Hi there, I’m Rachel.
Don’t get me wrong. Compared to other people around the world, I am fortunate. I am lucky to still have family around me, but things have got inexplicably tough this past year, and for no obvious reason. I’ve gone from the left-hand side person- a happy person, who hiked miles every day, worked full-time in the performing arts, and was (before the pandemic hit) applying to teach in Japan and hopefully volunteer with a refugee charity, to the desperate, right-hand person, who has to sit with frozen cans on her head just to calm the pain! Now, it’s a miracle if I can get through the days without crippling pain. I rely entirely now on family, and honestly don’t know what I would do without them.
I won’t lie… some days, I can handle the pain itself. But what I can’t handle, what keeps me awake at night, is still not knowing what’s wrong with me. Last August, seemingly out of nowhere, I suddenly got a searing pain in my spine and right side. Since then, my entire torso has progressively become painfully rigid, often waking me in the night with excruciating spasms. I have had a chronic, unilateral headache since February, recurrent full body paraesthesia, eye inflammation, amongst other recurrent and seemingly inexplicable symptoms. I’ve blown through so many vital savings, having to seek private consultants, and so far, all my tests have come back negative/clear. But I can’t give up. This cannot have come out of nowhere, and I want my life back. And if I can’t have it back, I want to be able to at least name the monster that has stolen it from me.
Any money raised from this will go directly into trying to help me afford further tests and hopefully, treatment. Anything you feel able to afford would honestly be HUGE right now. Thank you so much.
paypal.me/remansfield