Amy's Emergency Expenses Fund

Junkyard Amy Lee needs some help ya'll.

As some of you know, I have a lot of pride- I'm also stubborn. I work long hours, and I work hard in what can be a brutal industry. I'm a security manager at a local Seattle venue and a bouncer at a local dive bar.
I also perform full time, averaging several shows a month both as a solo folk singer/guitarist, and as frontwoman for the heavy metal band Substratum.
Occasionally I sing in other projects out of town, in Portland, OR and Phoenix, AZ. I'm proud of my ability to juggle all of this, in addition to my jewelry business. I consider myself very fortunate to be able to pursue these goals and dreams alongside some of the most amazingly talented and creative people I have ever met.

So, this is hard for me to do, but here I am.

Over the last few years starting in 2009, I've had recurring episodes of Bell's Palsy (a temporary and partial paralysis of one side of the face, generally assumed to be caused by a viral inflammation of the facial nerve)
 
Most recently, (January 19th) it returned on the left side of my face. The initial symptoms- muscle twitching, tingling, numbness, loss of taste and finally paralysis resulting in a drooping of the face come about alarmingly fast, similar to a stroke.
I left the ER then with a pretty hefty bill, but no concrete answers aside from the assumption that it was stress induced, possibly triggered by a recent cold, a pinched nerve and the doctor coined it, "an unfortunate circumstance." I was prescribed Prednisone, Valtrex and Cephalexin, and I just had to wait. I took a couple of days off and hoped for the best. I had studio time booked and needed to record, a handful of important shows coming up and other things to worry about. As I began to show progress in my recovery I began to focus again on work and performing.

March 24th, my symptoms returned, but this time on the opposite side of my face - although Bell's Palsy is actually fairly common, for it to return so abruptly and in such a way, is not. I was scheduled immediately for an MRI, CT scan and some minimal blood work during my ER visit. So far those tests have come back negative (which is good) but the team of doctors strongly suggested I schedule an appointment with the Neurology team at Swedish for additional testing. The concern is that this may be a symptom of an underlying issue, such as MS, Lupus, or some other immuno-deficiency disorder. I have yet to schedule my appointment.

At the time of my ER visits, I was not covered by insurance, and I am currently in the process of enrolling now - it's been a frustrating process, so until then I will have to wait before I can continue getting to the bottom of this. 
I have found a wonderful sliding scale acupuncture clinic in my neighborhood, and the practitioners there have been very kind and helpful in giving me some relief - but until I'm able to get back on my feet I can't continue to utilize their services.

In the meantime, I am asking my friends, fans, family and loved ones for help paying the bills I have accumulated. I had to take a substantial amount of time off of work (missing shifts at both jobs) and an advance that has set me back severely - I've been unable to pay my rent and phone bill in full, I've received utility shut off notices and my internet is disabled.

Why is this so important, and why are you hearing about this now? Well I've kept it off of Facebook for the most part, my coworkers, band mates and close circle of friends are aware of what's going on. This condition affects my ability to speak or sing, my ability to pronounce and enunciate certain hard consonants. It affects my ability to communicate clearly over the radio at work. It affects my ability to eat, chew, and drink with a straw - I can't close my mouth without great difficulty. I can't blink or move my eyebrow. I tape my eye shut while I sleep to avoid scratching it with debris or fibers from my bedding.
Although I will eventually regain strength in the muscles of my face, the possibility of this returning, the possibility of potential permanent nerve damage, the possibility of some other underlying issue, is very real right now. Knowing that a wrench can be thrown in my gears at any moment? Not really looking forward to that.

So, not the greatest scenario for somebody trying to avoid stress during a stress induced emergency, huh?

I'm hoping with your help I can get a jump start on this process - getting back on the road to health and happiness, getting some answers to all of this, finding a team of doctors who can navigate this with me, and returning to life as I know it- working full time and performing as I want to. I'm refusing to let this set me back any further. Music and performance is my life, and my gift to share with you. If I have ever affected you, inspired you, or moved you in any way - Please, take a moment to consider my request for a donation towards my expenses.
Thank you and much love,
- Amy Lee