Please Help Jackie & Julian with Hardships

Friends, I'm humbly asking for any help and support you're able to give. I've been living a rollercoaster for some years, and times are tough. It's clear the severe stress, worry, and carrying this heavy load has caught up with me. I've hit my limit of doing this alone. Here is a part of my story:

I went through a traumatic divorce in 2017-2018. I'm supporting myself and my 8-year-old son, Julian, as a single mother without a financial safety net, should anything unforeseen happen. I'm still paying off the divorce debt as I provide for our immediate needs in a one-parent apartment.

Unforeseen events did happen. I battle chronic illnesses that have been isolating me from living a normal life for some years. I began having persistent trouble with my health that profoundly affects my daily living shortly after my divorce. I taught as an adjunct English professor for many years. Adjuncts can only make ends meet if they teach double a full-time load (8 courses per semester was my norm) at multiple colleges (3-4 at a time) for minimal stipend-style pay, no health insurance, and no guarantee of continued work. I took a high school teaching job in 2019 and silently suffered from multiple health issues that no one could "see" as I ran ragged, juggling teaching duties with caring for my son full-time on my own. I never slept. In 2020, debilitating pain, uncontrolled bleeding, and paralyzing weakness from female diseases called Adenomyosis and Endometriosis forced me to have a hysterectomy at 37.

That was the same year the pandemic hit. My son is predisposed to respiratory distress with asthma and anaphylaxis. I found myself in the position to either send him to school, potentially exposing him to COVID, or leave my teaching job (exposing me to COVID with both our health issues) so he could attend virtual school. I didn't have anyone else to watch him every day, and I was still struggling to feel better too. I cannot live the adjunct/teacher lifestyle any longer under our circumstances.

I began writing and editing as a freelancer from home, which I love with a passion, but the nature of the work is that sometimes there is plenty while there is minimal other times. It's hard not knowing month to month what to plan for and harder to save for emergencies.

I lost my health insurance last March, too. A month after that, I was hospitalized with unexplained neurological symptoms, and it was a challenging, frightening, and lonely recovery. I still see a neurologist, and nerve conduction tests revealed peripheral neuropathy, which was a mystery as to why at the time.

In September, no one knew that I was at the hospital again. I had food poisoning, which led to frightening low blood sugar symptoms.

Fast forward -- I began my New Year hospitalized for three nights with severely low blood sugar that was dropping into the 20s, 30s, and 40s (or just "lo" -- below 20 apparently) every night even before seeking help. Those are dangerous numbers, can be fatal, and I'm still suffering the emotional distress of "what might have been and what could be." I live alone with my young son and wonder what would happen if I blacked out and who could get to us quickly enough to watch him in an urgent situation. It's a lot to bear.

I have a severe form of reactive hypoglycemia, confirmed by an endocrinologist through lab work and a continuous glucose monitor. (When I eat, my pancreas releases too much insulin, dropping my blood sugar too low -- opposite of diabetes). My doctor also confirmed that other factors besides diet impact reactive hypoglycemia. Severe stress and hormone fluctuations can worsen it, both of which I experience regularly. The neuropathy, which causes chronic pain and other issues, is also likely connected to long-term low blood sugar, as that can cause nerve damage.

This history has led to significant medical debt from hospitalizations, lab work, MRIs, CT scans, etc. I pay out of pocket to see the numerous specialists I see for continuous medical support and prescriptions that I need, not to mention Julian's routine doctors and dentist visits. That is expensive alone, but I'm also paying for our rent, utilities, food, and every other need on my own. My energy is at an expense, too. It's getting harder to homeschool Julian, keep house, and plan/execute meals for both of our very different and significant dietary restrictions -- double the cooking and food buying -- while I'm feeling sick. I often do my writing and editing work late into the night.

Work has been slow lately, and I continue to feel weak, drained, sick, stressed, and exhausted as I try to recover. I have other stressful and severe things I'm dealing with, along with the medical problems. It's all the more difficult to heal when I know I do not have any breathing room or a safety net. Everything is weighing on me terribly. I feel I'm hanging on by a thread.

Any support provided would allow some breathing room to pay off medical debt and continue getting needed medical treatment. I wouldn't have to worry as much about making the rent and buying the special foods we need for medical reasons (severe food allergies and my special diet for glucose). Maybe it would even allow me to hire some limited help with things like cooking, cleaning, and childcare.

I need a little of the pressure released to heal and start to feel better. It's hard to explain how badly I've been struggling in so many ways, mostly in silence. Even if it's $1, whatever you are willing and able to donate would be eternally appreciated and put to good use. If you feel comfortable, feel free to share on your social media page or with people you know who might be willing to help. Thank you for reading my story and allowing me to humble myself in this way.