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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 23, 2022)
BLESSINGS: Help needed covering medical expenses Continued from page 3 team of doctors who under- stood her unique and rare medical condition, she found more strength to advocate for herself. <EDS is a nebulous and complicated condition,= she said. <Because of the dysreg- ulated emotional component, it9s often misdiagnosed or dismissed as anxiety; instead of seeing the correlation with symptoms of blood pressure, heart rate, gastrointestinal, insomnia, lack of ability to eat, and brain fog.= Adding to her current health situation, she got COVID-19 in early 2020. Already compromised, hav- ing PTSD and COVID made her situation worse. Being her own best advo- cate, Tracy Lynn made some hard decisions about who to have in her life. As sad as it was, she chose to end her mar- riage. With all the challenges she9s facing, she continues to focus on gratitude and life9s blessings. These days, it9s not always easy. But she tries anyway. Even when she9s in obvious emotional and physi- cal pain, her smile can light up the darkest moments. With disability benefits and other financial support still in limbo, concerns about her health are compounded by running out of money. That means her living situa- tion, medical costs, and pay- ing bills for she and her son, who has autism, is a challenge each month. Debbie Dyer of Ponderosa Properties helped her find a safe place to live in Sisters. Her landlord has been working with her, along with many other individuals and organizations, to get her rent paid. Those kind acts keep her going. She9s working with several legal and medical profession- als to access funds and health care, but in the meantime, she9s had to rely on the gener- osity of neighbors, the Sisters community, and family. Uncomfortable with ask- ing for help, Tracy Lynn has learned to receive love in many forms from people she sees as angels in her life. Her friend and former Forest Service coworker, Kristin McBride, set up a GoFundMe campaign last September. Tracy Lynn is grateful to everyone who donated, b u t d o n a t i o n s h a v e n 9t reached what9s needed. Her GoFundMe is focused on alleviating her medical debt so she can focus on her health and not outstanding bills she can9t pay. To contribute, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/ help-tracy-alleviate-debt-and- focus-on-health. Tracy Lynn has a saying: <When you see people with- out a smile give them yours.= She knows everyone9s suf- fering in their own way. <If we connect with kind- ness, little things can become so big. Positivity is infectious. I keep building my faith and the power of prayer. I pray for everything now. I keep faith& not just in God but my com- munity, too,= she said. Wendy Bachmeier is another of Tracy Lynn9s angels. Bachmeier is a mem- ber of the Sisters Community Church and is working hard to get Tracy Lynn the help she needs. The church pro- vided some support, but when those funds were utilized, Bachmeier recruited other parishioners, who have been providing resources through a Blessing Box set up on Tracy Lynn9s porch. Each time there9s something new in the box, Tracy Lynn remembers she9s not alone and people care. <I never thought I9d be in this situation. I want to turn it into hope for others and myself,= she said. <The kind- ness of people I9ve never seen in my whole life has blown me away. I share my story and the miracles I9ve experienced with people I come in contact with whenever I can.= Circumstances like compli- cations from having COVID- 19, her doctor retiring, and cancelled physical therapy Wednesday, February 23, 2022 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon due to pandemic restrictions have made her circumstances worse. She can9t get the Watsu water therapy her body needs to keep her joints mobilized because of the pandemic. Through all the obstacles, Tracy Lynn keeps focused on the many people who are helping her along. <I have a counselor, Vicki Boudinot, of Deschutes Behavioral Health. She saved my life because she believed in me. Over the years, I told her I knew something was still wrong. She encouraged me to find other doctors who would believe me. She rescued me and helped me get out of an unsafe living situation, then put together a team to check on me.= Tracy Lynn understands there are many people in med- ical crisis who lack resources and can fall through the cracks. <I was worried all the time I9d wake up in one of those tents along the highway,= she said. <If it wasn9t for Vicki I would have been there. She9s put together such an amazing team for me. I9m not confi- dent about dealing with legal decisions and I can no longer work& It was scary leaving the job I love.= One way she can give back is by encouraging people experiencing a health crisis to just hang on. <Keep going; it9s worth it,= she said. <Focus on nature and the little things, like butterflies landing on the wall; don9t focus on the storms because they pass! I really love people. There9s healing power in this area, the people, and the mountains.= Sharing her story is both an opportunity to create awareness for her needs and express thankfulness for what she9s received. She doesn9t want to lose sight of the blessings she has in her life. <It took 50 years to finally get diagnosed,= she said. <I was born with this. I went through a lot of misdiagnoses, and incorrect treatments, which created a challenging path to find answers. Now I want to help others.= With help from Bachmeier Sisters Dental DRY-SKIN RELIEF Each skincare service tailored for our high desert climate and your skin needs. BOOK ONLINE! WE ARE HERE FOR YOU! Trevor Frideres, D . M . D . Greg Everson, D . M . D . Kellie Kawasaki, D . M . D . 541-953-7112 392 E. Main Ave., Sisters roamnaturalskincare.com 541-549-2011 491 E. Main Ave. • Sisters www.sistersdental.com Hours: Mon., 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tues.-Thurs., 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Fri., 7 a.m.-3 p.m. 15 PHOTO PROVIDED Tracy Lynn can use her new upright walker for short walks. PHOTO PROVIDED PHOTO PROVIDED Tracy Lynn Lisius on the job before her health declined. Tracy Lynn has created greeting cards available for purchase. and ladies from her church, Tracy Lynn is making beauti- ful, handmade greeting cards. They are for sale, including Mother9s Day cards, at Sisters Floral (243 N. Elm St.), Gypsy Junk (141 W. Main Ave.), and in Bend at Healing Bridge Physical Therapy through another one of Tracy Lynn9s angels, Allison Suran (354 NE Greenwood Ave. Ste. #105). To purchase cards directly, email Tracy Lynn at: tracylynnlisius@outlook.com. Tracy Lynn continues to rely on faith, choosing hope, and sharing her philosophy whenever she can: <Miracles are everywhere! You can9t be grateful and sad at the same time.=