Help Gretchen Cope With Multiple Sclerosis

Hello my name is Gretchen and I am fundraising to help my family cope with the hardship since my diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. I had been a Veterinary Nurse for over 20 years and I absolutely loved my career. I was the breadwinner for my family; as my elderly mother and disabled brother live with me. I was good at taking care of them, my patients, my pets, my friends and my family. It is what I did, who I was. Now my family has to support and care for me. While they gladly help as much as they can, the financial strain of my illness has become unbearable. I never could have dreamed I would be here asking for help... and quite frankly it terrifies me.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic auto-immune disease that affects the central nervous system. In people with MS, the body's own immune system attacks the protective tissue surrounding nerve fibers in the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. When this coating, called myelin, is destroyed, scar tissue forms and the nerve impulses between the brain and the body are not transmitted properly. Depending on where the damage occurs, symptoms can be widely varied but some of the most common include problems with muscle control, balance, vision, or speech. Multiple Sclerosis is a life long and progressive disease. While there are treatments available to help slow disease progression in MS, there is no cure.

In October 2020 I was hospitalized and diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. The doctors found multiple lesions (scars from damaged myelin) in my brain, optic nerves, cervical and thoracic spine. At that point I had optic neuritis in my right eye, recurrent uveitis in my left eye and significant weakness on my right side. After 5 days in the hospital I was referred to a Neurologist specializing in MS at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in Little Rock, Arkansas.

My MS Specialist at UAMS is wonderful. She does as much as she can via video visit since Little Rock is over 4 hours away. Every trip there I need a driver as I can no longer drive myself. Some visits, like my infusions, require an overnight stay. That adds a hotel room to the travel expenses. My family has a single vehicle. Unfortunately it is my extremely well traveled 22 year old Jeep Cherokee. We have to drive the Jeep but it requires serious anxiety, sweet talking and prayer.

I was hospitalized again in May 2021 despite our concerted efforts to keep me far away from our overwhelmed health care system. When my doctor reclassified me to Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis (PPMS) it was like a physical blow. I knew it was coming. Until then I still had a sliver of hope my symptoms could go into remission and I could feel some kind of normal again. PPMS is the most debilitating form of MS, meaning I will likely steadily get worse as time goes on. I do have hope as some plateau's are possible but remission is unlikely.

Despite aggressive treatment my disease has progressed significantly over the last year. My vision has been seriously affected, I cannot walk without the assistance of a cane or walker, I suffer from vertigo and dizziness, falling down is a distinct possibility everyday. I have paraesthesia with tremors in both legs; spasms almost anywhere. My right side shows marked weakness, my left hand is numb and both hands/fingers will jerk uncontrollably so I drop things... often. I am in pain every day. Some days are worse than others, but there is pain every single day.

I have a smattering of cognitive deficits. My short term memory is spotty at best and my information processing speed is slowed. I struggle to find my words sometimes and my speech can be stilted and slowed. Multiple Sclerosis can cause or worsen depression. Some of my meds cause weight gain. My MS treatment has suppressed my immune system so I don't leave the house except for doctors appointments. Unfortunately, another side effect of my treatment is that my hair is falling out.

And the final indignity is the bone crushing fatigue. My legs feel like lead and I feel as though I can't make it another step. I can fall asleep talking to someone. I need a nap after getting up in the morning and taking a shower. Surprisingly, it really might be the worst part.

I applied for disability over a year ago but still haven't gotten a determination. My medical bills are piling up, honestly I don't even bother to open them to look anymore. My family has been supporting me while on a fixed income. We are economizing at every opportunity but Mom's Social Security check only goes so far. I cashed in my retirement account and our savings was exhausted long ago. The only way I have been able to give my beloved pets any care at all is through the good graces of the amazing veterinarians I was honored to work with. It humbles me to admit we are on food stamps now. Even more so that we have had to depend on our local food bank. We have scraped, stretched and borrowed. All our accounts are overdrawn now and all cards maxed or over the limit. We are struggling to just exist at this point.

Any help will be greatly appreciated and applied towards medical bills and essential daily living needs.