UPDATED April, 2016
Hello All,
Erica is still after all this, debilitated with chronic late stage
Lyme disease and multiple other "co-infections" for 5 years
and is fighting for her life, every day is a constant struggle. We
have seen over 50 different doctors, have been hospitalized almost 40
different times and have tried seemingly every treatment possible yet
we are right back where we started. We are asking for help raising
funds so Erica can attempt more advanced treatments such as stem cell
therapy, IV silver, and go to clinics overseas in places such as
Switzerland and India. Her case is so complex that most US doctors
cannot help her or simply turn her away and refuse to take her case.
Erica is in great pain and has over 40 active symptoms that keep
her in bed almost all day everyday. Symptoms include severe head and
neck pain, vertigo, air hunger, weight gain, rash, light sensitivity,
tremors, seizures, heart palpitations, heart pain, nausea, fatigue,
joint pain, swelling and on and on. Her heart is our main concern as
it clenches and has stabbing pains daily.
We are hoping that with funding we can get more aggressive with
new treatment types and get the hell out of this f'd up US medical
system. You wouldn't believe the ignorance we've encountered in the
medical field. What we don't use we will pay forward to others that
are ill and have been abandoned by the corrupt medical system that
treats symptoms with drugs and seeks to cure no one.
Lastly, we ask anyone with friends or family suffering from
chron's, ALS, MS, fibromyalgea, or Parkinson's to get a really good
Lyme test as Lyme manifests as all of these.
Thank you!
UPDATED May 3, 2014
Hello All,
Its been a while since we've updated the followers of Erica's story and so much has happened over the past year. Through many conversations we've gathered that even our closest friends and family don't really KNOW what we are going through. They havent truly seen how sick Erica is unless they see her in person. Even then it is hard to grasp how our lives have changed and how diffiecult things have become over the past couple years.
To show the reality of what Lyme Disease can do, we have just posted a dramatic compilation of videos from our experiences over the past 2-3 years. The video is VERY graphic so please dont watch with children present. You can view it on Youtube here: http://youtu.be/Q9uiIMrZRmo
The latest updates are not filled with a lot of positivity, unfortunately. On 4/24 Erica had surgery to install her 3rd port, a hickman catheter line to her heart. This will allow her to recieve IV fluids daily, supplements, and eventualy antibiotics. Her recovery from the surgery alone has been a massive challenge.
It is crazy to think about but after two years we FINALLY feel like we have the right team of doctors that can get her strong again. The past year has been a road of dissapointing experiences with incompetent doctors and unprepared emergency rooms that have done more harm than good. We now have two doctors in Orange County CA, one in San Diego, and the pioneer of Lyme disease treatment protocol in Washington DC on her team. These doctors have acknowledged that Erica is one of the most severely affliced and most complicated cases of Lyme in the US. Frankly, this is the end of line for Erica...if these docs can't get it right then we arent sure if anyone can. We are pleased that for the first tme in over a year, Erica is on a protocol designed to make her strong again and systematically build up her immune system so her body can begin to fight the infections and heal itself. But she has only just begun so time will tell.
As of today Erica is in bed nearly 24/7 and in a walker when she is able to get up and move around. She recently learned that she has many different parasites in her system including Lyme, bartonella, babesia, rickettsia, flatworm, roundworm and microplasms. These coinfections have devastated her body by attacking her vital organs. Erica recently had work done on her heart as it was deteched that it was operating at about 5-10% output of where it should be. This was the Phonocardiogram shown in the video and we hope this will hold up for her over time. We will certainly keep you posted of her progress.
How can you help?
As you can imagine the medical bills are a drain on our finances so we are asking you to share Erica's video and story with your networks so we can raise more funds. We estimate that we will need at least $100,000 to cover her treatments over the next 6-12 months. For those that have donated to us in the past we thank you and only ask that you help spread more awareness. Please do not dontate twice, you've done enough and we know times are tough for others too.
Just as important as fundraising is raising awareness of the Lyme disease epidemic so please continue to spread the word with your friends and family. We are trying to help as many others as we can to avoid what we've gone through.
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. Please send cards or donations to:
Erica Valker
2101 Huntington St, Apt B
Huntington
Beach CA 92648
Paul, Erica, and Char
__________________________________________________________________
May 1, 2013
Dear Friends & Family,
You are now probably aware of the challenges my lovely wife
Erica has been facing with her battle with Chronic Lyme Disease. We
need your help and are very humbled to even ask. Erica’s medical bills
have skyrocketed and look to cost at least another $25K, on top of
tens of thousands we’ve already thrown at seeking a cure. We are
hoping that friends and family that have the means to do so will make
a small donation to Erica’s health fund.
Erica’s Story
After years of mystery illnesses dating back
to early childhood, multiple trips to various hospitals over the past
6-7 years, a fierce “head pressure” affliction in May 2012 that forced
her into the hospital, and 15 additional unproductive visits with the
“best doctors” in Los Angeles and Chicago, it was determined that
Erica has late stage Chronic Lyme Disease with multiple co-infections.
Yes, Lyme disease from a tick or other infection carrying parasite. We
don’t know where or when she was bitten or even really how she
acquired the disease but suspect she has had it for a very long time.
On top of the Lyme infection, she has co-infections Babesia and
Bartonella, which are two additional parasites attacking her immune
system and vital organs.
Her symptoms are severe and debilitating, ranging from head
pressure, extreme fatigue, light sensitivity, headaches, stomach
pains, sharp stabbing pains in her head, feet, and hands, muscle
twitching, tremors, heart palpitations, a slew of stomach and gastro
issues, speech impairment, and seizures, for which she has been
hospitalized three times. For a while she was having mostly bad days
with some “good days” sprinkled in but those good days have ceased.
Her immune system is depleted, her vital organs are now affected, and
she’s now having trouble taking care of herself on a day to day basis
and doing simple things like driving to the store. Needless to say
she’s got it bad.
The only thing harder to deal with than the disease itself is
finding a doctor to treat Lyme. Prior to her clinical diagnosis, we
saw around 15 doctors that said she a spinal fluid leak, had Lupus,
Crohns, migraines, it was in her head, or they didn’t see anything
wrong with her. Most doctors wanted nothing to do with us. Finally we
found a doctor that treats Lyme disease but does it in hiding so she
doesn’t get sued by Blue Cross or worse, arrested and stripped of her
license. Until recently, Erica’s treatment consisted of a combination
of six oral antibiotics and one through an IV, which is administered
through a port implanted in her chest with a central line to her
heart. We deliver IV antibiotics and change her needles at home (which
I have the displeasure of administering) because insurance declined
the care. Erica was been told that treatment will last 1-3 years and
she’ll get worse before she gets better.
In early April, her antibiotic treatments caused an infection
and forced her back into the hospital, where she hung by a thread for
a week. It was a close call. She’s back home now but her GP said we
must cease the previous treatment plan and find a new way to treat
her. Which obviously sucks since our options were pretty much zero to
begin with.
We have visits to several new doctors lined up but because we
have few options, we are preparing to embark on experimental
treatments using a lower dose antibiotic in conjunction with IV
supplements, and most importantly, hyperbaric oxygen treatments.
Needless to say, insurance won’t cover these treatments and they are
very, very expensive. This is where we need the help of family and friends.
DONATIONS - ERICA’S HEALTH FUND
We really don’t feel right
taking donations from friends and family but since so many have asked
how they can help and we need the assistance, I have set up a medical
fund to help us get out of a jam. The fund is in a bank account
separate from our personal finances and will be used solely for
Erica’s medical expenses. Any remaining funds will be paid forward to
another Lyme sufferer in need or will be donated to one of the Lyme
foundations. If you can contribute a couple bucks, you would be
helping us tremendously. We know times are tough for many so if you
can’t contribute right now, we love you any way. Our goal is to raise
at least $25,000.
For those of you that can make a small contribution, you may use
our Paypal link here (you don’t need a paypal account, just click the
credit card icons):
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=AGB24CXKA7CA8
Paypal will retain about 3% of the funds so we are asking folks
that have time to mail and actually still write checks to send funds to:
Erica Valker
2101 Huntington St, Apt B
Huntington Beach CA 92648
For those that would like to reach out, Erica has limited
communication by phone, facebook, or email but feel free to reach out
and hopefully she can get back to you soon. Please pray for Erica and
keep her in your thoughts and I have no doubt she will get better as
the world needs her smile.
About Lyme: http://lymedisease.org/lyme101/lyme_disease/lyme_disease.html
Lyme controversy: http://www.lymediseaseassociation.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=80&Itemid=76
Lastly, if you have any family or friends that have a mystery
illness that can’t be diagnosed or have been told they have
Fibromyalgia, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Crohns, ALS, or MLS, please
get them a high sensitivity test for Lyme. These ailments are
frequently misdiagnosed with the real culprit often being Lyme. It
might just save their life.
Thank you so much for your kindness and support,
Paul and Erica