Recovery Support for the Herdrich Family

This started with what we thought was just a rough pregnancy. Steph was sick for the entire pregnancy. It was a few weeks after she delivered that we questioned the accuracy of that thought process. She was sent in for an Endoscopy in August to look into her difficulty swallowing as well as her issues with getting sick. That is where we were told that they were suspicious of Celiac. She was then scheduled for an Esophagram, Esophageal Manometry, and blood work.

The blood tests confirmed Celiac disease. This explained the constant sickness. The other two tests took another month and a half to schedule and complete. Once those tests were finished Steph was diagnosed with Achalasia. This is a rare disorder that occurs when the nerves in the esophagus become damaged. Her esophagus is essentially paralyzed and the sphincter muscle between the esophagus and the stomach is very tight. To describe it in plain English her esophagus does not squeeze the food to her stomach. The sphincter has constricted and does not allow much of anything to pass into the stomach.

On a good day lately, she can eat soft foods. On tough days (most of the last week or two) she can’t even get water to pass into her stomach. After receiving less than great care in our clinic system in the metro, we decided to seek a second option at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. They have a specialty clinic for Achalasia and it came recommended to us from a few people. After her initial diagnosis at the end of November, we applied to the clinic at Mayo.

She was accepted but we couldn’t get in until January 19th. So we waited until mid-January. We spent two days repeating some tests, meeting with 2 clinicians and one surgery consult. Her diagnosis was confirmed and what we were expecting for treatment was recommended. All the clinicians and surgeons agreed with the course of action we wanted and were expecting. Our biggest concern was how quickly she would make it onto the schedule.

As you can imagine this condition has made it difficult to eat and maintain a normal diet. The last few weeks have been the worst. While Steph has been losing weight since delivering Theodore, it has accelerated as this has progressed. Currently, she is losing on average, 3/4 of a pound per day. She is rapidly approaching dangerous weight and malnourishment. Had we not been scheduled for surgery soon she more than likely would be hospitalized for both fluids and a feeding tube.

Thankfully, Steph recently had a laparoscopic Heller myotomy with Dor fundoplication on January 24th at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. This surgery treats the symptoms of Achalasia and will allow her to get back to eating normally, with a few caveats. There is no cure for Achalasia, nor is there a way to restore normal esophageal function. The surgery will open up the passage and allow gravity to work for her. It has a very high success rate and should not require any revisiting in the near future.

Steph will not be able to lift anything for a minimum of 6 weeks, this includes an eight-month-old Theodore.

Through the birth of their son, Steph's appointments and tests, Ryan went through two corporate acquisitions. This has meant they have had three different deductibles to hit in the past 8 months. They have run out of paid time off. Much of Steph's recovery is unpaid as she has limited short-term disability. Ryan has been taking unpaid time to take her to appointments, surgery and tend to their 5 children.

With two kids in daycare and both parents taking unpaid leave, the bills are stacking up. The hope is to raise some money to help ease the financial burden so Steph can take the full time she needs to heal and Ryan is able to help her recover without the burden of financial distress.

We created this gofundme for financial donations.