LYDIA’S CONVERSION DISORDER – GOAL R200 000
My wife, Lydia, is suffering severe nerve pains all over her body, 24 hours a day. This started as a pain in her one leg in May 2016. Her condition quickly deteriorated and since November 2016 she became functionally impaired.
The state hospital diagnosed her with Motor Neuron Syndrome (MNS) when she started losing control over her bladder and often even needed to be fed as well.
Subsequently, they changed her diagnosis to conversion disorder as MNS does not cause such a lot of constant pain. They then suggested that she should see a psychologist, a psychiatrist, and a physiotherapist at the state hospital. This, however, is totally ineffective as the appointments are only scheduled for once a month. In addition, pain gets unbearable if she has to sit in a wheelchair, sometimes waiting for hours.
Financially we are ruined by all of our medical expenses on adult nappies, scripts for painkillers from private doctors, over the counter medicine (which does not help at all), heat pads, materials to clean and dress the wounds where cysts form and are being removed etc. On top of it all, our 18 year old daughter was diagnosed with bone cancer this year and needed to be taken to a hospital 130km from here many times, until she was operated in August 2017 at a hospital.
My wife and I just started a ministry and a small business when she got ill. Taking care of Lydia is also almost a full-time job and currently, the business is not really bringing in any money. With our savings basically exhausted, it breaks my heart to see her daily suffering and not being able to take her to proper medical examiners and facilities. The very thought of putting her through the stress of losing the rental house we live in is also very painful.
My dear Lydia is only 37 and I beg for any help. She’s an amazing person, but basically being clustered in a bed between four walls is just getting too much for her to handle.