Help for Krafty Karen.....

Morning all,

Can I ask that you all please take a little time to read this post!

A very dear crafting cyber friend is in need of some help getting the medical treatment she well and truly deserves and we are asking if you could all please do a little bit to help :)

Some of you may or may not know Krafty Karen

I have known Karen for just a couple of years when she became a customer over at my store Paper Creator. We got talking by email after Karen kindly offered to make up samples for the site and now we have become very good friends a rarely a day goes by where we don't have a chat!

Karen is an amazing woman who is very modest, a great inspiration in the crafting world and an amazing FRIEND!

Karen has suffered constant pain over this last couple of years and has struggled to get doctors to listen to her symptoms and was at one point made to feel as though it was all in her head & imagination, this was until a year ago when Karen collapsed and taken to hospital. Finally tests were done and a diagnosis given and we all honestly thought there was light at the end of the tunnel! After many appointments with doctors, consultants and no joy Karen saw her pain management consultant who agreed that she was in need of an epidural in her neck which would help to relieve the pain.

Unfortunately Karen received a call last week advising that her pain management consultant has gone on to long term sick and all his waiting lists cancelled - you can imagine how devastating this news was for Karen!!

For a little more about Karen's health problems here are a few of her own words...

"

I have Degeneration of the C spine... (My neck) The disks which are damaged by change so far are;-

C4/5 C5/6 C6/7. I also have narrowing to the Exit Foramina which is causing root nerve compression - all of this causes a whole host of nasties for me, not least of which is the pins & needles, numbness to my limbs, loss of use and weakness to my arm, hand, and leg. Black outs, dizzy spells, headaches, loss of vision to my right eye and so many other problems they are too many to mention here.

The biggest thing I live with day to day is the sheer level of constant pain. The pain I have is in my neck, my shoulders, my arm, partly in my back, and in my leg too.

I also get a lot of pain to the back of my skull because of the problems with my neck. I suffer from paralyses and have good and bad days with this.

I also suffer from something called Complicated Migraine, which causes separate issues of it's own, but this is being managed with medication. But it does mean that I am unable to take normal analgesic or over the counter pain relief.

So I go day to day without any pain relief at all.

I have been waiting for such a long time for an Epidural injection in my neck, to give me some relief to my symptoms, which the hospital have just put back - and I am now on an "active waiting list" - I am still awaiting a referral to a London Spinal Specialist - I have been waiting for this referral for a long time now, and again, this appointment keeps getting knocked back.

I am currently trying to raise the funds to visit a private consultant, so that I can get some straight, honest, unbiased answers on exactly what my problem is and what my options are for getting it sorted out., I also want to be able to have the Epidural done if I can raise enough money for this.

I am so desperate to be able to do things with my children again. The worst thing this summer has not been having one single day out with my kiddies. It's made me feel like I've failed them some how.

It is now two and a half years since these symptoms started, and a year since my diagnosis and I am still right at square one for getting any help. I am still suffering daily with no pain relief. I am still fighting to see the right consultant who is willing to help me and give me an honest answer with regards to what procedure is needed.

The only consultant who was honest enough to tell me my neck is in really bad shape, and that I need to go to London, and that I will need a series of operations in my lifetime, has just taken long term sick leave. He was my pain management consultant, and this is the reason why I have now been knocked back yet again, and I am now still waiting for my long awaited Epidural in my neck..

This is why I have been selling some of my crafting stuff in the hope of raising some funds to go and see a private consultant.

The thought of waiting maybe another year to be seen is unbearable 

It seems to just go round and round and round in circles until I am right back where I started..

Karen took up designing a few months back to help keep her mind of the pain & has been a bit of a life saver and you can find her wonderful downloadable card kits both on Paper Creator & Paper Craft Kits. Karen has designed some of the most wonderful kits and all profits from the sales of these kits towards helping get private funding.

So this is where we ask all you crafty people to please spare just a few pounds as profits from each kit sold will go towards the funds required to enable Karen to seek private consultation and finally start to get the help and pain relief she truly deserves.

Karen's digi card kits can be found....

Paper Creator - UK Site

Paper Craft Kits - US Site

 Throughout this post you will see examples of what can be made from Karen's digi kits and once purchased you have them to make over and over again!


So come lets help Karen get the treatment she deserves and help Karen's children get the mummy back!

A huge thank you for taking the time to read this post!


Hugs Debbie x