First Responder In Need Of Help

(TLDR at the bottom of the paragraphs)

Hi, my name is Greyson, I'm a transgender man and I currently work as a first responder--an EMS dispatcher to be specific. On October 3rd 2023 I had a seizure while I was working, luckily the person sitting beside me was an EMT and realized something was wrong and got me the help I desperately needed. I had no idea that in that moment the life I'd built and loved was about to be torn away from me.

I stopped going to work, I could barely eat, and my head felt like it was on fire everyday. I began having more seizures, transitioning from Focal to Clonic to Tonic Clonic (Grand Mal). I had anywhere from 6 to 10 seizures a day, I would come to and sob looking for my mom who passed in 2010, I was confused, I was postictal. I had to sleep, I was exhausted, it took me days to recover. On October 9th I had a violent seizure while on the phone with my boss and went back to the hospital. They released me despite me begging them to keep me because I knew something wasn't right.

On Oct 14th I had a cluster of seizures and was brought to a different hospital and while I was there I had multiple seizures leading them to keep me and connect me to an EEG. They found seizure activity and diagnosed me with Epilepsy. I also suffer from Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis and due to my age my doctors explained that at 27 its rare to develop Epilepsy. I have an MRI scheduled for tomorrow (10/20/23) and I will update when I get the results. My neurologist explained that stress could play a big part in why I'm seizing as it was likely one of my triggers.

Please share this, I don't want to lose everything to this illness that seems intent on taking away my quality of life.

EDIT 10/21/23: The amount has been increased due to the fact that I made too much money to qualify for emergency Medicaid (by $100–btw the limit is $1,427 gross per month and it’s based off your last 4 paychecks) I was already barely scraping by, living check to check so this is truly devastating. When I leave I will need to buy my medications out of pocket or I’ll end up right back where I am now.

MRI Update: I am too large to fit into their unit here so I’m being transferred for the test on Monday/Tuesday and brought back after so long as we can arrange transport without insurance.

Update 10/23/23: Due to insurance issues I'm unable to be transferred in and out of the hospital, however I will be getting a CT scan today of the brain, cervical spine, thoracic spine and lumbar. They are aware that I really am in need of the MRI but they are working with the resources they have available to them. Sometime this week I will be transferred to an inpatient rehabilitation facility to try to regain some of the motor function I've lost in my legs, hand and arms. There they will also be attempting to get me the MRI I so desperately need so they can begin a more specific treatment to help me get better. I will be there for a fair amount of time, they've already warned me of that so at some point I may increase the goal depending on how long I will be out of work. Despite being unwell and unable to be home I still have bills to pay including medical bills that are piling up by the minute. Please continue to share this as the more reach we can achieve the better I feel the outcome will be. If anyone prefers to support me via Cashapp or Venmo I will list them below. I will continue to update as my illness or treatment progresses.

Update 10/25/2023: I had a Physical Therapy assessment and was told I'd lost a significant amount of motor function particularly to the left side of my body. (I figured that when I wasn't able to lift a cup properly or walk without a walker and an aids assistance). I've lost muscle definition in my left leg. CT scan showed minor compression of the lumbar spine, likely due to a herniated disk or more than one, awaiting an MRI to confirm but I'm still fighting for insurance. Was given an Epidural Steroid Injection to relieve pain. The doctors have told me I have a long road to recovery ahead of me, which we're hoping can be achieved in the rehabilitation facility but due to insurance issues I'm still waiting in the hospital. Seizures have lowered in frequency and in how violent they are luckily due to a lot of new medications.

Update 11/07/2023: Despite managing to get emergency medicaid I was unable to be accepted into a rehabilitation facility as it seems that almost none of them take Preliminary Medicaid due to it not being "guaranteed insurance" as it expires the end next month with no guarantee of renewal. 108 applications have been put out in 9 different counties and 101 have said no. 7 have yet to reply but we've decided that going forward that we are going to set up at home PT and hopefully a care aid. I've managed to acquire medical equipment through insurance, non-profits and kind people on Facebook. I‘m gonna be going home with a lift assist into my home and into my new wheelchair. I have a very long road to recovery ahead of me, but I'm going to be working very hard to get to wherever I can to be functional.

TLDR: I'm going to have to leave my job as a dispatcher, that I adore, because my brain feels like its destroying itself. I'm concerned for the safety of my patients and not wanting to harm anyone by missing a call. I've decided to take a large break from employment. Seizures have consumed my life, they have stripped everything I love away from me. I've lost a significant amount of motor function on the left side of my body and am now using a walker with assistance. Now because I'm out of work my bills are going unpaid. I can't pay my rent and I fear the seizures will destroy everything good I've worked for. I'm in desperate need, which is why I'm here reaching out. I just need to cover my bills, mostly rent, until I can recover. I was told I have a long road to recovery, which is nerve wracking.

Below are tiktoks I poured my soul into, so feel free to watch if you'd like. You don't have to have a tiktok to watch them. I've also added an amazon wishlist for things I wasn't able to get that will help make life easier while I recover/things to keep me entertained.

(Trigger warning videos of seizures)

Focal: https://youtu.be/NiKGDyontIE?si=UgtxO5U9Vb2Q-2jE

Focal to Clonic: https://youtu.be/m9nBXDIw7YA?si=sae6o8yCQFLPKkMx

Tiktoks:

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8AjRRkY/

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8A2T7t3/

Amazon Wishlist:

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/10W4ATCE1IZK0?ref_=wl_share

Cashapp: $bouncysquid710

Venmo: @bouncysquid420

Thank you for all the generous donations so far, you really all are so amazing.