Join Team Grace and Help Her Recover

JOIN TEAM GRACE AND HELP US MEET THIS LATEST CHALLENGE

I almost lost the love of my life last week. She has supported me emotionally and has been there since 2008… all the way through the journeys of creating IPAK, IPAK-EDU, jameslyonsweiler.com, and Popular Rationalism, the research, the conferences…

Recently, we found Grace had a bleeding retina. Into her eye went steroids, specifically polymers that give off steroids for long-term exposure. The treatment is Ozdurex. The steroid was dexamethasone.

The steroids in her eye caused a reaction - the pressure increased. She was receiving outpatient care for that pressure via eye drops. Then she had a stroke. Slurring words, trouble finding words. Lost speech, right side semi-paralysis.

For six days, she battled the doctors trying to stabilize her blood pressure. Dozens of neuro exams, constant tests for blood pressure spike, trying to find the combination of blood pressure meds that would work despite the leaking steroids.

Meanwhile, the steroids also stopped her insulin from managing her blood sugar.

She’s home now, but the effects are apparent. She is now on 5 blood pressure medications, two types of insulin. She needs constant monitoring. Measurements all throughout the day. Careful carb counting. We are grateful to the doctors nurses and staff who helped.

She’ll need speech therapy, some occupational therapy (she learned she cannot write). Gait change that we’ll address with some PT.

But the testing, the drugs, the specialists - it’s all adding up.

We need your help to stem the rising tide of medical expenses. We don’t know the total, but $40K is a reasonable estimate. We will report the full cost of the six days and the first round of follow-ups. See HELP JACK AND GRACE W/MEDICAL EXPENSES | GoGetFunding Click if you would like to help us.

Please consider joining TEAM GRACE.

PS There is hope. She ambled out the end of the pier this morning for exercise. She’s determined. She wants people to avoid lifestyle choices that led to her diabetes and initial high blood pressure, which allowed the injected steroid to push her over the limit. Today’s eye pressure was good—that’s a very good sign!

READ HERE HOW DEXAMETHASONE MAY INCREASE STROKE RISK IN SOME PATIENTS.