Help with Monica's Medical Bills

Hi, it's Conner! Monica's daughter (her favorite & only).

I never thought I would be making a page like this for anyone, but with my mom's recent diagnosis, treatments & seeing first hand the toll it's taking on her- I feel compelled to help her however I can.

Over a year ago my mom began a small cough that then became constant. This cough is best explained as that itch in your throat that you just cannot get scratched. She could cough for up to 10 minutes with no relief. She was exhausted, her body was sore, she didn't like going in public & not one doctor had any answers.

Her main doctor recommended a scan & after that they noticed small nodules in her lungs & decided to do a biopsy. They retrieved bacteria that had grown & sent it off, still with no answers for us. They then did a transbronchial biopsy (down her throat) to take another sample. During this it caused internal bleeding which left her in the hospital for 4 days, still with no answers. All types of doctors came in after running a plethora of tests saying everything was negative & they didn't know what was causing the nodules, the coughing, low oxygen, fever, etc. I have truly never seen doctors so baffled.

Then we get to biopsy #3 of her lungs with another scan showing the nodules had grown pretty quickly. Terre Haute sent her to IU in Indianapolis where the bacteria they had taken from her biopsy had finally grown enough to be tested & we had an answer! FINALLY!

Mycobacterium avium complex. Also known as MAC.

Click here for a detailed description on the American Lung Association site.

In simple terms:

My mom began taking up to 5 antibiotics & an inhaler at first, meeting with a pulmonologist, an infectious disease doctor, her regular doctor as well as her cardiologist. Over a month or two those medicines were changed in & out to find the best treatment.

Then another appointment came up & we learn she's growing a new bacteria. Her infectious disease doctor wanted to knock this one out as quick as possible so they have put an I.V. port into her arm. Monday, Wednesday & Friday she has I.V. antibiotics we do at home. Friday a nurse comes to take blood, her vitals, etc. This will go on for 90 days until they can test again to see what's happening.

If you know my mom, you know she's an active person. She's always out with friends, we're always going to see the kids at rodeos, shopping, girl's days & more. But now she's exhausted most of the time. When she exerts any energy she begins coughing & can't stop. Even doing simple things such as sweeping the kitchen floor can send her into a coughing fit. She can cough for up to 15 or 20 minutes with no relief.

She's dealing with all of this, doctor's appointments once or twice a week, her body & muscles being sore constantly, headaches, losing weight from no appetite, her arm being sore from the I.V.- all while still working. Well, trying to work.

She has lightened her schedule but as a hair stylist, if she doesn't work, she isn't getting paid. She doesn't have paid sick days or vacation days. This has been a hindrance for her as she loves working, she loves the people she works with, she loves her clients; but working full-time, while wearing a mask (to try & protect herself & low immune system), surrounded by air filter machines (that we hope are helping) is wearing her down.

It's January so she hasn't hit her medical insurance deductible yet. Some of the medicines & treatments aren't covered by insurance so it's out of pocket.

Funds will be used for:

With the weight of these things off of her shoulders, she would be allowed to work less, rest more & be able to enjoy other things than making herself work.

If you donate, THANK YOU. I cannot thank you enough for the weight you are helping lift off of not only her shoulders, but the weight off of the shoulders of those who love her & are trying to help her.

If you don't feel comfortable donating online, message me, text me, leave a comment here, however you can contact me, let me know & we can figure out another way. Jennifer & the rest of the girls at the salon (Sorelle Dolce in Brazil) will also be accepting donations.

As she does more testing & hopefully gets more answers I will keep you all updated as well as I can. (Sometimes these medical things just go over my head!)