Help Heather Heal
Donation protected
Hello, my name is Heather. I have always been an active outdoor person. I move to Lake Tahoe in 1998 so I could fully live out my active lifestyle.
Shortly after the birth of my daughter in 2008, I started having aches and arthritis type pains. Since I was so young, of 32, I was tested and dismissed for rheumatoid arthritis. Not wanting to go through medical loop holes, I decided to deal with the pain and manage with over the counter medication which never helped.
A year and half later, I started developing digestive problems. I endured many procedures and surgeries only to be told I was unremarkably healthy and nothing was wrong. Even though I lost 100 lbs and my ribs shows through my clothing. More investigation into this issue by my own persistence led them to taking out my gallbladder in 2014.
I still have all the same symptoms that I had before they took it out. I have been to urgent care and the emergency room many times.
On February 24, 2015 I had a heart attack at my desk in front of students. Years of palpitations and now I thought I was a goner.
I have been misdiagnosed with and have symptoms of ulcers, arthritis, IBS, chronic fatigue syndrome, stage 3 heart block, pericarditis, endometriosis, ocular migraines, have lost more than 100 pounds, and the more doctors I see the more theories they have.
I have seen doctor after doctor only to be told I am depressed and causing myself to feel this way. I would love to take my daughter and dogs for hikes and show them the beautiful Tahoe I grew to love but I can’t make it up my own stairs without having shortness of breath and needing to rest.
Through all my pain and suffering, I managed to get a degree in secondary math education. My students have watched my health slow decline over the last few years, and have watched me suffer from various symptoms.
Kids need positive healthy role models in their lives, it is becoming harder to be that positive uplifting person they need when I am dealing with my health. They are used to seeing stressed out adults, and now their loving fun math teacher is turning the same.
In February of 2017 I was diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease. After a month of antibiotics new symptoms started to emerge. Scary life threatening symptoms. My doctor stopped the Lyme treatment due to the unknown cause of low oxygen levels, muscle weakness, and shortness of breath.
I was sent to a pulmonologist at the same time as receiving a 23 & me health risk report that red flagged me for a genetic disorder called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. The pulmonary doctor confirmed these results with a blood test and began testing and treatments.
Alpha-1 is a protein made in the liver that turns off your immune system and primarily protects your lungs. I have both lung and liver function symptoms.
I have stage 2 emphysema and COPD. I am on 4 different breathing medications and 24/7 oxygen. The stage of my liver disease is unknown at this point but I am scheduled for a liver biopsy on October 4th to see the extent of the damage given my rare disease. I am also on medication for fibromyalgia caused by inflammation in my vascular system.
I have not only suffered from this for many years, but my family has had to endure the wrath that this sickness has had on me. I have already spend all of our extra funds on doctor co-pays, labs and procedures that gave me no results.
Anyone that knows me, knows I hate asking for help; I'm a stubborn, I'll do it myself kinda girl. So for me to ask, I truly need help!!
Anything helps, even a share!!
Please,
Shortly after the birth of my daughter in 2008, I started having aches and arthritis type pains. Since I was so young, of 32, I was tested and dismissed for rheumatoid arthritis. Not wanting to go through medical loop holes, I decided to deal with the pain and manage with over the counter medication which never helped.
A year and half later, I started developing digestive problems. I endured many procedures and surgeries only to be told I was unremarkably healthy and nothing was wrong. Even though I lost 100 lbs and my ribs shows through my clothing. More investigation into this issue by my own persistence led them to taking out my gallbladder in 2014.
I still have all the same symptoms that I had before they took it out. I have been to urgent care and the emergency room many times.
On February 24, 2015 I had a heart attack at my desk in front of students. Years of palpitations and now I thought I was a goner.
I have been misdiagnosed with and have symptoms of ulcers, arthritis, IBS, chronic fatigue syndrome, stage 3 heart block, pericarditis, endometriosis, ocular migraines, have lost more than 100 pounds, and the more doctors I see the more theories they have.
I have seen doctor after doctor only to be told I am depressed and causing myself to feel this way. I would love to take my daughter and dogs for hikes and show them the beautiful Tahoe I grew to love but I can’t make it up my own stairs without having shortness of breath and needing to rest.
Through all my pain and suffering, I managed to get a degree in secondary math education. My students have watched my health slow decline over the last few years, and have watched me suffer from various symptoms.
Kids need positive healthy role models in their lives, it is becoming harder to be that positive uplifting person they need when I am dealing with my health. They are used to seeing stressed out adults, and now their loving fun math teacher is turning the same.
In February of 2017 I was diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease. After a month of antibiotics new symptoms started to emerge. Scary life threatening symptoms. My doctor stopped the Lyme treatment due to the unknown cause of low oxygen levels, muscle weakness, and shortness of breath.
I was sent to a pulmonologist at the same time as receiving a 23 & me health risk report that red flagged me for a genetic disorder called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency. The pulmonary doctor confirmed these results with a blood test and began testing and treatments.
Alpha-1 is a protein made in the liver that turns off your immune system and primarily protects your lungs. I have both lung and liver function symptoms.
I have stage 2 emphysema and COPD. I am on 4 different breathing medications and 24/7 oxygen. The stage of my liver disease is unknown at this point but I am scheduled for a liver biopsy on October 4th to see the extent of the damage given my rare disease. I am also on medication for fibromyalgia caused by inflammation in my vascular system.
I have not only suffered from this for many years, but my family has had to endure the wrath that this sickness has had on me. I have already spend all of our extra funds on doctor co-pays, labs and procedures that gave me no results.
Anyone that knows me, knows I hate asking for help; I'm a stubborn, I'll do it myself kinda girl. So for me to ask, I truly need help!!
Anything helps, even a share!!
Please,
Organizer
Heather Toepfer
Organizer
Reno, NV