Help DJ Recover

Hello friends and family (chosen and those by birth)

I’ve been silent on socials and absent for the last few weeks and wanted to share why. There have been several developments in my life that I’ve kept to myself, but there’s no better time than now to be vulnerable and share these updates. This is a longer post, and I would appreciate it if you took the time to read it.

A few weeks ago, I had a major health crisis. I developed pneumonia that quickly became life-threatening (ARDS). I was admitted to the ICU and spent several days on a ventilator there before being transferred to the telemetry unit to continue monitoring my lungs. During this illness, I also developed sepsis, rhabdomyolysis, and significant blood clots throughout my entire body, including my lungs (pulmonary embolism). The concept of clots, embolisms and deep vein thrombosis has always scared me – like a ticking time bomb in your body that you don’t know about. And now I am faced with the symptoms of those ailments all at the same time.

I am extremely, extremely fortunate to have an incredible close circle to support me through this scare. The medical team that treated me saved my life, literally, and I will always be grateful for this gift. Thomas and my mother were at my side throughout the experience and nursed me back to health, as well as being rocks for each other during what was likely one of the scariest and most stressful times of their lives. My sister Jennifer and nieces Ryleigh and Avery dropped everything to get Mom to me as quickly as possible and take care of things back home for mom while she nurses me back to health.

Jess Dare did so much to take care of all of us. While I was still in the hospital, she and Thomas took such good care of Mom to keep her safe as she was otherwise alone in a big city and allowed me not to worry so much about her when the hospital wouldn’t allow her to be with me outside of visiting hours.

My road to recovery will take several months – I’m being treated with blood thinners to allow my body time to clear the blood clots. I will have to take things really, really easy for the foreseeable future. But, I’m so lucky that, aside from some minor memory issues and some physical pain from the clots, I will have no long-term impacts from this crisis. My lung capacity and overall physical endurance is coming back quickly. More importantly, my mind and heart have proven to be resilient and strong, both literally and figuratively.

This all culminates after some difficult months where I’ve acted as if everything has been okay, when it wasn’t really. I am still processing immense grief from my grandmother’s passing in April. I had also left my job several months ago, as COVID reorganizations led to ever-changing requirements and reporting to multiple people that exacerbated my existing anxiety challenges and led to deteriorating mental health.

I’m blessed with a new lease on life and have no intention of wasting it. This has been an eye-opening experience that has shown me how I’ve, in ways, lost parts of myself over the past few years that I really love and miss. My path forward will be dedicated to finding what I’ve lost, but also growing and blossoming into my next phase that I’ve been so blessed to have.

These realities have also led to some significant but short-term challenges to face, and I’m opening myself up and hoping to lean on my circle. Leaving my job led me to the loss of my insurance, at a time when I’ll be faced with medical bills that will reach into the hundreds of thousands. I have the immediate concerns of paying for the therapies (physical and mental) that are urgent needs for my recovery that will guide me through this traumatic event.

I am grateful to be in consideration for some new career opportunities, but am currently uninsured and have drained much of my savings while being unemployed.

I’ve started a GoFundMe to alleviate some of the financial impact from the life-saving care that I received, for any of those in my support circle are able and would like to contribute monetarily. I completely understand that times aren’t easy for many, and kind thoughts sends just as much support. This will be a short-lived difficult time for me, and I truly and humbly appreciate any contribution anyone would like to make. Hugs, smiles, and happy healing thoughts are just as beneficial to my recovery.

I cannot express how grateful and hopeful I am to have this second chance at life. This has been a life-changing event, and I’m choosing to look at that as a positive thing despite the traumatic experience.

With much love, always

DJ