has a brain tumor, but there is actually not a brain tumor there. I literally have too much spinal fluid and it cannot drain properly. The side effects I have experienced are constant nausea, vision issues and loss of some of my vision, dizziness, tinnitus, hearing issues, coordination issues, fatigue and many more. The worst symptom of all is the constant migraine. When I say migraine, many people say “oh, I have them, too.” This was a migraine that did not respond to any medication. NONE. I have had every medication you can imagine, IV therapy treatments, Botox, you name it. My last headache was literally non-stop with zero relief for two years! During these years since my diagnosis, I obviously battled anxiety and depression as well. A stroke was always a possibility with this and even though I had multiple MRIs/MRVs/MRAs, lumbar punctures, it didn’t ease my mind. I also went from being a full time classroom teacher to an assistant to try to relieve some of the stress of my job. I literally went back to making the same thing I was making when I started teaching 21 years ago. During these years, I missed more than my 12 allotted days and missed many paychecks and paid insurance out of pocket during this time. All of this because my disease was keeping me from working. I should’ve asked for help before now for my family and I, but I guess pride kept me from it. In July of 2025, I met an AMAZING endovascular neurosurgeon! On August 26th, I went into the hospital and he placed a stent in my brain. This was due to be being diagnosed with bilateral venous stenosis of the sigmoid sinus in my brain. One side was completely closed and the other partially closed. The surgery was textbook and went great! I came home on the 27th. It took more time for me to recover and as a result, I am already out of my days for the year. I will be missing 2 and a half paychecks as of now and paying in for insurance. Plus, my follow up appointments and any other sickness I may get this year, will be docked. So, I have added for any other days I may miss due to sickness. This surgery was successful and we are absolutely giving God the glory for that! I am asking for help to relieve the financial burden off my family the next couple of months as my paychecks catch up. It will also be in savings to cover any other sickness or medical days I have to take off and be docked for. This money will also go to pay off my insane medical bills from the surgery, as well as build our savings up for any emergencies.  Feel free to reach out with any questions. Our children do not have social media and do not know we are doing this. They understand money is tight, but we prefer they don’t know how tight as this is not their burden to carry. I was able to return to work and worked without a headache for the first time in years. I have to still be safe as I am recovering and on high dose blood thinners. If you feel led to help us, thank you! If not, please share and pray for us!

Added on 3/10/26:

Since I started this page, I ended up back out of work due to other health issues that started snowballing after my brain surgery. Our AC unit broke in the fall and we are currently waiting on our tax return to be able to put the new one in (ours takes longer because of the way we have to file). At the end of February, I was told that I no longer had a job. This was something we’d been told in December could happen in January, but when it didn’t…I didn’t worry. Then, suddenly, I got the letter that after 22 full time years, I was not going to have a job. I actually replied and asked the board to consider letting me stay on leave through May and found out while sitting in the oncology gynecologist office that my extended leave was denied. So, I had just scheduled a major surgery in April (full open abdomen hysterectomy) and was told I wouldn’t have insurance at the end of that week. 

Currently, we are trying to raise money to keep me on COBRA insurance (~$700/month) for the next few months. If you are able to give, we appreciate it. Please pray that God will continue to provide for us during this time. Pray for the money for insurance to come, pray for a successful and safe surgery and pray that it doesn’t get too hot before our AC can be replaced! No matter what, we are TRUSTING GOD throughout this time in our lives! I’ve had people contact me, I do have other apps if you’d like to help that way. 

Thank you for your prayers for our family!