So I made it through the first sinus surgery as well as almost 50 more sinus surgeries and debridements of my sinus for infections and polyps.

I was being treated with IV antibiotics for fungal infections, resistant staph infections, and finally had a port a Cath inserted due to breakdown of all my veins in my arms and no longer being able to advance a PICC line.

I was trying to work full time, go to the hospital every 8 or 12 hours for infusions that lasted from 30 minutes to 4 hours.  Trying to be a wife and a mom and just getting sicker and sicker and broker and broker.  Being chronically ill is a VERY expensive hobby even with the best of insurance.

People fail to understand the unpaid time off of work, travel to out of town, sometimes out of state appointments and surgeries, hotels, food, childcare, medications and copays and supplies.  It is extreme and we were not prepared in anyway for the financial toll this would place on us.  I had surgeries in Kansas as well as at University of Colorado hospital.  I was also sent to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota for evaluation and then to National Jewish Respiratory Hospital in Denver, Colorado.

I was literally tested for EVERYTHING you can think of multiple times.  I wasn’t getting answers but was gaining diagnosis’ like crazy.  Status asthmatics, severe persistent asthma, chronic sinus disease, fibromyalgia, depression, anxiety, migraines, ear infections leading to ear tubes multiple times, mastoid infection….

I was also racking up about one hospital stay a month due to my asthma being so severe. Finally in 2010 my pcp told me I HAD to go back to National Jewish again because I was maxed out on therapy and none of the pulmonologist that I saw could help.

I quietly refused in my hospital room as my pastor was there visiting me.  We had already been through bankruptcy, we couldn’t afford it and I had decided that I would not deprive my kids of anything else or put any more financial strain on my family.

I got out of the hospital and went back to work.  The following week my pastor showed up at my office and told me that the church was going to cover my travel expenses to go back to Colorado.  Talk about a blessing and a “God” moment…I fell apart but got the appointments scheduled for one last try at controlling the sinus and breathing problems.