Phillip's Medical and Health Fund

Hello, my name is Phillip Lewis, and I am a native of San Diego, California. I am a graduate of Morse Senior High School in San Diego whereas in 1983 my senior year I was part of the CIF San Diego divison III Championship basketball team.

After high school I went on to college, at North Park College Theological Seminary, NCAA division III in Chicago where I played basketball and football my freshmen year. I also attended Fullerton College for a year in 1985, and in 1991 I graduated from National University in Irvine, California with a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration. I am ex Navy, and is a true and proud Amercan.

I have always been a private introverted person with a big extroverted giving heart. (So this is going to be very toughfor me). To a lot of my friends and some family you may find this information I am going to share with you most troubling and surprising. Particularly for not disclosing this information sooner. Please do not fault me to much, for I am still myself trying to come to grips with my mortality.

I had been living in Wisconsin for about for about 9 months working at the Federal Building in Downtown Milwaukee when I started to get this feeling that for some reason I needed to get back home to San Diego(Yes, the Lord was speaking to me and although I was hearing him, I wasn't heeding is words to me). Other than dealing with the freezing temperatures of the Midwest, I felt fine; my health and safety was good, my living conditions were good, my social life was good, and although I was making considerable less money than I was accostomed to, I didn't really want for nothing. But I could not shake the feeling that I needed to get back to San Diego and soon. So finally in March I decided that the Lord was telling me to get to San Diego for a reason and that I better listen.

So I took the Amtrak from Milwaukee to My Sisters house in Grover Beach, California and stayed with my sister for 3 weeks sending out resumes and still trying to figure out what the Lord was telling me. After being there for about a week I started waking up in the middle of the night coughing uncontrollably with my chest tightening and a feeling of not getting enough oxygen. I thought I was dying. The first time it happend I woke my sister in a panic. But I also noticed that as long as I was standing the feeling would subside. So while myself and particularly my sister tried to figure out what was going on without going to the hospital ( I had no insurance, since I just left my job) so I begin sleeping on the recliner in the living room with all my sisters pillows piled behind be so that I could try and get some sleep....I was so exhausted by the end of the second week that I begin to get extremely fatigue early in the day. I continued my routine of breakfast at 4:30 am, shower, dress and be ready to head out the door by 8am with my job seeking itinerary in hand. I did this religiously until my 3 weeks were up and it was time for me to head to San Diego, Oceanside, California specifically. Once in Oceanside staying with my niece I begin my daily routine of an early breakfast, shower, dress, and hit the Library when it opened. Well the second day I was in Oceanside, I decided to walk to the Library since it was a gorgeous day out, nothing like the freezing cold in Milwaukee or the blowing wind in Grover Beach. So upon arriving at the Library I sit at a computer type in my username, tab to my password, and nothing. I can't remember my password that I have been using for years...so I sit there for a while just staring at the password box, waiting for my fingers to start typing, and still nothing. So I laugh it off get up walk outside to clear my head thinking that maybe the walk had fatigued my brain or something. I go back in the library sit at the computer type in my username again, tab to the password box and with fingers hovering over the keyboard...nothing again. Now I'm beginning to worry. I'm not in any pain, body and mind feeling great, can't remember a thing. So I give up at the library since I can't do any work without my password, and decided to go to the liquor store across the street get some money out the ATM and catch the bus back to my nieces. So now I'm standing in front of the ATM looking at this machiine that's telling me to enter my pin number, and once again, nothing. Now I cannot remember my pin number that I have also been using for years. So after standing in front of the ATM which felt like hours I decide to just give up. So I go to the counter with the intention of explaining my situation to my friend behind the counter whom I have also known for years and see if I could borrow 2 dollars for the bus to get home, but I open my mouth to speak, and no words are coming out. I know what I want to say, but I just cannot get the words to come. I just stared at him for a minute or to longer with him asking me if I were okay and me shrugging; thinking like I have no idea whats happening right now but I am beginning to get very frightend. so I shake my head leave the store and head over to the bus stop praying that I would be able to find the words to tell the driver that my memory is leaving swiftly I have money but can't access it and that it is imperative that I get home NOW. A hispanic gentlemen approached waiting for the bus also, so, after about a minute I turn to talk to him in hopes of asking this stranger for two dollars because I am thinking there is no way that I am not getting on this bus, but once again..nothing comes out. I see the bus coming I start to panic, thinking again that if I have to I will just walk on the bus and take it from there. I take out my wallet show it to the hispanic guy, point to my mouth and then my empty wallet and shake my head praying that this guy will somehow figure out what Im trying to say to him with all the worry, humbleness, concern, fear and complete sincerity I could muster eminating from my eyes. And it worked! This kind gentlemen took out his wallet and handed me two dollars. LORD THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! So I get to my nieces I walk into her room and just stand there staring at her and she staring at me asking me what's wrong. I keep shaking my head with my arms outstreched and I'm sure with a look of pure terror written all over my face, when as she told me later, tears just started streaming down my face. So she calls her mother, my sister and tells her that something is wrong with Uncle Phillip. So they ask me a series of questions that my only answer to is shaking my head yes or no, so they decide that the best option is call the ambulance or my niece would drive me to Tri City Hospital, which thankfully was less than 5 minutes down the street.

I'm sure most of you have figured it out, without the play by play. But I simply wanted to show you what the lord had been telling me the whole time. And although it was extremely scary, I was protected by his loving arms since Milwaukee.

I HAD A STROKE! They also discovered that my Ejection Fraction rate for my heart was at 25% which is indicative of CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE.

I spent a week at Tri City hospital, where slowly but surely my memory and speech returned before being discharged. I am currently being treated at Scripps Green Hospital (The Lord is still showing his power) by one if not the Top Heart Specialist in San Diego and possible the United States. I am on 5 different heart, blood clot, and seizure medication that If I want to continue living I have to take for the rest of my life.

Now all that took place between April and May. In August I moved to Texas temporarily for about 4 months, all the while collecting unemploymet thankfully. Not because I'm lazy, far from it, I enjoy working, but because I had to get my heart stronger to avoid a pace maker or defibrillator, and the doctor forbid me to go back to work because o f the stress. Fortunately, with the help of the Lord, and lots of careful walking and diet my Ejection Fraction Rate rose to 42% which thankfully means at the moment the Pace Maker and Difibrillator are currently of the table. I've never been so happy in all my life. I get dizzy just thinking about being cut open. I think I willed my heart to get stronger, just to avoid surgery. Sorry, but we are not done yet.. While living in Texas, in October I believe, I started to feel horrible (this is still 2015). I started urinating alot, drinking everything in sight, fruit punch(my favorite), apple juice, orange juice, water, I could not drink enough no matter what. Constantly thirsty, constantly going to the rest room. I was irritable, moody, yelling at people for no reason. It was crazy. I usally wake up between 4:30 and 5:00 am everday, been that way since I was a kid, but now I wouldn't get out of bed until 12Noon , sometimes later than that. I of course thought it was my heart, so I called and scheduled an earlier appointment with my doctor in San Diego, which I think was Scheduled for October 29th. Well On October 25th a Sunday I had had enough and drove myself to the nearest Texas Medical Center emergency room without telling a soul. Well it turns out that my blood sugar was 1100 and as the doctor had told me, I was a walking corpse. I should of been dead or in a coma at the very least. So just to reiterate: Stroke, Congestive Heart Failure and Diabetes type 2. I had serious doubts that I would see 2016. Someone uncharateristically told me that I am in Gods Favor. Can't argue with that one bit. And last but not least, on my last Heart Doctor Appointment, I was talking with the Physician Assistants and my Doctor, and as I started walking away they said I had a noticeable limp, whichI had been aware of because my leg had been periodically giving me problems, but I just chalked it up to a too soft mattress. Well of course my wonderful Doctor suggested that they give me an Xray. And they did... I have developing arthritis in my Thigh. So, Stroke, Congestive Heart Failure, Diabetes, and Arthritis... I am truly thankful to still be among you all.

Why I am setting up this gofundme page. Because for some strange reason 6 months into my year of unemployment benefits Milwaukee informed me that I ran out of funds, and that they do not do extensions any longer. so in September I stopped receiving unemployment, and have been living off of family and a friend ever since. I get a monthly supply of Insulin that I take two times a day, heart medication that I take two times a day, needles, test strips, finger sticks, that thankfully with the help of Medi Cal I had been able to afford, and Medical Bills from three differnt hospitals that are beyond comprehension. I am currently "visiting" with my little brother in Virginia and come two days from now, Sunday I WILL have to depart with the help of my brother most likely because I havr nothing, via Greyhound to some place warm(This cold is not idea for my heart or Arthritis), and my brothers current living situation can not accommodate me any longer. After that, all I could do is smile. So to my friends and family any donations you can send my way will be greatly and thriftfully appreciated. I could use the funds immediately like a month ago. I have 365 friends, a $15 to $20.00 donations would be sufficient to meet my goal. If not, do not worry I understand.

Thank You and God Bless.

Phillip Lewis