Help Eblit Get Back on His Feet

Hellaur, my name is Eblit. Others may know me as Marvid. I'm a VTuber and Vsinger that streams on Twitch and releases song covers on Twitter and YouTube. I also work as a songwriter, music producer, and mixer.

Recently I have had a foot issue that seemingly has come out of nowhere and impacted my life in all aspects. Initially, I had thought it was a gout attack, a form of arthritis I've previously been diagnosed with that causes inflammation and pain in certain joints (with this recent attack happening in my big toe). However, the inflammation has died down and the pain has only increased along with stiffness making it difficult to move my joints/muscles. The pain and stiffness have also been quite random in intensity and location. While the pain is consistent in my foot and ankle (no longer just my toe), other pain, swelling, and stiffness have come and gone in different parts of my legs.

It's already been three weeks and it doesn't seem to be getting any better. Currently, my right knee muscle has become inflamed and the pain is unbearable. It's also really stiff and I can't fully straighten it. My right calf has noticeably shrunken in size due to being off the leg and not using the muscle as much (I was using a walking boot for a couple of weeks to take the pressure off the leg muscles and to get around easier). There have been a few days where I chose not to eat because the pain was too much to walk on and I couldn't get to the kitchen to prepare food. I also haven't had a full night's rest in several days. It takes a while for me to finally sleep and when I do I'm awoken by the pain 30 minutes to a couple hours later.

For sure I need to see a doctor right away. But I'm afraid of the expenses that may come with the doctor's visit. Not knowing what this is, they may need to run tests or may have to undergo treatment or, even worse, surgery. All of that seems very costly. I also make my living through mixing, songwriting, and music production. Originally I wanted to push through and work on my commissions to save up. However, I've since paused all my work as it's too difficult to be upright for more than a couple of hours and to focus on having it heal. But with it getting worse, I don't think this is something I can wait out to get better.

So, with the urging of my friends and because I have run out of options, I decided to start a GoFundMe to help raise funds to get treatment and get me back on my feet. The amount I'm asking for may be high but I live in the US where healthcare is messed up and going to the doctor's could result in an insane amount of bills. Not knowing what this is and with how bad my legs are becoming, this is something I'm really afraid of. I'm also in California, the 2nd most expensive state, where the cost of living is super high. Not being able to consistently work means I'll be having issues keeping up with bills, food, and rent.

While I don't have any expectations for this GoFundMe, any support is greatly appreciated. While the main priority is seeing a doctor and getting treatment, any additional funds left over will be used to help me stay afloat in living expenses while this heals. I may also use some money to buy crutches in case this happens again and to get around the house easier.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and checking out my GoFundMe. If you do end up supporting me, I truly appreciate you and am extremely grateful. This world has shown me that there can be kindness in strangers, and I'm hoping that will be the case here.