Question by Lea Wade: I NEED SOMEONE/ANYONE’S HELP…?
Hey My Name is Lea. I’m 17 going to be 18 on April 12th. I’ve never done this before and I hate to complain but way past desperate… I was recently diagnosed with a disease called Systemic Lupus Erythematosus or (SLE). It’s an autoimmune disease, where your immune system attacks itself and eventually kills your organs one by one. I have already lost all my long curly blonde hair, which for a 17 year old girl is horrifying. I am now on treatment 3, I’ve tried Plaquenil, which 95% of patients respond but of course I’m the 5% who didn’t respond in a positive way.The SLE scale goes from 0-10, 0=in remission, and 10 equals horrible flare up. before i started the first treatment I was a 6 on the SLE scale, 1 month after my Plaquenil treatmeant I went from a 6 to a 12! Which is off the scale, which is FREAKING horrible. Then my second treatment was Methotrexate A.K.A. Chemotheropy. That still didn’t work so they upped the dose on the Chemotheropy. I’m still on this Chemotheropy treatment but it’s only getting worse, I am now immune to 8-9 antibiotics. I was so excited to hear about this new SLE treatment “Benlysta”. Benlysta has a huge succsess rate! I couldn’t stop crying I was so happy, but then I found out it costs $ 35,000 a year, because SLE is a life long disease that means $ 35,000 a year for the rest of my life (if I could afford it, let alone the first treatment/year.) I’ve wanted to become an Interior Designer ever since I was 9 years old. I’m a junior/senior in highschool. I’m in between both grades because I had to leave public highschool and become homeschooled because my immune system isn’t working so I get sick to easily. But some good new is I got accecpted into the the ART INSTITUTE OF CALIFORNIA the college I’ve wanted since I was about 12 years old haha. So it’s either college or possibly this new treatment. Basically, a short fufilled life with an amazing education for Interior Design, or a long life that’s unfufilled with no college education, which kills me to be so harsh but that’s my reality. I can’t stand the thought of choosing, so does anyone how I can raise money to pay for college & treatment so I can have a LONG & FUFILLED life? Please Help me…    Read more...