In the year of 2011, my freshman year at Baylor, I started sleeping way more than normal. I would miss class, sleep through tests, and fall asleep around campus. After many months of research, doctor visits, and numerous tests, we discovered that I am narcoleptic. I have two cousins with this disease as well. It took 6 months to find out what was going on. As a result, my grades began to suffer. I started out my first semester with a 3.4. So I knew I had the capability of doing well in school. I was put on medicine that seemed to help, but it caused terrible headaches. I had to retake two classes the first semester of my sophomore year as a result , but it was difficult being constantly in pain. My grades improved though! Things were looking up.



The summer after my freshman year, I noticed a strange red patch on my hip. I thought nothing of it and went to my summer job. I worked full time that summer as a cashier/server/dish washer at a local burger chain in my hometown of Cedar Park. (This is where the cockroaches were out of control). As the day went on, the red patch grew bigger and bigger. It started itching, becoming lumpy, and swelling. It quickly spread over my whole body. I made an appointment with an allergist who diagnosed me with idiopathic urticartia, more commonly known as hives. This lasted off and on all summer but was easily managed with two sets of pills twice a day. I was fine!



They resurfaced a few months later during fall of 2012, and no matter how much medicine I took, they wouldn't go away. Every morning when I stepped on the ground, my feet would start to develop hives and would swell up. My hands would be covered if I put any sort of pressure on them. Soon, I wasn't able to walk. My throat felt itchy and I knew I needed medical attention. I went to the Baylor clinic and they gave me some steroids to calm the reaction. These helped at first, but then lowered the efficacy of my immune system. I developed a case of pneumonia and bronchitus. Steroids are not ideal long term, and these hives weren't going anywhere. I went back home to see my allergist, and was rediagnosed with pressure urticartia/angioedema. This was now a chronic condition. Add this to the narcolepsy, and now I've got two. Yay!



By now it's my junior year. I'm on better narcolepsy medication (dextrostat/dexedrine) that doesn't cause headaches, I'm taking my hives medication three times a day, using a steroid inhaler for asthma, and working part time at a new restaurant as a hostess. I'm managing, or so I thought. I had changed my major from mechanical engineering to business; I couldn't keep up with the rigorous coursework with everything going on, and business was a much better option medically. It was also more suited to my strengths of networking.



Then, my world kind of came crashing down. There were a lot of family issues going on at home, I started taking out loans in my own name to help pay for school since my parents couldn't, and shouldn't, have to take out any more. This, in addition to my scholarships and job, made things doable. But the hives kept coming back no matter what I did. I tried my best to prevent them. I stopped working out, wore loose fitting clothes, sat on cushions, didn't drink; I had to take ice baths to alleviate the pain. I made an appointment with a colleague of my allergist (who was based in Waco) to help me the summer after junior year. He had me go off my medication for three days in order to do the tests. Those were the worst three days of my life. My entire body was covered, even my eyes. I drove home in a panic. When I got there my parents called in an emergency inhaler to the nurse hotline, since I was starting to have trouble breathing. They covered me in ice packs, but the pain and itching was still excruciating. I somehow made it through those three days to do the testing.



I drove back to Waco and went in to the appointment where they proceeded to take my blood pressure. I warned them, but my whole arm swelled up as soon as they took it off. They did an allergy prick test on my forearms, every single prick caused a reaction on my skin. This was from the pressure of the needle. My doctor recorded the results, and later informed me that I am allergic to cockroaches, dust, grass, ragweed, cedars, sage brush, lamb quarters, pressure, and heat. Cool, I live in Texas where it's very hot, and I'm from CEDAR park. He started me on allergen immunotherapy. I need to get one shot in my arm a week for two years. Finally, some answers.



This brings us to fall of my senior year. I have moved up to a server over summer and now my job is much more physically demanding. My GPA is really suffering, I'm two years behind from switching majors and having to repeat classes, and I'm going to two or three doctor appointments a month. Stanford has just discovered that narcolpesy is an autoimmune disorder, pressure angioedema is one as well, and I'm getting sick once or twice a month on top of everything.



In the fall of 2014 I enrolled at MCC since I could no longer afford Baylor and had a terrible GPA. I'm working thirty hours a week to make ends meet, and I'm constantly in pain and falling asleep. My doctor prescribed me Xyrem in combination with dextrostat to help, but a one months supply costs $4000 a bottle. I get a one month free trial, but then a significant family crisis occurs. I didn't know how we could pay for it on top of my and my family's other medical bills, so I decided to try coping without the medicine. I did ok, but in October I started throwing up for 5 days. The doctor thought it was either from stress or a kidney infection. He told me to rest and prescribed me antibiotics. I have now basically been on antibiotics almost every other month for years. I frequently fell ill as a child too. I constantly get sinus infections, respiratory infections, all freaking types of infections. I've had the flu/strep throat numerous times in my gradeschool years. Then, in November, I get another respiratory/sinus infection. More antibiotics. In December I get the flu for ten days, as well as a cold shortly thereafter. I'm out of commision, I can't work, and I'm stressed out beyond all measure. I started losing weight, having panic attacks, and constantly trembling for no reason. Something seriously is wrong.



I went home for Christmas break, but it wasn't the best time to mention all of this. In January of this year I couldn't hide it anymore. I had lost thirty pounds since October, and I wasn't able to walk, not from hives, but from lower back pain. I had to tell my parents. I came home to see my doctors and was told I needed an MRI, a CT, a CT with contrast, and that there is a possibility I might have MS. My world was falling apart. My doctor called the same day I did my tests, I have a 2.5 cm cyst in my sinus cavity causing chronic sinusitus, and pars defect in my L5 vertebrae. No MS thank goodness. I had stress fractures in my back. Aparently I have had them for years. A few old ones from dancing in high school and a childhood trauma that never healed properly, one from Sing during my sophomore year (they told me it was muscle spasms so I performed anyways) and some new ones from heavy lifting at work. I am now in a wheelchair. The cost of these tests, the Xyrem, and the wheelchair easily totals $12,000. My parents had just switched insurance companies in January from United to Aetna, and had a new deductable of $3000. I used that up in one day. I was able to resecure funds to attend Baylor for the spring through appeals and reaching out to Baylor's counselors, but now I don't know how I'll be able to return in the fall.



I love Baylor. This is where I met my best friends, made awesome memories, and met the love of my life. Two years strong and very happy. I want a degree from here more than I've wanted anything in my life. I currently have all A's and a B, my GPA is on the rise, things have never been better. Except for financially. I am in PT for at least a month and can no longer work.



This is where you guys come in! I need your help. Please share this and donate anything you can. Even $1.00 helps.



Thanks for reading this atrociously long text. God bless.



Sarah Christine Boehm

Baylor University

Hopeful BBA in Finance or MIS



P.S. There are a ton of other GoFundMe accounts for people in Waco that may need more help than I do. If you're feeling extra generous, please visit their pages!

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