Help Pamela Fountaine Fight MoyaMoya Disease!
Donation protected
As many of you know my wife recently had a stroke in December 2018, and was Diagnosed with MoyaMoya Disease. MoyaMoya Disease is a rare progressive cerebralvascular disorder caused by blocked arteries at the base of the brain, which results in reduced blood and oxygen flow to the brain. It causes Strokes, TIA's, Seizures, Cognitive Decline, Vision problems (just to name a few). There is no cure.
She will need to have multiple surgeries and angiograms over the next Two Years. While we do have decent medical insurance, Unfortunately my VA Disability payment is simply not enough to cover all the additional co-pays, travel, childcare, and vehicle expenses, that will be necessary.
She had her recent Angiogram done on January 7th with Dr. Robbi Franklin, and will be having her first surgery within the next 4 weeks. We will update with the exact surgery date.
Let me tell you a little more about us...
My wife and I have been married for 11 years. In September of 2008 we were blessed with our beautiful daughter. In October of 2014 I was medically retired from the U.S. Army. We struggled at first, but we always made ends meet. My wife has been a homeschooling mom, dedicated to Girl Scouting with our daughter, and the glue that holds our family together. Until September she was working part time on top of her already busy schedule, when she decided that she needed to take time off work to focus on medical issues.
Pamela's Medical Struggles...
Through my time in the Army she complained to Doctors in Georgia, Oklahoma, Florida and Kentucky about vision problems, light headedness, nausea and headaches. About 8 years ago she began complaining more frequently about the headaches as well as pressure in her head. She was told it was allergies. She figured maybe they were right, since we had recently moved to a new state. Still none of the allergy medicines seemed to work.
About 2 1/2 years ago she started complaining about tingling and numbness in her right arm, hand and fingers. Bloodwork was always run, but nothing was found. My wife had given up on the Doctors by this point. In November 2017 Bloodwork was run and came back NORMAL. In August of 2018 she complained to the Doctor again about the tingling and numbness in her arm, which had now turned into affecting both hands, and explained that she had been having tingling/numb sensations in her face around her mouth and her chin. Again she had more Bloodwork run, this time the Doctor had her tested for Lyme disease and checked her Thyroid AGAIN. Guess what?!?! The tests came back normal! That was that, no referral...nothing!
Because of my wife's mental decline, she started thinking she was Bipolar. She couldn't understand the way she was feeling. For the last several years she has been more emotional, agitated, grumpy, and just seemed downright depressed. We were arguing ALOT. She seemed less interested in doing things she once loved, but when she was around others she was good at putting on her happy face! I was honestly thinking my wife was losing her mind.
*THEN IT HAPPENED!
On the evening of December 10, 2018 my wife complained about tingling/numbness on the left side of her face. She didn't think anything of it as the Doctors never seemed to be concerned (her bloodwork always came back good). Unfortunately this wasn't one of those come and go tingles, but we didn't know it at the time.
When she woke up the morning of December 11th she first noticed it was hard to open her left eye, the entire left side of her body was weak. She just thought she was tired. She made herself a coffee and even proceeded to tend to the chickens. It wasn't until she picked up her coffee and tried to take a drink that she realized there was a serious problem. She texted me a picture- Her entire left side of her face was drooping! She was more concerned that she couldn't smile than anything!
I rushed home, and drove her to Blanchfield Army Hospital where they immediately hooked her up to a EKG and sent her for a CT scan which confirmed a stroke and showed multiple blood clots in her brain as well as some "abnormalities" They couldn't tell me anything more. Next thing I knew she was being transported by Ambulance to Nashville! What? How could this be happening? My wife is only 37 years old!
Once she arrived in Nashville at Tristar Skyline Medical Center she was sent immediately for another CT scan, X-ray, and MRI. She was kept in the Neuro Intensive Care Unit. The next morning the doctors consulted Dr. Robbi Franklin. Because she had a stroke at such a young age he ordered a arterialgram of her brain. So early the next morning after fasting, my wife was sent for one final test to find some answers.
The Diagnosis
Later that day the Neurologist came to speak with my wife while she was still in the ICU. He had answers, just not the ones we wanted. My wife was told she has a Rare incurable Brain Disease called MoyaMoya (say what? We had never heard of it before!) MANY tears were shed! Because of Dr. Franklin we FINALLY had a diagnosis, even though it wasn't what we wanted to hear.
After talking with the Doctors, everything my wife has been going through over the last 9 years all of a sudden made sense. He said my wife has had this for a long time, her brain has basically been a ticking time bomb waiting to go off. The numbness and tingles?- It turns out My wife had been having TIA's (Transient ischemic attacks or mini strokes)!
Let's talk about Surgery
Fortunately Dr. Robbi Franklin with Nashville Neurosurgery Group has had experience with MoyaMoya Disease, and there are surgeries he can do to help restore the blood flow to my Wife's brain. This won't prevent her from having strokes or TIA's in the future, and it isn't a cure. What we hope these surgeries will do is allow my wife to live a better life, and reduce the amount of strokes she has. He plans to do 2 types of surgery indirect and direct bypass. He will try to take arteries from her scalp to connect to blood vessels in her brain. The direct bypass surgery does come with many risks, but it will be the fastest way to restore blood flow to her brain.
For more information about MoyaMoya please google MoyaMoya Disease, or visit the link below.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/moyamoya-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20355586
Since MoyaMoya Disease is a very progressive brain disease surgery is our only hope. Without surgery my Wife's physical and Mental state will continue to decline. Now that she's had her first stroke they will become more frequent, which could lead to aneurysm and bleeding in the brain. We don't want to see that happen. Surgery is a must!
We need her to be as stress free as possible, and right now she has been feeling like she's a financial burden. That is why I am swallowing my pride and asking for help.
We understand that you may not be in the position to spare anything, so we are asking first for your thoughts and prayers.
If you are able to help we appreciate and thank you very much from the bottom of our hearts. Please help support my wife in her fight against MoyaMoya!
She will need to have multiple surgeries and angiograms over the next Two Years. While we do have decent medical insurance, Unfortunately my VA Disability payment is simply not enough to cover all the additional co-pays, travel, childcare, and vehicle expenses, that will be necessary.
She had her recent Angiogram done on January 7th with Dr. Robbi Franklin, and will be having her first surgery within the next 4 weeks. We will update with the exact surgery date.
Let me tell you a little more about us...
My wife and I have been married for 11 years. In September of 2008 we were blessed with our beautiful daughter. In October of 2014 I was medically retired from the U.S. Army. We struggled at first, but we always made ends meet. My wife has been a homeschooling mom, dedicated to Girl Scouting with our daughter, and the glue that holds our family together. Until September she was working part time on top of her already busy schedule, when she decided that she needed to take time off work to focus on medical issues.
Pamela's Medical Struggles...
Through my time in the Army she complained to Doctors in Georgia, Oklahoma, Florida and Kentucky about vision problems, light headedness, nausea and headaches. About 8 years ago she began complaining more frequently about the headaches as well as pressure in her head. She was told it was allergies. She figured maybe they were right, since we had recently moved to a new state. Still none of the allergy medicines seemed to work.
About 2 1/2 years ago she started complaining about tingling and numbness in her right arm, hand and fingers. Bloodwork was always run, but nothing was found. My wife had given up on the Doctors by this point. In November 2017 Bloodwork was run and came back NORMAL. In August of 2018 she complained to the Doctor again about the tingling and numbness in her arm, which had now turned into affecting both hands, and explained that she had been having tingling/numb sensations in her face around her mouth and her chin. Again she had more Bloodwork run, this time the Doctor had her tested for Lyme disease and checked her Thyroid AGAIN. Guess what?!?! The tests came back normal! That was that, no referral...nothing!
Because of my wife's mental decline, she started thinking she was Bipolar. She couldn't understand the way she was feeling. For the last several years she has been more emotional, agitated, grumpy, and just seemed downright depressed. We were arguing ALOT. She seemed less interested in doing things she once loved, but when she was around others she was good at putting on her happy face! I was honestly thinking my wife was losing her mind.
*THEN IT HAPPENED!
On the evening of December 10, 2018 my wife complained about tingling/numbness on the left side of her face. She didn't think anything of it as the Doctors never seemed to be concerned (her bloodwork always came back good). Unfortunately this wasn't one of those come and go tingles, but we didn't know it at the time.
When she woke up the morning of December 11th she first noticed it was hard to open her left eye, the entire left side of her body was weak. She just thought she was tired. She made herself a coffee and even proceeded to tend to the chickens. It wasn't until she picked up her coffee and tried to take a drink that she realized there was a serious problem. She texted me a picture- Her entire left side of her face was drooping! She was more concerned that she couldn't smile than anything!
I rushed home, and drove her to Blanchfield Army Hospital where they immediately hooked her up to a EKG and sent her for a CT scan which confirmed a stroke and showed multiple blood clots in her brain as well as some "abnormalities" They couldn't tell me anything more. Next thing I knew she was being transported by Ambulance to Nashville! What? How could this be happening? My wife is only 37 years old!
Once she arrived in Nashville at Tristar Skyline Medical Center she was sent immediately for another CT scan, X-ray, and MRI. She was kept in the Neuro Intensive Care Unit. The next morning the doctors consulted Dr. Robbi Franklin. Because she had a stroke at such a young age he ordered a arterialgram of her brain. So early the next morning after fasting, my wife was sent for one final test to find some answers.
The Diagnosis
Later that day the Neurologist came to speak with my wife while she was still in the ICU. He had answers, just not the ones we wanted. My wife was told she has a Rare incurable Brain Disease called MoyaMoya (say what? We had never heard of it before!) MANY tears were shed! Because of Dr. Franklin we FINALLY had a diagnosis, even though it wasn't what we wanted to hear.
After talking with the Doctors, everything my wife has been going through over the last 9 years all of a sudden made sense. He said my wife has had this for a long time, her brain has basically been a ticking time bomb waiting to go off. The numbness and tingles?- It turns out My wife had been having TIA's (Transient ischemic attacks or mini strokes)!
Let's talk about Surgery
Fortunately Dr. Robbi Franklin with Nashville Neurosurgery Group has had experience with MoyaMoya Disease, and there are surgeries he can do to help restore the blood flow to my Wife's brain. This won't prevent her from having strokes or TIA's in the future, and it isn't a cure. What we hope these surgeries will do is allow my wife to live a better life, and reduce the amount of strokes she has. He plans to do 2 types of surgery indirect and direct bypass. He will try to take arteries from her scalp to connect to blood vessels in her brain. The direct bypass surgery does come with many risks, but it will be the fastest way to restore blood flow to her brain.
For more information about MoyaMoya please google MoyaMoya Disease, or visit the link below.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/moyamoya-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20355586
Since MoyaMoya Disease is a very progressive brain disease surgery is our only hope. Without surgery my Wife's physical and Mental state will continue to decline. Now that she's had her first stroke they will become more frequent, which could lead to aneurysm and bleeding in the brain. We don't want to see that happen. Surgery is a must!
We need her to be as stress free as possible, and right now she has been feeling like she's a financial burden. That is why I am swallowing my pride and asking for help.
We understand that you may not be in the position to spare anything, so we are asking first for your thoughts and prayers.
If you are able to help we appreciate and thank you very much from the bottom of our hearts. Please help support my wife in her fight against MoyaMoya!
Organizer
Anthony Fountaine
Organizer
Oak Grove, KY