Wheelchair for Sam
Donation protected
4 Years ago I had a medical emergency that has since changed my life forever. This is the beginning of what has happened for me to now need a wheelchair. Here is my Story.
July 10th 2014 I fainted while at work, and a coworker called an ambulance immediately. I was taken to Grey Nuns hospital in Edmonton, AB where I waited to be seen. I was asked by the paramedic to stand and to take a few steps, at which time I felt my chest tighten and could not breathe. Everything after this was told to me by other people as I did not regain consciousness for 12 days as I was in a coma.
It turns out that I had a blood clot in my ankle that was undiagnosed. This blood clot came loose and broke in to multiple pieces as it traveled through my body eventual landing in each of my lungs and my heart.
This of course caused me to flat-line and be on the verge of death.
This is a very hard thing to come back from and is very rare to survive and is called a Pulmonart Embolism.
I was then transferred to the Mazankowski Hearth Institute for open heart surgery, and multiple other surgeries, and was placed on ECMO
What is ECMO?
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a
life support machine. People who need ECMO have a
severe and life-threatening illness that stops their heart
or lungs from working properly. For example, ECMO is
used during life-threatening conditions such as severe
lung damage from infection, or shock after a massive
heart attack.
-Am J Respir Crit Care Med Vol. 193, P9-P10, 2016
ATS Patient Education Series © 2016 American Thoracic Society
This procedure caused extensive damage to my nervous system and cause me to no longer have proper feeling in my feet, legs, hands, arm.. and further it resulted in reduced feeling through my entire body.
This has caused neuropathy in my limbs, and causes me live my days in pain. One effect of neuropathy is that you can begin to have problems with a simple cut resulting in the loss of a limb.
About 2 years ago now, I developed ulcerous wounds on the bottom of my feet, and they have been an ongoing problem. At one point the wounds in my toes were so deep you were able to touch the bone. They became so infected that they had decided that if the IV treatments didn't work they may have to take my foot. Thankfully the treatments worked and the infection that was in the bone is gone.
This is what the wound looked like previously
I apologize that this is rather disgusting. I still have this this wound on both of my feet and have been firmly told that if it doesn't get better, I will lose both toes, and possibly part of the foot.
It had healed or rather started to heal but due to needing to get around I continue to re-open these wounds. I have stayed off my feet as much as possible and spent almost a year in my home staying off my feet as requested, however as stated I am still fighting to get these wounds to heal.
This is where we are now, and my specialist has requested a wheelchair again. However as I had one previously the waiting list is rather long and I will have to rent it. As this is becoming a repeated issue I need to purchase a wheelchair, and my insurance will not pay for it.
We are a single income household with my wife only making enough to cover our bills, food, and rent. I am still waiting to get assistance from the Government... And so with great regret, and humility I reach out for help.
To anyone who decides to help, I want you to know that I appreciate this more than you can possibly imagine. If anyone wants to know more, please feel free to message me.
July 10th 2014 I fainted while at work, and a coworker called an ambulance immediately. I was taken to Grey Nuns hospital in Edmonton, AB where I waited to be seen. I was asked by the paramedic to stand and to take a few steps, at which time I felt my chest tighten and could not breathe. Everything after this was told to me by other people as I did not regain consciousness for 12 days as I was in a coma.
It turns out that I had a blood clot in my ankle that was undiagnosed. This blood clot came loose and broke in to multiple pieces as it traveled through my body eventual landing in each of my lungs and my heart.
This of course caused me to flat-line and be on the verge of death.
This is a very hard thing to come back from and is very rare to survive and is called a Pulmonart Embolism.
I was then transferred to the Mazankowski Hearth Institute for open heart surgery, and multiple other surgeries, and was placed on ECMO
What is ECMO?
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a
life support machine. People who need ECMO have a
severe and life-threatening illness that stops their heart
or lungs from working properly. For example, ECMO is
used during life-threatening conditions such as severe
lung damage from infection, or shock after a massive
heart attack.
-Am J Respir Crit Care Med Vol. 193, P9-P10, 2016
ATS Patient Education Series © 2016 American Thoracic Society
This procedure caused extensive damage to my nervous system and cause me to no longer have proper feeling in my feet, legs, hands, arm.. and further it resulted in reduced feeling through my entire body.
This has caused neuropathy in my limbs, and causes me live my days in pain. One effect of neuropathy is that you can begin to have problems with a simple cut resulting in the loss of a limb.
About 2 years ago now, I developed ulcerous wounds on the bottom of my feet, and they have been an ongoing problem. At one point the wounds in my toes were so deep you were able to touch the bone. They became so infected that they had decided that if the IV treatments didn't work they may have to take my foot. Thankfully the treatments worked and the infection that was in the bone is gone.
This is what the wound looked like previously
I apologize that this is rather disgusting. I still have this this wound on both of my feet and have been firmly told that if it doesn't get better, I will lose both toes, and possibly part of the foot.
It had healed or rather started to heal but due to needing to get around I continue to re-open these wounds. I have stayed off my feet as much as possible and spent almost a year in my home staying off my feet as requested, however as stated I am still fighting to get these wounds to heal.
This is where we are now, and my specialist has requested a wheelchair again. However as I had one previously the waiting list is rather long and I will have to rent it. As this is becoming a repeated issue I need to purchase a wheelchair, and my insurance will not pay for it.
We are a single income household with my wife only making enough to cover our bills, food, and rent. I am still waiting to get assistance from the Government... And so with great regret, and humility I reach out for help.
To anyone who decides to help, I want you to know that I appreciate this more than you can possibly imagine. If anyone wants to know more, please feel free to message me.
Organizer
Samedi Iain MacSweeney
Organizer
Edmonton, AB
