Claryssa Billman Medical Fund

My name is Claryssa. My husband, Garrett, and I have been married for four years. Throughout this time, we have seen many life changes- some good and some not so good. As these changes have come, we’ve found that relying on one another, our faith in God, and our friends/family makes all the difference. It is now with great humility that we share the events of this past year.

     Beginning May '22, I found myself in the ER for another Kidney Stone (this one bringing the total to 5 since 2019). The 5 mm stone was blocking my right ureter which in turn caused an infection. All of this led to surgery, a couple of stent placements, two different hospital stays, another infection that became sepsis, and multiple ER visits. This was a very trying time for us, but we knew this was only a temporary condition and relief would soon come. Or so we thought...

     Fast forward to January '23, during my annual eye exam, my optometrist suggested having retinal imaging to get base line pictures. No big deal. I had been experiencing some slight vision changes (blurriness, headaches behind right eye, & fatigue) but didn't think much of it. To our surprise, the images showed that my optic nerves were slightly swollen. Concerned, my doctor referred me to an eye specialist for further eval. 

     Now here is where it gets fun. The eye specialist did various tests and concluded that I probably have a condition called Pseudotumor Cerebri (aka Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension). There is a lot involved with this, but basically it's an increase of pressure in my skull that has no obvious cause. The symptoms can mimic a brain tumor. Without care, vision loss is possible. You can find more info via this link https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pseudotumor-cerebri/symptoms-causes/syc-20354031. My next steps include meeting with a Care Team at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN this coming June. This will entail an 18-hour drive round trip, a 10-day stay, & various testing/appointments. I have a good feeling about seeking this care and hope to find answers soon.

  This past year has not been easy, and it is with humble hearts that we now reach out to this community for support. We appreciate everything that each one of our family members, friends, and colleagues have done so far. Without you, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Thank you in advance for your continued love, well wishes, support, donations, and prayers.

                                                                        

Love always, Claryssa & Garrett

     P.S. Special thanks go out to Brittney Helbling and Andrea Seidler for putting this together on my behalf. Thank you for being amazing colleagues and friends.