Pride Swallowed. Asking for Help With My Wife's Kidney Transplant Costs.

I usually use my blog space talking about writing and pushing my books, but I'm here with a personal issue this time.

It's really hard for me to reach out for help. I guess I'm just not wired that way. Today I decided to swallow my pride and ask for help with my wife's mounting medical costs.

I've set up a fund raiser at Give Forward. Please give it a look and spread the word to as many people as you feel comfortable with.

Buying my books helps too. ;)

Thanks so much! ~Robert

http://www.giveforward.com/tammysbrokenbeans


After struggling for years with several autoimmune diseases, my wife Tammy received the biggest blow yet one year ago - stage five chronic kidney disease. Her kidneys have completely failed. Tammy goes to dialysis three times a week and is in desperate need of a kidney transplant.

On top of that, she has been suffering with psoriatic arthritis, fibromyalgia, celiac disease, pustular psoriasis, hypertension, pancreatitus, and diverticulosis for the past few years and most of these condition are slowly getting worse. Over the past year she's also battled several serious infections and blood clots. Tammy is 37 years old.

During our visit to the Mayo Clinic last spring, one of the doctors said she was one of the most complex cases he'd ever seen. You can say that again!

Tammy went to college in 2003 with dreams of a career in social work. She earned her associates, bachelors, and masters degree while taking care of me and the kids and working full time. After just a few short years, her health problems got bad enough where she could no longer work and had to quit her job. These days, dialysis takes so much out of her and leaves her weak and sick. The constant pain from her joints and weakness in her muscles severely limits her movements, activities, and quality of life. I often walk into the room to find her crying in frustration simply because she wants to cook dinner for her family or do the dishes and it's too difficult.

Tammy was at the hospital 14 times last year either in the ER or as an inpatient stay. The longest stay was 13 days shortly after her kidneys failed and they tried chemotherapy. She had two seizures due to high blood pressure and had to spend several days in ICU.

Thank goodness we have medical insurance and help from social security disability, but those pesky medical bills continue to multiply. We find ourselves thousands of dollars in debt with medical expenses and can only expect more on the way once the transplant goes forward and a new year of deductibles begin. We're barely keeping our head above water after Tammy had to stop working and we just can't find a way to catch up on these bills! The other day we realized we pay more on prescription co-pays per month than our car payment.

Instead of concentrating on getting better, Tammy worries about the financial strain her health problems put on our family. No matter how many times I tell her it's not her fault, she still struggles with guilt and it bothers her deeply.

Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks so much for reading, caring and giving.

~ Robert Brumm & Family 

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