UPDATE 3/29/23
The meeting with the surgeon went well. He is wonderful & I know God put me in the right hands! A few more things need to be done before we can finalize the surgical plan. While that all happens there is a bit more time before a date can be set. That means there is a bit more time to reach the 20% for the deposit. And Praise God it is getting so much closer! I can see Him working things out in such unexpected ways. Thank you for your prayers, love, & kindness. May God bless you all.
UPDATE 3/12/24
Two more weeks & we set up the surgical plan. I’m hopeful that this is all part of His path for me. But I trust Him to keep guiding me no matter what. Thank you all for the kindness, prayers, & generosity! God is so good!
UPDATE 2/21/24
Praise God! Things are happening. Thank you doesn’t seem like nearly enough as every dollar is so very important to me. After only a week we are well on the way to meeting my first goal. In only 5 weeks is my appointment to finalize the surgical plan. The surgery date can be set when this fund reaches 20% of the total needed. After that it would be approximately 60 days before the pre-op appointment when the rest would be due. Please keep this little engine chugging!!! God bless you all!
Hello,
My name is Jackie & I live on the beautiful Oregon coast. The story you are about to read is that of a single woman who has never been good at or comfortable with asking for help. But life tends to go in very unexpected ways. Mine has gotten very difficult which now forces me to humble myself & do exactly that. PLEASE HELP!
My spine was damaged in a car accident in 2005. At that time, the damage was significant but I was able to keep living most of my normal life. I simply had to give up the majority of my more challenging physical activities. I still walked several miles a day, enjoyed careful hikes, & remained active with my young sons. The doctors did several procedures over the first few years but I ended up with chronic nerve pain & restrictions that would continue to worsen due to a degenerative disease on top of the accident damage.
Fast forward 18 years & I am fully disabled (had to give up my final part time job over 6 years ago). Not only has the pain & damage to my spine increased immensely, but a few years ago a tumor was found growing in the nerve sheath of my spinal cord while I was being treated for severely herniated & bulging disks. It is believed to be benign as it is a mass of live nerves but cannot be removed without causing significant damage & loss of functionality. Additionally, I’ve had to consult world-class specialists in search of treatment for the growing tumor, pain relief, an increase in functionality, & any possible stabilization for my spine. They are unable to do anything to stabilize my spine itself due to the loss of bone & disks as well as the amount of spine now involved.
At the moment I cannot stand long enough to cook (or even shower most days) & cleaning is out of the question. Sitting upright increases pain immensely which now even prevents attending many church services (one of my last remaining activities outside doctor appointments). It only takes a sneeze or one wrong step to fully throw my spine out of alignment & render me unable to walk…or sitting upright for more than a few minutes. The pain is becoming unbearable regardless of how careful I am or how much I stay off of my feet to prevent further compression of the nerves. Most of my time is spent laying or reclining, but even that is nearly impossible to find comfortable positions that ease the intensity of the pain in my back & legs every minute of every day. Sleep is becoming more challenging too since simply rolling over often causes an excruciating shift & misalignment of vertebrae.
At this point I have 2 options. One (my preferred choice) is a surgery to repair my abdominal muscles that would allow me to have a fully functional core. (My muscles are intact but stretched paper thin without the abilty to tighten when doing everyday activities.) The result of this repair would be overall strengthening & stabilization so that my spine wouldn’t shift as easily or frequently. It should restore some much-needed capabilities to care for myself as well as reduce the pain from the constant instability & slipping. The only other option would be a surgery resulting in my nerves being severed & the loss of my lower body functions (at the very least).
Insurance won’t pay for the more desirable surgery because there is no current code that says this procedure is medically necessary. (If the muscles weren’t attached, it would be a covered surgery!) At least 5 of my specialists will support my petition with the insurance to reconsider their declination. But, even if Medicare reconsiders covering the expenses, it would cost precious months or years that I simply don’t have. The significant financial burden of the surgical expenses is not anywhere in the realm of what my tiny fixed income could afford.
So I am putting it out here & into God’s hands. If this surgery is meant to be, He will provide a way. Thank you for reading my story. Any prayers & donations are greatly appreciated!