Medical Fundraiser For My Mom

MEDICAL FUNDRAISER TO AID IN TREATING LATE STAGE CHRONIC NEURO LYME DISEASE & CO-INFECTIONS

Hello friends, family, and all those that this fundraiser may reach! I am Kriss (Hackett) Constantine’s daughter Angela. I am the sponsor of this fundraiser, which will help my mom get the treatment needed to fight her battle against Late Stage Chronic Neuro Lyme Disease and Co-Infections.  She was diagnosed in June of 2014 after a lifetime of being misdiagnosed.  My family has watched her physically spiral downward due to this vicious disease as it continues to attack her entire body.  For as long as I can remember, my mom has never had a healthy day. I have seen her forced to endure physical symptoms that no one should have to live with on a daily basis. She is a very strong, driven, and ambitious woman; however, her illness has prohibited her from attaining any of her desired career goals. She has spent decades of her life fighting off illness with a weakened  immune system, searching for a diagnosis, and trying to find the root cause of her symptoms.  Now she is faced with a huge financial burden and is about to undergo the treatment and detoxing necessary to kill the Lyme. My mom is unable to try conventional methods of eradicating this disease through long-term oral and IV antibiotics. She has a history of C. Diff colon infection, and antibiotics seem to adversely affect her bladder.  She will be doing everything she can to fight this through alternative, homeopathic, and herbal methods. 

My family and I are very hard workers; however, it is impossible to financially keep up with the medical bills and treatment costs.  My mom is a caring, strong, and brave woman who is always there for those in need, which is why I am going to do everything I can to help her during her journey to a healthier life. I am urgently asking for your donations, so that we may be able to battle the Lyme disease and get her the proper treatment she desperately needs.  With no cure for Lyme Disease, our only hope is for the  Lyme and co-infections to go into complete remission.  I hope you will find it in your hearts to help us! Please know that your contributions for treatment will give us hope!  Thank you in advance for your generosity and God Bless!

~Angela

Message from my mom:

In June of 2014, after five decades of chronic illness, dozens of doctors, and a lifetime of suffering, my blood work confirmed that I have been carrying a tick borne disease which progressed to become Late Stage Chronic Neuro Lyme Disease and Co-Infections! As a small child, I was always sick with profound fatigue, chronic sore throats, bladder problems, nausea, and stomach issues. In fact, I have no memory of what it feels like to feel good for one complete day! Young adulthood was no better! The crushing fatigue persisted along with many other symptoms. Bladder issues became more severe and painful ovarian cysts burdened me. 

I was married in 1981, a time of great hope for a happy future. “In sickness and in health” came into play quickly as my husband and I stepped out into our newly married life! Three years later, my pregnancy was yet another life event that I looked forward to with great hope and happiness! However, my body did not cooperate! Sickness and pain for 9 months plagued me. My bladder symptoms were unbearable! Pain, burning, and frequency around the clock left me sleep deprived and my dream of what my pregnancy would be like was shattered! A pain specialist even gave me low dose of pain medication through epidural nerve blocks in my back to block bladder pain.  I received a diagnosis of Interstitial Cystitis in the middle of my nine months! Something that had gone undiagnosed from the time I was a little girl! This explained why I had suffered my entire life with extreme bladder symptoms and why it was such a struggle to carry my baby! At the end of nine months, I was blessed to deliver the love of my life, a beautiful baby girl who we named, Angela Nicole! We thought once I delivered that I would be okay! I was not!!

Systemic symptoms and immune problems began to severely surface as we continued to search for medical answers among the doctors and hospitals! I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Chronic Epstein Barr Virus), Fibromyalgia, Interstitial Cystitis, and Hypogammaglobulinemia of my immune system. Three major surgeries and many years later, I am now in a later stage of my life with everything making sense! I had been shadow boxing with a what is known as "the silent killer": Chronic Neuro Lyme Disease and Co-Infections! Undiagnosed and misdiagnosed by my doctors, I now know what has been at the root of so many trials and tribulations! Lyme Disease is known as the “Great Imitator”! It is known to imitate many other diseases. Therefore, many people are diagnosed with other illnesses when in fact it is Lyme and co-infections. It is the thief in the night that has robbed me of so many years! Robbed of being a healthy mom, I do not want to be robbed as a grandmother for my family to come! In the past five years, the illness has taken on a new face, a whole other animal if you will! I struggle daily with a multitude of symptoms I could never imagine! Affecting me are symptoms of crippling fatigue, tiring easily, weight loss, cold chills and low body temperature, adrenal fatigue, muscle aches/pains/stiffness, joint pain, heart palpitations, bradycardia (slow heart rate) on EKG, shortness of breath, low blood pressure, sore throats,  chronic infections, difficulty swallowing, neurological symptoms with vertigo/dizziness, blurred vision, difficulty concentrating, short term memory loss, brain fog, crushing headaches, hypothyroidism, pituitary cyst, history of c. diff colon infection, chronic hives and angioedema, mini seizures, anxiety and panic attacks, insomnia, nausea, gastro symptoms, low white blood cell count,  tinnitus, dental problems, and of course bladder pain, burning, and frequency which is now believed to be caused by the Lyme and its many co-infections. 

Left under a mountain of unpaid medical bills, I am now  faced with yet another obstacle! I now learn that I need to buy my way out of the physical, emotional, and financial nightmare of Chronic Lyme Disease and its many co-infections, by paying for all treatment costs out of pocket. My doctor has explained to me my protocol costs, this includes all possible treatments, medications, doctor visit fees, tests, bloodwork, and nutritional supplements. The probability of other Lyme literate doctors and other supportive treatments needed to fight this debilitating disease, in addition to my ongoing treatment and restricted diet needs, will reach tens of thousands of dollars a year! I have been told that my treatment will be long term and that it is a marathon, not a sprint. This is the most humbling experience of my life! Like most people, I have always aspired to be self-sufficient! Now I am faced with a medical crisis where self-sufficiency is not enough.  I cannot do this alone! Without your help, medical treatment will not be possible! The financial strain is unthinkable and causes great stress not only for me but for my family! We cannot handle the weight of the expense to give me a chance to fight this! Please help us in our fight to remission as we begin the slow climb! We can’t do it without you! Your donation would bring a tear of gratitude as we navigate through burdensome waters! Your prayers are most welcomed! Please share our medical fundraiser on your page to help us reach out!  Love to all of you and may God bless you and your families with good health!

~Kriss