Kira Flynn's Medical Adventures!

In mid September 2019 I began demoing a pair of hearing aids and it has been life-changing. I have known I have low-tone hearing loss for many years, but it never bothered me. Over the last year it has been increasingly hard to hear, and I have developed ringing and pain in my ears. After consulting with an ear, nose and throat doctor and audiologist, we decided to try hearing aids. The difference was immediate and dramatic, apparently I've needed hearing aids my entire life.The pain and ringing in my ears has completely ceased. I am able to go to noisy places without worrying about aggravating my headaches. All the mental energy and fatigue associated just with hearing those around me has vanished. My migraine pain (on a 1-10 scale) has gone from 5-8 to 2-4, offering far more relief than any drug has. I have played music for years, yet I have found incredible new depth to it. Subtle phrasing that I always assumed could only be heard by the musician is now crystal clear. Genres that sounded like noise are now wonderful. I have a new-found confidence in myself as I am not constantly second-guessing what I heard. I have been moved to tears multiple times just by sounds. I still struggle with my health daily, however the hearing aids have given me a tremendous quality-of-life improvement.Given all the improvements hearing aids have offered, I believe it is very important I keep using them. The price of the hearing aids with insurance, $5000, is very difficult for my family's budget. We already spend a great deal treating my chronic Lyme disease, and training Apollo. Both of these ventures are proving incredibly successful, but they don't leave room for also purchasing hearing aids. For this reason I am raising the goal of the campaign to $15,000. Any donation made will go directly to funding the hearing aids, while anything in excess of the goal will go to my healthcare costs. As with the Mayo Clinic Adventure, I will provide updates here and on my YouTube channel Adventures of Kira.Thank you for any support or donations you are able to provide.




I am preserving the story of the original campaign below.
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In late January 2018 my life changed. It started with uncontrollable tremors in my arms and legs and then came respiratory, stomach pain, and more neurologic symptoms. Weird symptoms also appeared like losing my ability to see color for awhile, and repeated episodes of blurred vision. My health has been consistently deteriorating and since June 2018 I have been wheelchair bound. I have constant pain, nausea and weakness. None of the many specialists or tests have discovered the problem. I've tried conventional, integrative, and naturopathic medicine and still don't know what is going on. 

It has been a tough year, but I appreciate each day and try to live it to the fullest. I want to get back to doing the things I am deeply passionate about, such helping people, animals and my community. My health challenges remind me that everyone has struggles, and how vital it is to care for each other. These lessons inspire my dream of one day of going into nursing. I've learned that dealing with chronic illness there are three phases: when the illness emerges, finding a diagnosis, and learning to live with the illness. Stuck without a diagnosis it is hard to plan for the future, make changes to improve quality of life, or receive disability benefits. After almost a year with an excellent medical team, no clear answers and deteriorating symptoms, I need world-class help. I have decided to go to the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona on December 19th-29th. 

My spouse and I manage our expenses, but paying for this trip will be a serious financial burden. As my caregiver, he takes me to all my appointments and treatments even if that means taking off work. Since I don't work or get disability currently, his income supports us. My medical expenses are currently $1,000+ a month. Just the travel expenses for this trip are close to $3,000. While I will work with insurance to get as much as I can covered, I estimate at least a couple thousand dollars in additional medical expenses at Mayo Clinic. 

My campaign goal is $5,000. The first $3,000 raised will go to travel expenses. The rest of the funds raised will be used to help cover consultations, tests, treatments, and long-term care if needed. If this campaign raises more money than I need, I will donate the remainder to a charity. I will pick a charity related to the diagnosis I receive at Mayo Clinic.  

I want to share my Mayo Clinic Adventure, so I'll be posting a variety of updates. I'm aiming for at least one update a week, but my health may not cooperate. I will share the process of getting ready for the trip. At Mayo Clinic the updates will include interesting tests, specialists I see, and any exciting news. After I return I will post a video to help others navigating a trip to Mayo Clinic, and updates about my continuing journey. Please let me know if there's content you are interested in.

Thank you for looking at my GoFundMe campaign. Every donation will help and is greatly appreciated. I am so thankful for your support as I navigate this next chapter of life. Please subscribe to share this adventure with me.

Note: My husband Jean (legal name Peter Joeris) manages our finances, so he is handling the withdrawals. Due to this the campaign now says it is benefiting him, but all the money is still going to me.