My name is Greg Taylor.. I think that I had written my story to you before, not sure if you still have it...

On Wednesday, 12/6/06, I woke up for work & wasn't able to raise my right shoulder or arm. At first, I thought that it was due to years of playing football, back in the day. It was hard to shower, shave & dress, with one arm, but I made it.. Went to work & told people that I had a sore shoulder.

After work, I went to a nearby urgent care clinic, the nurse took my temperature & vitals, but didn't tell me anything... She advised that the doctor would be in to see me. When the doctor came in, he asked me, if I was feeling ok. I said "yes, I feel fine, but my arm & shoulder hurt." He then proceeded to tell me that I was running a 103 degree fever. I still said that I was fine & that my shoulder hurts. He did xrays & had set a date for blood work to be taken, on Saturday.. He gave me a prescription for 2 anti-biotics & 2 pain killers.. That was it..

I went home, took the medicine & went back to work, for the next two days... Saturday, had my blood drawn in Mesa(LabCorp)... However, Sunday, I wasn't feeling all that good, thought I was getting the flu...

Called in sick on Monday. I was out sick, at home all that following week, by Thursday, I was having trouble walking or standing, I, being stubborn, still thought that I had the flu. My friend, Jamie, came by to bring me chicken soup & told me that I was "burning up". The urgent care doctor, called on Friday, around 6:30pm, to see how I was doing, I told him that I'm having trouble walking... He asked if I had heard from LabCorp about my blood tests, I said no.. He called them & called me back immediately, asking me if I had ever heard of "Valley Fever"? I said no.. He told me that I had it & needed to get to the hospital immediately..

I couldn't drive, so he called an ambulance & set up a room in the emergency room, at Tempe St. Lukes...

I was in the emergency room for 5 hours, then admitted to a room @ around 2:30am 12/15/06.

I was in the hospital for 11 days. I was diagnosed with "Disseminated" Valley Fever... There were lesions all over my lungs & on my lower spine.

I was terminated from my job with Insight, while I was in the hospital. I was released on 12/26/06. I applied for ACCCHS, but was denied, because was told, I made too much money. I didn't have any income at all!

I was brought back to Insight on 3/26/07, but had a violent & painful flare up on 5/18/07. I was terminated .. my doctor advised HR that I needed time away from the office, because the stress of my job, was exascerbating my condition..

So, I've been unemployable ever since... It is extrememly painful to sit or stand, for any length of time... Lying down seems to be the much lesser of both evils..

When I lost my job, I lost my medical insurance, so all the tests & medicine, that I need to stay on top of the disease, I'm not able to have, so I've been going it alone... The medication that I was taking was Fluconazole 800mgs/day. My doctor says that I needed an aggressive treatment, because of how far the disease has spread...

This disease has taken a great deal from me... People don't understand that this situation is depressing, which has further fueled my depression, because I'm a very proud black man, who was able to take care of himself & now, I'm not... I don't know if anyone can truly understand how I feel.

I'm abbreviating this story, because there is so much more... Is there anyone or place that will understand what I'm going through?

Sincerely,
Greg Taylor

hello my name is katherine and i really Appreciate you putting this site together! I have had valley fever for almost a year. and almost every time someone ask why I wasn't someplace like school ( am in 9th grade) and I tell them I have valley fever and there like what is that? Of Corus I tell them! so i just really want to say thank u very much!

my boyfriend came home from prison this time last year. he told me he had valley fever.

i did not think twice about it.

he was not sick.

then about 6months later i took him to the hospital cause he had a bad headache.

he has not come home or spoken to me since that day.

he can blink and squeeze my hands so i know he is aware and the only words i have heard him say is (i dont want to live anymore) and that was months ago!

he is now in a convalesent hospital because i cannot bring him home (special condition of his parole not allowed around me) he lays in his pissy shitty bed all day. not able to speak. or move. the hospital stopped giving him treatments.

i can tell by the looks on his face that he is completly aware of everything around him he knows what is happening. the doctors wont let him give me power of attorny because they say that he is not competant. he has no family.

what i want to know is, has anyone ever recovered from a case this severe?

and if not, How long do they usualy suffer?

How long does it take them to die?

is there anyplace that specializes in this?

that maybe is doing research or something and will take him in and care for him ya know make sure he is not in pain, and maybe learn from it?

because where he is now they wont even give him a tylenol. i have to go in every other day and throw a bitch fit to get him up in a wheel chair so i can take him outside and let him smoke a ciggarette.

PLEASE HELP, I CANT STAND TO SEE HIM SUFFER ANYMORE

i just need to know what my options are ...  i would hope someone would do something if it were me laying in my shit all day and not even able to take my own life.