Sara And Josh's Medical Expenses
Donation protected
UPDATE: As life tends to happen, we had a complication. Sara was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. We do not know the severity of the cancer at this point, but at her age, it is incredibly rare.
We have chosen to not delay Josh's treatment. With the surgery scheduled and most arrangements made, he needs to go through with it. However, this means that Sara and Josh may both be recovering from surgery at the same time.
Sara's cancer will hopefully be treated, and eradicated swiftly. We have appointments with a number of specialists and will have more information soon.
There is a good chance that Sara and Josh could be off work due to medical conditions at the same time. If you choose to contribute, please know that it will be greatly appreciated!
Please share and boost the signal!
Original post follows:
My husband, Joshua, has a condition called Chiari Type 1 Brain Malformation. There is not enough room inside his skull which causes his cerebellum to start to sink down toward his spinal canal. This is also known as a tonsilation, and Joshua's is a centimeter.
Chiari has has a host of symptoms that can range from "mild annoyance" to "debilitating." Some of the symptoms Joshua is suffering from include:
1) Severe exertion headaches near the base of the skull
2) Dizziness
3) Vision issues (double vision)
4) Tinnitus
5) Numbness in hands and feet
6) Slow heart rate
7) Poor balance
8) Interupted flow of cerebrospinal fluid (due to this Joshua had to have 2 lumbar punctures with a total of 4 sites in one day because the cerebrospinal pressure was low and they could not get fluid out)
Joshua has been living with these symptoms as long as I've know him. He has never been the type to let anything stop him... No matter how miserable he is, he always will just put how he feels aside and push through it. The last 6 months or so, his symptoms have worsened to the point that he does not even feel like himself anymore. He's pale, exhausted, and feeling mentally fuzzy. Still, he does everything that he can to push through the symptoms and continue his day-to-day life of working, teaching taekwondo, and spending time with friends.
Joshua is being treated at Mayo Clinic, and we could not be happier about the care that he is receiving. All of the doctors have been kind, caring, and thorough. We are confident that Joshua is in great hands.
His surgery, called a decompression surgery, is scheduled for July 13th. It is about a 6 hour procedure where the surgeon will cut out part of the bone of his skull and part of C-1 vertebrae to relieve the pressure on his brain. He also will cut into the dura matter of the brain to insert a graft. While the sounds really scary, we see it as the only option of treatment because of how severe his symptoms have become.
Recovery time is 6 weeks off of work, an additional 6 weeks of very limited activity (no lifting over 20 lbs.) After 3 months, he can ease back into his normal lifestyle. Joshua is very much looking forward to being able to work out again, as his symptoms have been too severe for him to be able to.
All the the donations from this campaign will go to: medical bills, medications, and to help with living expenses for the 6 weeks that Joshua will be off of work. Every little bit will be very much appreciated.
Please feel free to share and signal boost this campaign! Thank you!!
Learn more about Chiari by following this link
We have chosen to not delay Josh's treatment. With the surgery scheduled and most arrangements made, he needs to go through with it. However, this means that Sara and Josh may both be recovering from surgery at the same time.
Sara's cancer will hopefully be treated, and eradicated swiftly. We have appointments with a number of specialists and will have more information soon.
There is a good chance that Sara and Josh could be off work due to medical conditions at the same time. If you choose to contribute, please know that it will be greatly appreciated!
Please share and boost the signal!
Original post follows:
My husband, Joshua, has a condition called Chiari Type 1 Brain Malformation. There is not enough room inside his skull which causes his cerebellum to start to sink down toward his spinal canal. This is also known as a tonsilation, and Joshua's is a centimeter.
Chiari has has a host of symptoms that can range from "mild annoyance" to "debilitating." Some of the symptoms Joshua is suffering from include:
1) Severe exertion headaches near the base of the skull
2) Dizziness
3) Vision issues (double vision)
4) Tinnitus
5) Numbness in hands and feet
6) Slow heart rate
7) Poor balance
8) Interupted flow of cerebrospinal fluid (due to this Joshua had to have 2 lumbar punctures with a total of 4 sites in one day because the cerebrospinal pressure was low and they could not get fluid out)
Joshua has been living with these symptoms as long as I've know him. He has never been the type to let anything stop him... No matter how miserable he is, he always will just put how he feels aside and push through it. The last 6 months or so, his symptoms have worsened to the point that he does not even feel like himself anymore. He's pale, exhausted, and feeling mentally fuzzy. Still, he does everything that he can to push through the symptoms and continue his day-to-day life of working, teaching taekwondo, and spending time with friends.
Joshua is being treated at Mayo Clinic, and we could not be happier about the care that he is receiving. All of the doctors have been kind, caring, and thorough. We are confident that Joshua is in great hands.
His surgery, called a decompression surgery, is scheduled for July 13th. It is about a 6 hour procedure where the surgeon will cut out part of the bone of his skull and part of C-1 vertebrae to relieve the pressure on his brain. He also will cut into the dura matter of the brain to insert a graft. While the sounds really scary, we see it as the only option of treatment because of how severe his symptoms have become.
Recovery time is 6 weeks off of work, an additional 6 weeks of very limited activity (no lifting over 20 lbs.) After 3 months, he can ease back into his normal lifestyle. Joshua is very much looking forward to being able to work out again, as his symptoms have been too severe for him to be able to.
All the the donations from this campaign will go to: medical bills, medications, and to help with living expenses for the 6 weeks that Joshua will be off of work. Every little bit will be very much appreciated.
Please feel free to share and signal boost this campaign! Thank you!!
Learn more about Chiari by following this link
Organizer
Ata Sara Kowalke Dubin
Organizer
Savage, MN
