Mike's Hands - Ongoing Updates
Donation protected
Hello there!
My name is Michael Jennings and I need your help. I'll get into all the nitty-gritty details shortly, but right now I'll keep it candid - my hands are pretty messed up.
In fact, they are so messed up that in the past 5 years I have gone from being an avid outdoor rock climber and a pretty darn good guitar player (if I may toot an old horn) to now having only 7 fingers and living with chronic pain in my fingers, hands, and wrists. Within the year 2020, the condition of my hands has drastically worsened; sounds on par for 2020, right? Currently, I have trouble doing most things with my hands: picking up heavy objects is a no-go, making a fist is a pipe-dream, doing pushups on the ground feels like my hands and fingers will explode due to the tightness of my tendons and weakness of the joints. Thankfully, typing this out right now isn't painful but it is a pain in the ass (not literally, thankfully). Growing up my parents told me how "special" I was, I'm realizing just how right they are!
For the longest time, I have felt that not only could I live with my conditions, but that I could cope with them. To an extent that is true and will remain true, but every day I am learning more and more that my condition is affecting my work life, personal life, and so much more.
Now that you've made it this far so you may be wondering, "What is your condition?" Well, this is where it gets complicated. I'll share what I know in layman's terms for the both of us, and then I will share a fancy medical article I am proudly featured in. I have erosive arthritis in my hands and feet (specifically fingers and toes), meaning that my joints literally erode away. I have a SEVERE case of keloids, meaning that my body drastically overproduces scar tissue in areas of trauma. The keloids have presented the largest obstacle in finding a cure/solution for my issues as this makes it incredibly difficult and complicated to perform surgeries that might otherwise help me. In my case, the keloids are not just a cosmetic concern, they are incredibly painful and limit mobility if they exist on, or near, a joint. My keloids have been a big factor in the amputation of some of my fingers. Doctors have even noted that I have scar tissue apparent underneath my skin, this has presented mobility issues as well.
Lastly, and this one is the kicker, polyfibromatosis. Polyfibromatosis is a rare condition in which several cutaneous fibrotic conditions, such as Dupuytren's contracture, keloid formation, and plantar fibromatosis, may coexist. Well, believe it or not, I have all of those! Dupuytren's contracture, the development of nodules in the palm that contract the fingers, is usually present in people over 50. My doctors are stunned that I am only 26 years old and yet I possess such a severe case of Dupuytren's Contracture. Plantar fibromatosis is the presence of nodules on the bottom of the feet that make walking/standing painful at times.
I've attached an article here from the Mayo Clinic that gives more of an explanation from a medical standpoint of the conditions I have. Unfortunately, no doctor so far has really been able to nail down a diagnosis that contains all the answers I'm searching for. I have had my blood sent to Norway for advanced testing, only to receive no answers or leads. Additionally, I haven't found a doctor who has been able to help me slow or prevent my worsening conditions.
"What exactly do you need help with?" Well, fortunately, I can still wipe my own butt so I don't need help with that, but I do need your help financially. I am trying to find a doctor who can actually help me save my hands. Whether it be via stem cell therapy or a new medicine/procedure. In order to make this happen, I have been told by my current physician that I need to get my foot in the door at esteemed medical research facilities in New York City or California. The funds raised by this campaign will help me travel to see the best doctors in the country and cover medical costs for treatment when (not if) it comes to that. See what I did there with the "not if?" That's positivity and good vibes channeling through my crappy hands on this keyboard, zipping through the internet at light-speed, and now on your screen and into your mind! I hope you are smiling because I am!
Currently, I'm in the early stages of correspondence with places like New York University's Langone Medical Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, UCSF Medical Center, UCLA Medical Center, and the Dupuytren's Center of California. I am not limiting myself to just NYC and CA, but they seem to be the most hopeful currently.
Ultimately, I wish I could say that there is a definite treatment option available to me that would help, but I cannot... yet. It isn't easy asking for help, and up until now I have been pretty darn independent, but it is time to accept it and start asking. With the directions that things and going, I better get used to it because I'm going to need it. That's humbling, to say the least.
I write this with an understanding that this year has been difficult for pretty much everyone, I also understand that we are all a bit preoccupied financially. With that being said, if you're unable to help with a donation, don't fret. I would appreciate it if you could simply share this fundraiser! The more eyes that see this, the closer we are to finding answers! And who knows, maybe there is someone out there like me searching for answers too!
Thank you for taking the time to read this, I truly appreciate your interest and support.
With love,
Michael
My name is Michael Jennings and I need your help. I'll get into all the nitty-gritty details shortly, but right now I'll keep it candid - my hands are pretty messed up.
In fact, they are so messed up that in the past 5 years I have gone from being an avid outdoor rock climber and a pretty darn good guitar player (if I may toot an old horn) to now having only 7 fingers and living with chronic pain in my fingers, hands, and wrists. Within the year 2020, the condition of my hands has drastically worsened; sounds on par for 2020, right? Currently, I have trouble doing most things with my hands: picking up heavy objects is a no-go, making a fist is a pipe-dream, doing pushups on the ground feels like my hands and fingers will explode due to the tightness of my tendons and weakness of the joints. Thankfully, typing this out right now isn't painful but it is a pain in the ass (not literally, thankfully). Growing up my parents told me how "special" I was, I'm realizing just how right they are!
For the longest time, I have felt that not only could I live with my conditions, but that I could cope with them. To an extent that is true and will remain true, but every day I am learning more and more that my condition is affecting my work life, personal life, and so much more.
Now that you've made it this far so you may be wondering, "What is your condition?" Well, this is where it gets complicated. I'll share what I know in layman's terms for the both of us, and then I will share a fancy medical article I am proudly featured in. I have erosive arthritis in my hands and feet (specifically fingers and toes), meaning that my joints literally erode away. I have a SEVERE case of keloids, meaning that my body drastically overproduces scar tissue in areas of trauma. The keloids have presented the largest obstacle in finding a cure/solution for my issues as this makes it incredibly difficult and complicated to perform surgeries that might otherwise help me. In my case, the keloids are not just a cosmetic concern, they are incredibly painful and limit mobility if they exist on, or near, a joint. My keloids have been a big factor in the amputation of some of my fingers. Doctors have even noted that I have scar tissue apparent underneath my skin, this has presented mobility issues as well.
Lastly, and this one is the kicker, polyfibromatosis. Polyfibromatosis is a rare condition in which several cutaneous fibrotic conditions, such as Dupuytren's contracture, keloid formation, and plantar fibromatosis, may coexist. Well, believe it or not, I have all of those! Dupuytren's contracture, the development of nodules in the palm that contract the fingers, is usually present in people over 50. My doctors are stunned that I am only 26 years old and yet I possess such a severe case of Dupuytren's Contracture. Plantar fibromatosis is the presence of nodules on the bottom of the feet that make walking/standing painful at times.
I've attached an article here from the Mayo Clinic that gives more of an explanation from a medical standpoint of the conditions I have. Unfortunately, no doctor so far has really been able to nail down a diagnosis that contains all the answers I'm searching for. I have had my blood sent to Norway for advanced testing, only to receive no answers or leads. Additionally, I haven't found a doctor who has been able to help me slow or prevent my worsening conditions.
"What exactly do you need help with?" Well, fortunately, I can still wipe my own butt so I don't need help with that, but I do need your help financially. I am trying to find a doctor who can actually help me save my hands. Whether it be via stem cell therapy or a new medicine/procedure. In order to make this happen, I have been told by my current physician that I need to get my foot in the door at esteemed medical research facilities in New York City or California. The funds raised by this campaign will help me travel to see the best doctors in the country and cover medical costs for treatment when (not if) it comes to that. See what I did there with the "not if?" That's positivity and good vibes channeling through my crappy hands on this keyboard, zipping through the internet at light-speed, and now on your screen and into your mind! I hope you are smiling because I am!
Currently, I'm in the early stages of correspondence with places like New York University's Langone Medical Center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, UCSF Medical Center, UCLA Medical Center, and the Dupuytren's Center of California. I am not limiting myself to just NYC and CA, but they seem to be the most hopeful currently.
Ultimately, I wish I could say that there is a definite treatment option available to me that would help, but I cannot... yet. It isn't easy asking for help, and up until now I have been pretty darn independent, but it is time to accept it and start asking. With the directions that things and going, I better get used to it because I'm going to need it. That's humbling, to say the least.
I write this with an understanding that this year has been difficult for pretty much everyone, I also understand that we are all a bit preoccupied financially. With that being said, if you're unable to help with a donation, don't fret. I would appreciate it if you could simply share this fundraiser! The more eyes that see this, the closer we are to finding answers! And who knows, maybe there is someone out there like me searching for answers too!
Thank you for taking the time to read this, I truly appreciate your interest and support.
With love,
Michael
Organizer
Michael Jennings
Organizer
Phoenix, AZ