Hello,

This is Ben, or as some of you know me by my streaming name, Herbs. Upon the advisement of some close friends, I am starting this fundraiser to help pay for medical costs that I have not been able to afford paying on my own. If some of you are not aware, I was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease back in August of 2010. At the time I was diagnosed, my Dr. wanted to avoid surgery and instead opted for Remicade infusion treatment (an oncological treatment for Crohn's). Alas, I lost healthcare coverage halfway through treatment and was not able to finish the entire course of treatment. For a few years, my condition was fine, I did not have any intense flare-ups and was able to work for some time.

However, in winter of 2016, flare-ups started up again, in full force. I had also lost a considerable amount of weight, and was around 150 lbs. (68 kg) and at nearly 6'4'' that is severely underweight. After my Doctors had run tests, I was told that my small intestine had completely closed off due to inflammation, and surgery was unavoidable. Right around the time I had surgery for that in August 2017, I was also dealing with personal life issues; went through a divorce, lost my job and healthcare at that time (due to depression from the divorce), and would have been homeless if it wasn't for my parents offering to help me.

I was able to find a job and continue working when I moved to my parent's town, but it was only part-time and it was a struggle to get enough hours to qualify for healthcare at that job, at that time I wasn't too worried because the surgery had helped with my condition to an extent. I was advised to look at healthcare through Obamacare, but the Obamacare health plans were too expensive and I was not able to afford it at that time. At some point during the course of working at that last job, my abdomen muscles were aggravated from being active, and eventually I herniated my abdomen muscles. I had to leave my job due to being unable to engage in physical activity as that would worsen the hernia and require emergency surgery to fix. Fast forward a few years to now, and I have not been able to find work that would provide healthcare to pay for the treatment I have needed, as well as the surgery to fix not only the hernia, but also the ostomy from my previous surgery in 2017.

Although I do not have intense flare-ups like I used to, I still experience abdominal pain on a daily basis, and chronic fatigue that affects my ability to engage in normal activities, not to mention the amount of times I go to the bathroom are way above what is considered normal because of my stomach issues. There are times where the abdominal pain can get so intense that even walking a few steps around the house is an ordeal. At this point in time, I am needing to set up more tests with my Doctor to see what is going on with my stomach and colon, but the costs for these tests are more than what I can afford without financial assistance, and asking my family is not possible as my family is struggling to make ends meet. Loans are not possible as I have no way to pay back loans and my credit has been terrible since 2017. I am very reluctant about asking for money through a fundraiser, but I am at my wit's end here, and close friends have recommended I try this.

If you have read this far, I want to thank you for taking the time to read my explanation of what I have been going through with Crohn's and what I am facing right now. Any help you are able to provide would be immensely valuable, and I will be grateful to the ends of the earth that you would be willing to help me.

So that everyone is aware, all of the funds donated to this campaign will only be going towards my medical expenses, everything from the costs of the tests needed, to medical supplies and treatments that are needed as well. Again thank you for taking the time to read my story, and any funds donated to the campaign will help me immensely.

Ben

This campaign is unpublished.

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