Help Bob Fight Lyme Disease
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Let's help my husband Bobby in his journey to recovery from Lyme Disease.
My husband is a 46 year old man, father of four children and a retired New York City Police Officer. Our children are all under 19 years of age with our youngest being 9. Due to Chronic Lyme Disease, he can no longer participate in their sports or enjoy any of their activities.
For over a decade he has been suffering from multiple illnesses and has had many symptoms that baffled the best of doctors. Among many surgeries, my husband has had multiple masses removed and a biopsy of his lung tissue because he was experiencing shortness of breath.
He has seen an orthopedic surgeon and was diagnosed with numerous torn ligaments and muscles in both knees and shoulders. After all of these surgeries with no positive result, we still were unaware of what was wrong. We did not know at this time that he had chronic, neurological, late stage Lyme Disease.
Feeling emotionally hopeless and physically drained, we then saw a cardiologist in the hopes of finding an answer. The cardiologist diagnosed him with tachycardia and hypertension which later became SVT (Supra Ventricular Tachycardia). Deciding to have a pacemaker placed in his chest or minor surgeries, we chose surgery. He has had multiple ablations to his heart and has been in and out of the hospital with severe TIA's (mini strokes) for the past few years. The next referral was to a neurologist who diagnosed him with severe migraines and said that his many symptoms were attributed to that. The pain, weakness and migraines continued to debilitate him physically and mentally on a daily basis.
We were referred to an infectious disease doctor in Washington, D.C. who ordered multiple MRI Scans with blood work weekly. It was then that Bobby was finally diagnosed with Lyme Borreliosis Complex with multible co-infections in his brain which affected his central nervous system with gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms, including severe fatigue. His case is rare and now he has begun treatment.
The doctors estimated that he has been infected for at least 12 years. Over the past 2 years he has lost 60 pounds rapidly because he was unable to keep food in due to the medication. He is experiencing cerebral dysfunction which impairs his balance, motor skills and movements. He continues to need physical therapy to help him. He also has Bells Palsy, brain fog, mental confusion, sound sensitivity and fatigue along with cardiac issues.
Unfortunately, medical treatment for doctor visits and medication for this disease is barely covered by any insurance company. The medical expenses for his treatment has put a strain on our family financially and the symptoms of the disease itself has taken a tremendous toll on us emotionally.
He has been on oral antibiotics and supplements for over a year, which he will have to continue for some time .At a some point soon a port will be surgically implanted so that he can receive intravenous antibiotics a couple of times a week. The cost of this will be astronomical.
While we try financially to maintain our family of 6 we are hoping to raise $20,000 to continue the cost of his treatment.
My husband's message is "Awareness is the key to fighting this horrific disease. If nothing else, I hope this site will raise awareness of the general public. I am hoping that we can work together to make a difference - if not for me, then someone else who is battling this disease."
If a person catches Lyme Disease and is treated in the early stage with oral antibiotics, they can go on to have a normal life.
For my husband, it took twelve years to be diagnosed. If he does not get treatment, he will succumb to this disease and our family will be forced to go on without him.
My only wish is to have my husband back and that he will once again able to be the wonderful father he always has been to our children.
Please help us make this happen.
Thank you.
Michelle Sabatino
My husband is a 46 year old man, father of four children and a retired New York City Police Officer. Our children are all under 19 years of age with our youngest being 9. Due to Chronic Lyme Disease, he can no longer participate in their sports or enjoy any of their activities.
For over a decade he has been suffering from multiple illnesses and has had many symptoms that baffled the best of doctors. Among many surgeries, my husband has had multiple masses removed and a biopsy of his lung tissue because he was experiencing shortness of breath.
He has seen an orthopedic surgeon and was diagnosed with numerous torn ligaments and muscles in both knees and shoulders. After all of these surgeries with no positive result, we still were unaware of what was wrong. We did not know at this time that he had chronic, neurological, late stage Lyme Disease.
Feeling emotionally hopeless and physically drained, we then saw a cardiologist in the hopes of finding an answer. The cardiologist diagnosed him with tachycardia and hypertension which later became SVT (Supra Ventricular Tachycardia). Deciding to have a pacemaker placed in his chest or minor surgeries, we chose surgery. He has had multiple ablations to his heart and has been in and out of the hospital with severe TIA's (mini strokes) for the past few years. The next referral was to a neurologist who diagnosed him with severe migraines and said that his many symptoms were attributed to that. The pain, weakness and migraines continued to debilitate him physically and mentally on a daily basis.
We were referred to an infectious disease doctor in Washington, D.C. who ordered multiple MRI Scans with blood work weekly. It was then that Bobby was finally diagnosed with Lyme Borreliosis Complex with multible co-infections in his brain which affected his central nervous system with gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms, including severe fatigue. His case is rare and now he has begun treatment.
The doctors estimated that he has been infected for at least 12 years. Over the past 2 years he has lost 60 pounds rapidly because he was unable to keep food in due to the medication. He is experiencing cerebral dysfunction which impairs his balance, motor skills and movements. He continues to need physical therapy to help him. He also has Bells Palsy, brain fog, mental confusion, sound sensitivity and fatigue along with cardiac issues.
Unfortunately, medical treatment for doctor visits and medication for this disease is barely covered by any insurance company. The medical expenses for his treatment has put a strain on our family financially and the symptoms of the disease itself has taken a tremendous toll on us emotionally.
He has been on oral antibiotics and supplements for over a year, which he will have to continue for some time .At a some point soon a port will be surgically implanted so that he can receive intravenous antibiotics a couple of times a week. The cost of this will be astronomical.
While we try financially to maintain our family of 6 we are hoping to raise $20,000 to continue the cost of his treatment.
My husband's message is "Awareness is the key to fighting this horrific disease. If nothing else, I hope this site will raise awareness of the general public. I am hoping that we can work together to make a difference - if not for me, then someone else who is battling this disease."
If a person catches Lyme Disease and is treated in the early stage with oral antibiotics, they can go on to have a normal life.
For my husband, it took twelve years to be diagnosed. If he does not get treatment, he will succumb to this disease and our family will be forced to go on without him.
My only wish is to have my husband back and that he will once again able to be the wonderful father he always has been to our children.
Please help us make this happen.
Thank you.
Michelle Sabatino
Organizer and beneficiary
Bob Sabatino
Organizer
Staten Island, NY
Robert Sabatino
Beneficiary