Last update: 7/09/26
(Check story for more info)
Hey everyone. My name is Reyvin. Up until the end of April I was working, living a normal life, paying off the last of my debts, and helping to support my partner until he could start the fall semester at college. Towards the end of April I started getting really sick, winding up in the Emergency Room, and questioning what was happening with my health and why my body wasn't recovering. Not long after that in May, going over my medical records from the beginning of the year with my primary care doctor, I was officially diagnosed with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). I have gone from working 12-14 hour days supporting myself and those close to me to being so fatigued that even getting up to do the dishes, taking out the trash, or even other basic tasks are too much for my body to handle.
Due to these changes I have had to drop any contract work I had; I was forced to completely stop any freelance work I had in progress. It's hard to convey the depth of fatigue, aches, brain fog, and the many other symptoms I'm regularly experiencing now. It's taken a major toll on me physically, emotionally, and mentally. It's been tough trying to come to terms with this condition; Going from being an active member of my local community, hard worker to having to relearn my body, what it can handle, and what I can manage day to day. If you don't have a familiarity with what Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, it's an incredibly debilitating chronic illness that affects neurological, immune, and energy metabolism systems in your body. There isn't a cure for it and treatment currently focuses on symptom management to make life livable again.
I'm terrible at accepting help but being confronted with the reality of my body needing time to recover, make sure I can stay housed, and figure out what I can even pivot into to support myself once I'm more functional. Over the next three to six months, my focus is going to be on gaining stability: covering my rent, utilities, and hospital bills—while I try to get in routines I can manage and figure out supporting myself in the long term.
Here's a more in depth breakdown of my current plan.
As of now my plan is to spend 3 months recovering, resting, and hopefully getting myself into a place where I can functionally do chores and basic things day to day. The only way I will start getting better is by forcing myself to stay off my feet, get bed rest, and do very minimal activity. During this time I'm going to see if I can structure my life enough to do some art and tattooing since its one of the few things I can manage with my time and energy for while recovering. Once that 3 months has passed I'm allowing myself another 3 months (through October) to make sure I'm able to establish ways to provide for myself that allow me to continue keeping my ME/CFS in a manageable place. I'm hoping I can eventually be in the 5% or so of people that fully recover, or come very close to that point myself.
Below I've broken down my timeline/budget that I need to stay afloat immediately, an estimate for future months of recovery, and a breakdown of all costs. (Including paying back May's rent and utilities we owe, as well as the end of April due to quitting my job from getting sick.)
What I need to cover immediately;
- $2055 (to catch up with April/May)
- $150 hospital payment (Overdue for May)
- $200 Overdue Loan re-payment
This totals $2405 due by June 5th due immediately.
What I need to plan for in the coming months;
Due on 6/5/26 - $1816 (June Rent + Other Bills)
Due by 8/5/26 - $3632 (July/ August rent + Other Bills)
Due by 10/5/26 - $3632 (September/October rent + Other Bills)
I made a larger budget/spreadsheet to visualize this. Please note I have not included doctors visits, medications, food, or future utilities since I've been able to get these things covered, or confirm I have future help covering them. Our property owner we rent from has been incredibly understanding and has expressed a lot of worry about my health and situation. Unfortunately she can't float us forever.
The purpose of this is to hopefully get my immediate housing costs repaid so this doesn't affect my roommates negatively or my housing situation. My partner has put his studies on the back burner and has been searching hard for any work that would cover both of us or a majority of our costs since I've gotten sick. I really would like him to continue to be able pursuing the degree he wants so he's able to better provide for us as he's been trying to do. If we have any updates on my monthly totals due to my partner finding work, etc... any "extra" cash is solely being put towards a separate savings for my health appointments and recovery.
I'm only going to be able to achieve any level of recovery with a lot of rest, careful planning, and support. I hope none of you ever develop this chronic condition or have to deal with it. Its a terrible feeling having so much of your life just ripped away, from work to hobbies you enjoy and can no longer pursue.
Thank you for reading and if you can't donate to assist in my recovery, please feel free to share.
