Procedure Eve Eve

We're in New York. We made it. After leaving late on Wednesday - when we tried to leave on Tuesday - I'm just glad that we actually made it up here. It's late - nearly 2 AM EST and we have an appointment first thing in the morning. They said that they wanted Shaina at her worst on Tuesday. No problem there. 😂

So happy that we got a chance to visit with family in Atlanta, Charlotte and Long Island. Shaina got a chance to share her story and connect with family she hasn't seen in a very long time; for way too long. Add in that we had a #MEAction media training session today (ahead of May 12th’s #MillionsMissing) as we drove from Virginia to NYC, and every day has been a full one.

The training session could have been better. We spent too much time talking about storytelling and not enough letting us practice our own storytelling. Plus, there was too much cognitive zapping material that wasn't ideal for the target audience - people with ME/cfs. If you caught the comic book style primer on Shaina's issues, you saw how ME/cfs can make even the simplest tasks much more draining than usual. That includes mental and emotional tasks too - not just physical ones. Today was a prime example of that.

Considering how much Shaina has been been through over the last few days, it's amazing that she's as functional as she is. I keep waiting for the second shoe to drop but it hasn't happened yet. Fingers crossed that it never does.

I'm dozing off as I write this so I'm going to call it and fill you in tomorrow. Full day of medical appointments tomorrow - including a last minute cardiac clearance that would have been much better if we could have done it in New Orleans but we didn't get notified in time. Ah well, bring on hell day. Let's see if we can get a slice of heaven in before we go to bed tomorrow night.

P.S. Before we go, we've been wearing beacoup matching couple shirts. It started with a “Happily Ever After Couples Tour” shirt I got us for Easter this year. So along that theme, here are a couple from the past few days.

The Villains We're Battling: A Comic Book Primer on Shaina’s Medical Conditions

Every superhero has their origin story — and every great story has a villain (or, in this case, a whole sinister syndicate). Shaina’s journey isn’t powered by gamma rays or alien tech, but her resilience? That’s straight-up legendary.

This post is your front-row seat to understanding the complex, often invisible chronic illnesses she lives with — told through the lens of comic book mayhem. Because when the science gets dense, a good metaphor can save the day.

Let’s meet the lineup:

🦸‍♀️ ME/cfs: The Energy Vampire

Full name: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Read more from the CDC | MEAction explainer

ME/cfs is a severe, neuroimmune disease that causes extreme fatigue, brain fog, pain, and something called post-exertional malaise (PEM) — a full-body crash after even small amounts of activity.

🦹‍♂️ Comic Book Analogy: Think Parasite from Superman lore — draining energy from anything it touches. That’s ME/cfs. Except the parasite is inside your body, feeding off your stamina and shutting things down every time you push too hard. A trip to the kitchen? Might cost a full day in recovery.

🧠 CCI: The Loose Screw in the Neck

Full name: Craniocervical Instability
Learn more from the Chiari & Syringomyelia Foundation

CCI is a condition where the ligaments that hold the skull and spine together become too lax. It causes the brainstem to get compressed — and spoiler: the brainstem controls a LOT.

🦹‍♂️ Comic Book Analogy: Imagine Batman’s grappling hook suddenly stretching too far, letting him slam into the wall instead of swinging to safety. That’s what CCI does to the head and spine connection — turning stability into danger with every movement.

🧬 hEDS: The Stretchy Glue That Won’t Hold

Full name: Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
Learn more from The Ehlers-Danlos Society

hEDS is a connective tissue disorder. In short: the collagen that holds everything together — joints, organs, skin — is too stretchy and fragile. Cue dislocations, pain, fatigue, and frequent injuries.

🦹‍♀️ Comic Book Analogy: Think Plastic Man or Elongated Man — but with zero control over the stretching, and all the pain instead of the powers. The joints bend too far, the body pays the price, and every stair or sneeze can trigger a misfire.

⚡ POTS: The Tilt-A-Whirl Heart Rate

Full name: Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)

Learn more from Dysautonomia International

POTS is a form of dysautonomia, meaning the body can’t regulate basic functions like heart rate, blood pressure, or temperature. When Shaina stands up, her heart races like she’s mid-marathon — even if she’s just reaching for a glass of water.

🦹‍♂️ Comic Book Analogy: Think The Flash, but with zero superpowers and all the side effects. The heart’s sprinting, the body’s dizzy, and the blood forgot how to circulate.

🌪️ MCAS: The Unpredictable Allergy Storm

Full name: Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)

Read more from the Mast Cell Disease Society

MCAS is what happens when the body’s allergy cells (mast cells) go rogue — releasing chemicals like histamine without a clear trigger. One minute Shaina’s fine, the next minute: rashes, swelling, nausea, or even anaphylaxis.

🦹‍♀️ Comic Book Analogy: Like Harley Quinn with a flamethrower — unpredictable, chaotic, and way too sensitive to everyday stuff like perfume, food, or stress.

💪 The Superpower? Still Showing Up

Every one of these conditions (and there could be more! Did someone say sequel?!) is hard to diagnose, often misunderstood, and incredibly complex to live with. But Shaina is facing them like a true superhero — not with capes or gadgets, but with grit, humor, and a squad of real ones backing her up.

Want to help?
🔗 Visit our site
💖 Support Shaina’s comeback

Every like, share, and donation is another brick in the path to healing. And trust us — this origin story? It’s building toward something legendary.

💻 New Site, New Video, Same Old Us (But Louder)

Hey friends, fam, fellow spoonies, and curious internet wanderers —

We’ve been busy. Like, “David built a whole website, Shaina worked her ass off to the extreme, and we recorded a trailer without collapsing” busy. So here’s a little update on everything we’ve been cooking up over here at Team Shaina Comeback HQ.

🚨 We officially launched davidandshaina.com!

This site is our new home on the web — part blog, part resource hub, part digital hug. It’s where we’ll be sharing updates on Shaina’s health, our advocacy work, and the behind-the-scenes chaos (yes, spreadsheets are involved) that is chronic illness life.

🎥 We made a video!

Okay, not just a video — a trailer. A mini-doc. A love letter and a truth bomb in one.
In it, we introduce ourselves, explain ME/cfs, EDS, and CCI, and talk about what this upcoming surgery could mean for Shaina’s life. Spoiler: a lot.

Watch it here or on our Support page — and maybe keep a tissue nearby.

We have another (40 minute!) video version that explains everything in more detail (Shaina loves detail!) coming soon!

💜 GoFundMe is live — and we need your help

The medical system is... well, let’s just say it’s not built for people like Shaina. We’ve been paying out of pocket for years, and this next round of surgery, travel, housing, and recovery support is going to cost real money.

If you’ve ever wanted to help but weren’t sure how — this is it. Every donation gets us closer to stability, to healing, and to a version of life where Shaina isn’t stuck in bed, dealing with the fallout of pushing past her limits.

👉 www.gofundme.com/save-our-shaina

📲 Follow us on Instagram @david_and_shaina

We’re posting updates, behind-the-scenes clips, and the occasional ridiculous reel. Shaina’s still funny even on her worst days — and David’s still accidentally turning every tech fail into a comedy bit.
Also follow us individually at @creolechick (Shaina) and @david.a.burks (David).

So It Begins

This has been a long time coming. I would say that I’m surprised that it took so long for us to make this happen - especially since it’s been percolating in our heads for years. But I also know that I’m not very good at asking for help. Ask my parents. Even now, I feel this responsibility to provide content or value to anyone supporting us when no one has asked for it. Sure, some people may want it or even need it. But those that know Shaina know that she may be the person MOST deserving of this help.

Shaina is the type of person that lights up any room that she enters - even virtually. Her infectious smile and confident stride (even in a wheelchair) turns heads. I could tell you how beautiful she is but I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves and I can’t really take credit for that, even though I’ve tried. People gravitate to her. Even if she tries to find some corner at a party to just chill out in, people find their way to her and tell her everything. I mean everything! They must know how trustworthy and understanding she is. I know she makes me feel like the only person in the room sometimes and I know she does that for other people too. Babies smile at her at the grocery stores and little kids attach themselves to her. She doesn’t ask for any of it but we have come to understand why. I don’t know if it’s the law of attraction or any of that but we know that where Shaina goes a crowd will follow. Just watch what happens when we pull into a business or restaurant.

A quick selfie at our friend’s Mardi Gras party before Shaina attracted a crowd

For her friends, Shaina has offered professional level advice and health guidance for years. Even when we have sought and found specialists to help our her health issues, many times those doctors tell Shaina that she should get into the health coaching business. So she has! Why deny people the opportunity to access a good thing simply because we don’t like to “sell ourselves.” That was a hard lesson to learn and the reason that we’ve created the platform to share our story and health journey.

It also explains why we haven’t asked for help from friends, family, and colleagues over the years. While we have become less shy and private about the medical struggles that Shaina has gone through, we didn’t let on how much of a financial stress the search for answers have been. We’re grateful to Shaina’s mom and stepfather for all of her support over the years and to my parents for their support as well. Most other people don’t really know or never bothered to ask more questions about what was happening. Those that did, we can count on - let’s say - two hands. Those relationships have meant the world to us and we will be honoring them in our own special way.

So, I think that’s all I’ll say for now. I need to make us dinner and do our final preparations for a busy week of parades and charity events. I’m sure you’ll see the pics.