Kwiecinski Syndrome
Our girl Karen is sick. And she needs our help. The problem is, she will never ask for help herself. She's one of the most selfless people I know but one of those reluctant to take from others. But I'm here to tell you she needs it and why.
A few months ago someone asked me if I heard this crazy sounding story about Karen. I was told something like, "Her fingers are falling off...". I didn't think this sounded right. I'd seen her on Facebook here and there and nothing seemed amiss. I thought about contacting her sister but I didn't even know how to ask something that sounded so outlandish. And then someone posted the photo. The one of her all bandaged up. That opened the door for me to message Karen and ask. What she told me was frightening.
I'm going to give the short version here, but on my blog I will give her whole story, in her words, so you can fully understand the scope of what she's been going through, QUIETLY, with the support of her husband and family.
There is no name for what she has. The doctors are calling it "Kwiecinski Syndrome" because she seems to be the only one, at least at this point. It's been almost a year that she's been dealing with excruciating pain, necrosis of her fingers and possibly her toes, amputations, prostheses, trial & error medications, chemo, fatigue, and whatever else comes along with not being able to do much for herself or work. Yet- if you see her on Facebook, you'd NEVER know she was going through all this. She's still...Karen.
Of course her medical bills are mounting like crazy, bureaucratic red tape has kept her from getting disability payments, and it's scary! Her doctors have told her AND NJ Disability that she can't work. They've sent photos of her fingers. Even when you have health insurance, co-pays mount like mad, and when doctors don't know what's wrong with you, they just experiment. Well, their experimentation, while helpful, can cost thousands upon thousands of dollars. But when you're sick, what else can you do but accept the treatments.
Karen and Antony did not WANT to have to ask for help. When I finally found out what was going on, I asked her three months ago why no one set up a page like this for her and then asked if I could. She was so thankful for the gesture but wasn't ready to accept. I would say I harassed her into it by explaining how she is always there for everyone one else, so it's time to let people be there for her. That there are people with gofundme pages to pay their kids SAG dues. That everyone would rally because they love her and they want to do SOMETHING. So that's what I HOPE you all will do. Because you know that whether you've seen or spoken to her in ten years or ten days, she'd have your back.
I hadn't seen Karen in years when my mom passed away in 2009. It happened suddenly, and Karen appeared out of nowhere. Organizing and taking care of food from Big Jims, she was just there, for days. She didn't have to be. But that's who she is- someone needs her, she's there. If there's a funeral for someone's parent- she's there. A birthday, a shower, a wedding, an illness, a graduation- any milestone, she's there without question.
I used a photo of her I stole off her Facebook page from better times, at a Jimmy Buffet concert, because I want her to be able to smile like that again, pain-free. She has more surgeries to endure and there still is no real diagnosis for why this is all happening to her, but with all your help, she'll get to where she needs to go.
You can give any amount and it can be anonymous. Even $5 adds up.
Here is the link to my blog entry with her full story:
http://knowitallinnj.blogspot.com/2015/08/kwiecinski-syndrome-help-for-karen.html
