A NURSE INDEED BUT A NURSE IN NEED

Help for ALEX MARKICH RN

I initiated this GoFundMe page for my dear friend’s son. Alex is a 28-year-old young man, trying to raise monies for financial help with existing and ongoing medical bills.

He is currently on mandatory medical leave from his job at Bozeman Regional Medical Center, NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) due to chronic and severe migraines.

It's heartbreaking to see anyone suffering... not only physically, but now financially as well. His family has been helping financially and emotionally, they are his support group. But his need is more than even they can handle.

Alex has been struggling with migraines since April of 2019. He started down the road of seeing neurologists and trying medications. He received a general umbrella diagnosis and began an attempted treatment plan of intractable chronic migraines with tension headaches.

He exhausted neurological care in Pittsburgh and was referred to the Jefferson Migraine Clinic in Philadelphia. He was seen and treated there only to stump the doctors and just be administered more medication which didn't help.

He has seen doctors in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Washington, and Montana. All with the hope of finding and receiving a chronic diagnosis and treatment plan that has yet to come.

Throughout this process Alex has tried many medications from differing classes of drugs to find relief. These include: Triptans, SSRIs, Tricyclic Antidepressants, anti-seizure and psychotics, beta blockers, ace inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, immunosuppressants, nerve blockers, and many more.

In addition to the pharmaceutical trials, he has also had numerous differing scans and diagnostic testing performed. All yielding little guidance.

Medications that he has found some success with have been injectable CGRP blockers and the maximum Botox dosage. Unfortunately, both are extremely expensive and only seem to mildly suppress his symptoms. He also takes a laundry list of vitamins and supplements.

Here is where Alex is currently. As of April 2023, his head and migraine symptoms took a turn for the worse. Whereas now he is unable to work and is on unpaid medical leave from the NICU.

He has been in and out of the hospital receiving workups for a stroke and aneurysm. Alex was sent home from the hospital the week of May 7th, with a determination that, doctors aren't sure what is even going on.

Unfortunately, he cannot get the more acute migraine medications as he has passed the safe renal and hepatic dose of these drugs. All he was given was a referral to yet another neurologist.

With all the recurring bouts of his migraines and intermittent hospitalizations, they equal over a year that he has not been able to work.

All of this has resulted in the financial need for hospital, doctor and drug bills not covered by his insurance.

Although Alex has refused to give up hope of finding answers to treatment, what he is up against is a massive financial barrier.

There is still hope with leads of providers, new diagnostic testing, and Lord willing, even treatment that may be the answer he has been searching for.

SPECT scanning and consultation through the Amen clinic has been an area of study that shows promise.

Programs across the country give Alex optimism to move forward, but the financial aspects of these potential answers and treatments are insurmountable.

Even if help cannot be given in the form of money, your prayers, thoughts, and positive energy are more than helpful and GREATLY APPRECIATED.

Alex and his fiancé, Brittany, live in Bozeman MT. They are pursuing their passion of working in the NICU, it is a job they LOVE and find extremely rewarding.

THANK YOU!!!