Candice is taking it one day at a time
Roodepoort resident still desperately needs your support
It has been two months since the story of Candice Castle’s rare disease was published, and the Record caught up with her for an update on her condition.
In August last year, the 29-year-old Candice was diagnosed with pancreatitis, a disease in which the enzymes in your pancreas start to digest your pancreas instead of the food you eat. Although this condition usually does get better, in Candice’s case it did not. “My condition was labelled as chronic pancreatitis, but the cause could not be determined, as I do not consume any alcohol (which is usually the main cause), have no gallstones, no ulcer or any other auto-immune disease,” she said.
“Nothing has really changed, I am still in constant pain and had a serious setback about three weeks ago that landed me in hospital,” said a visibly tired Candice. She said that she only had a spoonful of cake and it triggered a serious attack. “I was rushed to the hospital and they had me on a feeding tube which made me feel a lot better. I even managed to pick up some weight!” she said.
But, since being discharged, she has fallen into the same groove of not being able to eat and losing weight again. “I have managed to find a new doctor that I trust with my whole life. Even though he is more than capable of performing the operation he is not very keen on it as he feels that the scan does not show sufficient scarring,” she said.
“I am so scared of dying because of weight loss, as I cannot eat properly, and, although they can put in a feeding tube, it is not advisable, because I will be walking around with a hole in my stomach that can cause infection,” Candice said.
She has also now started to exhibit other digestive issues because of the pancreatitis, including an inflamed colon. “This is because of the food not being digested properly and causing bacterial growth. I will be going to hospital soon to swallow a camera, whereafter I will be placed on long-term antibiotics to see if the inflammation clears up. This will last for about three to four months,” she said.
Watch her video here:
The Castle’s have raised about R127 000 so far, but still have a long way to go as they need between two and six million rand for Candice to undergo an operation in the United States of America. “We will be having a fundraising event at the Barnyard in Cresta on 7 April and still have about seven tables left. If you would like to support this event, contact me on 081 396 7904 or Lee on 081 310 8322,” said Candice. There will also be another event but the details have not been confirmed yet.
Candice concluded by saying, “I would like to thank everyone for their support – we are so grateful. Please don’t stop praying for us we still have a long way to go. I will continue fighting and hoping for a miracle, for my son and husband’s sake.” Watch her video here:
If you can offer any support or donations, please contact the Castles or visit their fundraising page here.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at roodepoortrecord@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 955 1130.
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