Help Susan Battle Lung Disease
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In brief:
A friend created this campaign on behalf of Susan Higbee. Susan is only 48 years old and has been battling a rare lung disease for 6.5 years. She has shown an amazing amount of grace and strength. Initial treatment was very successful, with Susan getting completely off steroids and only needing Oxygen for sleep. However, over the last couple of years a decline has taken place as the disease has become more resistent to treatment. Susan's health has declined so much that she struggles to breathe every moment of every day. She can't live at home by herself anymore and is currently in a nursing facility after her third hospitalization in three months. She is trying a new medication called CellCept that might improve her health and help her regain her independence. Her insurance company will not cover the cost of this medication, which is her best hope. She desperately needs help paying for CellCept and paying for someone to take care of her beloved pets and her home. CellCept is a very slow acting medication and it will likely be February or so before it is known if it is helping Susan. Please make a donation to help her during this awful time and to aleve some of her suffering.
The details:
Susan Higbee was diagnosed with a rare lung disease called Non-Specific Interstitial Pneumonitis (NSIP) in 2012. She has what's called the cellular form of the disease. This means that she has constant inflammation of the tissue that surrounds and separates the tiny air sacs in her lungs. There is no known cause for her disease, but it is probably an autoimmune disorder.
When she was first diagnosed, Susan spent 77 straight days in the hospital, much of that time on a ventilator in a medically-induced coma. She came very close to dying. Because of NSIP, Susan has experienced fatigue, coughing, wheezing, and extreme shortness of breath on a daily basis for 6.5 years. She has been hospitalized frequently. She has gone through lung rehabilitation programs twice, and kept attending after completion. Over the years, she has developed worsening of all symptoms, to the point that the shortness of breath is now severe and constant. She has shown an amazing amount of grace and strength during her battle with lung disease.
Most people with cellular NSIP get better when they are treated with corticosteroids, such as Prednisone. Initially very helpful, Prednisone is no longer doing its job for Susan, and has caused her to develop Osteoporosis.
In 2017, Susan's doctors recommended chemotherapy. She had surgery to get a port, which is a small disc that sits under the skin and connects to a large vein. She underwent 6 rounds of chemotherapy. Her hair fell out, and she felt nauseous and exhausted. Unfortunately, the chemotherapy did not work.
Susan's disease has gotten so bad that she feels like she is suffocating a little more each day. She is constantly on a massive amount of oxygen, but still can't walk more than 15 feet without almost passing out. Any type of exertion is very, very difficult.
In December 2017, Susan's doctors decided that her best chance for improvement was a medication called CellCept. CellCept is a powerful drug that suppresses the immune system. Her insurance company will not cover the cost of this medication because they say that it is an "experimental treatment." She has gone through three appeals and has lost every single one. She is currently appealing again. Susan is very tightly budgeted and cannot pay out-of-pocket for CellCept.
Susan was hospitalized twice in June 2018. Her doctors told her that she cannot live on her own anymore. She initially fought their recommendation. She is only 48 years old and has always been very independent. Eventually, she realized they were right and that she was in a dangerous situation of possibly collapsing and going into respiratory arrest alone at home. She is currently in a nursing facility after a third hospitalization. It will take up to six months to find out if CellCept will work for her. If it does, she will hopefully regain her independence and be able to return home.
Susan has a strong will to live. She is trying to keep a good attitude and fight, but she is getting very tired. Right now, she needs your prayers, positivity, and your financial assistance. She desperately needs help paying for CellCept and paying for someone to take care of her beloved pets and her home.
This campaign was created by one of Susan's friends. Susan will receive 100% of your donations (minus a small fee charged by the GoFundMe organization.) Can you please help aleve some of her suffering.?
A friend created this campaign on behalf of Susan Higbee. Susan is only 48 years old and has been battling a rare lung disease for 6.5 years. She has shown an amazing amount of grace and strength. Initial treatment was very successful, with Susan getting completely off steroids and only needing Oxygen for sleep. However, over the last couple of years a decline has taken place as the disease has become more resistent to treatment. Susan's health has declined so much that she struggles to breathe every moment of every day. She can't live at home by herself anymore and is currently in a nursing facility after her third hospitalization in three months. She is trying a new medication called CellCept that might improve her health and help her regain her independence. Her insurance company will not cover the cost of this medication, which is her best hope. She desperately needs help paying for CellCept and paying for someone to take care of her beloved pets and her home. CellCept is a very slow acting medication and it will likely be February or so before it is known if it is helping Susan. Please make a donation to help her during this awful time and to aleve some of her suffering.
The details:
Susan Higbee was diagnosed with a rare lung disease called Non-Specific Interstitial Pneumonitis (NSIP) in 2012. She has what's called the cellular form of the disease. This means that she has constant inflammation of the tissue that surrounds and separates the tiny air sacs in her lungs. There is no known cause for her disease, but it is probably an autoimmune disorder.
When she was first diagnosed, Susan spent 77 straight days in the hospital, much of that time on a ventilator in a medically-induced coma. She came very close to dying. Because of NSIP, Susan has experienced fatigue, coughing, wheezing, and extreme shortness of breath on a daily basis for 6.5 years. She has been hospitalized frequently. She has gone through lung rehabilitation programs twice, and kept attending after completion. Over the years, she has developed worsening of all symptoms, to the point that the shortness of breath is now severe and constant. She has shown an amazing amount of grace and strength during her battle with lung disease.
Most people with cellular NSIP get better when they are treated with corticosteroids, such as Prednisone. Initially very helpful, Prednisone is no longer doing its job for Susan, and has caused her to develop Osteoporosis.
In 2017, Susan's doctors recommended chemotherapy. She had surgery to get a port, which is a small disc that sits under the skin and connects to a large vein. She underwent 6 rounds of chemotherapy. Her hair fell out, and she felt nauseous and exhausted. Unfortunately, the chemotherapy did not work.
Susan's disease has gotten so bad that she feels like she is suffocating a little more each day. She is constantly on a massive amount of oxygen, but still can't walk more than 15 feet without almost passing out. Any type of exertion is very, very difficult.
In December 2017, Susan's doctors decided that her best chance for improvement was a medication called CellCept. CellCept is a powerful drug that suppresses the immune system. Her insurance company will not cover the cost of this medication because they say that it is an "experimental treatment." She has gone through three appeals and has lost every single one. She is currently appealing again. Susan is very tightly budgeted and cannot pay out-of-pocket for CellCept.
Susan was hospitalized twice in June 2018. Her doctors told her that she cannot live on her own anymore. She initially fought their recommendation. She is only 48 years old and has always been very independent. Eventually, she realized they were right and that she was in a dangerous situation of possibly collapsing and going into respiratory arrest alone at home. She is currently in a nursing facility after a third hospitalization. It will take up to six months to find out if CellCept will work for her. If it does, she will hopefully regain her independence and be able to return home.
Susan has a strong will to live. She is trying to keep a good attitude and fight, but she is getting very tired. Right now, she needs your prayers, positivity, and your financial assistance. She desperately needs help paying for CellCept and paying for someone to take care of her beloved pets and her home.
This campaign was created by one of Susan's friends. Susan will receive 100% of your donations (minus a small fee charged by the GoFundMe organization.) Can you please help aleve some of her suffering.?
Organizer
Susan Higbee
Organizer
Yachats, OR