Thanks for coming by, to make Lyme-aid for Chandrashekhar!
My name is Zoe, Chandra’s partner, and I’m running this fundraiser for his treatment.
Chandra’s diagnosis: In 2019, Chandra began experiencing random odd symptoms and it took him a whole year to learn what was really going on. By then, a tick-borne infection had become chronic. In September 2020, Chandra was diagnosed with late-stage Lyme disease with heart and neurological involvement, a condition that is difficult to treat and to manage. (You can read the account of how he found out the cause of his unexplainable symptoms in this PDF: Lyme & Beyond: Tick-Tock.) Sometimes called chronic Lyme or Lyme borreliosis complex (LBC), this disease is multi-systemic; it affects all aspects of the patient’s body and mind—as well as the financial security of their family, as insurers won’t cover it.
Chandra’s symptoms and treatment: Chandra has suffered from intermittent muscular and joint pains, sleep impairment, hypersensitivity (particularly to sound), episodes of brain fog, headaches, extreme fatigue, tremors, dysautonomia... In the summer of 2021, despite having been on antibiotic treatment for a year, Chandra began experiencing a relapse and greater affectation of his speech fluency, ability to multitask, short-term memory, and emotional regulation. His treatment protocol needed an upgrade.
In November 2021, Chandra started a new treatment protocol under the care of a Lyme-specialized clinic in Washington, D.C., and soon began to see improvements in his general wellbeing, especially regarding his neurological affectation (you can read Chandra’s account of his first visit to the Lyme-specialized clinic in this other PDF). To fight the tick-borne bugs, Chandra is now (as of October of 2022) on a dozen different pharmaceutical and herbal antimicrobials. Also, he’s on a number of meds and supplements to help calm the stress on his autonomic nervous system and to support his energy level and immune balance.
Physically and mentally, it has been a merciless challenge. Through it all, Chandra maintains a positive attitude, keeps up the fight, and chases down tastes of joy in every day. In order to keep moving ahead towards remission, Chandra’s routine these days is all about taking good care and supporting his recovery in every possible way: following a regular schedule, taking his medicines and supplements—on time!—doing mild exercise and, as he begins to feel even better, doing some writing, photo, and freelance work from home.
Chandrashekhar, summer of ’22.
Today, 11 months after starting treatment with the Lyme-specialized clinic in D.C., Chandra has regained strength and mental acuity. He has now many more good than bad days. Sometimes, his symptoms may flare up, but not as intensely or for as long as before. To achieve remission, Chandra will continue under treatment for another 12 to 18 months.
Treatment funding: Chandra’s Lyme-related medical costs have so far (as of October 2022) amounted to 27,000 USD. And his treatment continues. We estimate an additional expense of 18,000 USD (about 1,000 USD every month for another year to a year and a half). This is the cost of specialist appointments, labs, meds, supplements, and medical travel to D.C.—and no insurer will cover it. It’s all out of pocket.
This is one of the reasons Chandra and I created this fundraiser, to welcome the support of our friends and community, to help abate the costs of Chandra’s ongoing treatment. The other reason: to raise awareness about prevention and early treatment of tick-borne diseases.
We are grateful for your willingness to help. Your donations will be used exclusively to help pay for Chandrashekhar’s medical travel and treatment expenses. And, when Chandra reaches remission, if any funds remain unspent, we will donate them to Lyme disease research and prevention education.
We thank you in advance for your generous support!
Zoe — and Chandrashekhar!