Hi Friends and Family,
As many of you know via my social media posts over the last 35 months, COVID and Long COVID really did a ‘number’ on my health. I also suffer from an immune system disorder caused by accidental exposure to Cesium 137 in service to my country as a Foreign Service Officer at the US embassy in Georgia in 2004 that caused a host of additional maladies over the years.
Recently, I endured a number of additional symptoms that progressed, compared to other symptoms that would come and go, but these not only remained but grew worse over the last two years. I finally saw a reputable Infectious Disease Specialist here in Winter Park, Florida who ran a plethora of tests, compared to other physicians and hospitals who either chose to believe my ailments were in my head, or simply Long COVID. Unfortunately, these tests revealed a lot more than even I could prepare myself for as worst-case scenarios. I am diagnosed with three life-threatening ailments. By themselves, each one expose me to morbidity rates ranging from 3-5 years for the least fatal, to 1-5 years for the worst of the three prognoses.
1. I knew about, called Systemic Candidiasis, essentially a yeast infection run amok, both inside and outside my body. and can cause a blood infection that can kill me quickly. The cause of this ailment stems from a sinus infection that required an antibiotic called ZPak. I tolerated it well until the second to last dose, and my body went into itchy, burning external overdrive. Then it traveled into my nose, mouth, ears, throat and lungs a few weeks ago during the Christmas holidays, and almost ended my existence on this planet. the Antifungal meds usually administered did nothing to alleviate the symptoms, and I wound up in the hospital attempting to keep it from entering my blood stream. The ailment is still with me and comes and goes as it pleases, and prevents me from eating anything tasty. No bread, sugar, favorite cereals, milk, cheeses, red meat. Essentially, anything tasty, I think I can eat construction paper past, but that, along with brussel sprouts, green beans and other things I hated to eat as a child and as an adult are forced down my gullet for caloric intake only. Still, the diet only maintains the status quo, keeping me from getting worse.
2. This ailment came as quite a surprise. I have been unable to breathe easily since COVID in Feb 2020. My O2 saturation levels improved but my breathing did not. After hearing the umpty third person tell me to get out and exercise more, I went to the same Infectious Disease doctor who took more bloodwork (17 vials in total) to find out I have a potentially deadly ailment called Pulmonary Aspergillus, which I thought was some sort of Italian dish until I learned what it does. My O2 levels are great, but this ailment literally eats the inside lining of my lungs, so it hampers my breathing in new ways that really hurt and totally bites. I feel vindicated after hearing so many people telling me I should get out of bed and exercise and I would feel better, but no one admits they said such things now, of course, which brings me to the next ailment.
3. For some reason, I have recurring acute pancreatitis. This is usually indicative of someone who drinks excessively, but I don’t drink at all, especially since symptom number one above would put me in the grave quickly if I tried to drink with this lovely systemic candidiasis., so that’s not the issue, which leaves one of two other explanations: Kidney disease, which I already had checked and am ‘in the clear’ with my pun intended urine output, or a tumor in my pancreas, which is the more likely culprit. hopefully, it’s benign and not cancerous, as I remember what pancreatic cancer made Steve Jobs look like even after he dropped 12 million dollars US to live an extra year, looking like he was released from Stalin’s gulag.
So, my top-tier insurance company believes that I should receive palliative care versus meds that can actually help, but are considered ‘off label’ but are proven effective in treating and curing two out of three of these ailments. No, the insurance company and the hospital in question I won’t mention, but it is here in WINTER PARK, think that I should just take Dr. Feel Good drugs until I keel over and pass onto the next plane of existence with a drug-induced, smile on my face. While I like watching Tommy Chong, I really don’t want to go out that way.
So, there are options. Off-label options with meds that will likely run me in excess of $100,000 plus for the first year alone. Now, I know there are a lot of campaigns out there due to a lot of Long-Hauler covid patients, but I am hoping that I have enough friends and family who would like to continue to read my Sunday Social Media dad jokes, and might want me around as comic relief at a few dinner functions before the hospital and pharmaceutical company decides I should go. I know $75K is a lot, and I am already an executive of sorts in the Cybersecurity realm, who might want me to be around a little longer,
Please consider donating, and I promise to write funnier jokes, and work harder at any job I am assigned. My wife might also appreciate your donation, depending on her mood that day, and whether I am particularly annoying on any given day. I’d rather her take me out with a frying pan to the back of my head than to go out this way. Please consider donating. I love you all.
Kalani Enos.
Future ruler of Kalaniopolis