Lisa's Medical Fund
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About a year ago, Lisa noticed that she had started to lose her sense of smell. She thought it was a sinus infection and began treating it with antibiotics, but eventually she was no longer able to smell anything, and additional issues began to appear: Vertigo, loss of concentration, incredible exhaustion, sleeping problems and headaches. Eventually, a visit to Urgent Care lead to a doctor's appointment.
A visit to the doctor on June 6 resulted in an immediate CAT scan. It showed a large tumor on her right front lobe, pushing on her pituitary gland and affecting her personality, behavior and emotions. The depression Lisa had been feeling, and thought was associated with the divorce she and David had been going through, was likely a result of this tumor. It was so large that it no longer had any place to grow.
An MRI was scheduled for the following week, on June 15. The CAT scan showed the tumor as a flat image, but an MRI is three-dimensional and is much more accurate, showing the size, shape and location.
A few days later, on June 9, the divorce was final. Two days later, Lisa lost control of her body and had a seizure in her driveway. Edie and David were at the house and were able to eventually get her inside, where it was decided to go to the hospital. There it was confirmed that the seizure had occurred. The following morning David decided to call an ambulance to take Lisa to the Marshfield Hospital, the best in the area, to have the MRI done earlier. The MRI, which was conducted on June 13, showed a tangerine-sized tumor, larger than anticipated. The shape was round, meaning it would be slightly less complicated to remove, but it needed to be removed immediately. Surgery was scheduled for June 17.
As you can see, things were moving very quickly. Lisa underwent 7 hours of brain surgery. Her head was cut open from ear-to-ear and the growth was almost completely removed. She remained in the hospital for an additional 5 days before she was sent home to recover completely. This recovery will likely last 5-6 months. According to Wisconsin law, Lisa cannot drive a vehicle for at least 3 months. She is taking 6 different drugs, including steroids to help reduce swelling, and anti-seizure medication. She will likely not be able to work through the rest of this year. This is a woman who loves to stay busy, loves to express her creativity, and loves her customers, clients and friends.
Lisa is doing a little better every day. She feels like she has more clarity than she has felt in a long time. Her energy level and concentration is still very low, however, and she gets exhausted very quickly. Her wonderful neurologist has advised her to practice patience, get plenty of sleep, and just a little bit of exercise every day. His advice is to try and stick to a light schedule and have some structure during the day, avoid stress and stay calm. Her prognosis is good, and she will have regular check-ups to make sure she is healing properly. Her kids have been awesome, and she has friends circulating through on a daily basis.
Unfortunately, her divorce was final the week before the surgery, and although she was able to stay in her house, there is a sizable mortgage, she has no savings and now cannot work at least for the next several months. She has bills and monthly payments due, and her cash reserves are running low. Lisa had major medical insurance coverage, but hasn't seen any co-payment bills yet. That will be just a matter of time. We are setting up this Go Fund Me account as any help would be greatly appreciated.
Each day Lisa tries to remind herself of her mantra:
God's got me
Don't be afraid
Don't worry about money
Thank you for your help.
A visit to the doctor on June 6 resulted in an immediate CAT scan. It showed a large tumor on her right front lobe, pushing on her pituitary gland and affecting her personality, behavior and emotions. The depression Lisa had been feeling, and thought was associated with the divorce she and David had been going through, was likely a result of this tumor. It was so large that it no longer had any place to grow.
An MRI was scheduled for the following week, on June 15. The CAT scan showed the tumor as a flat image, but an MRI is three-dimensional and is much more accurate, showing the size, shape and location.
A few days later, on June 9, the divorce was final. Two days later, Lisa lost control of her body and had a seizure in her driveway. Edie and David were at the house and were able to eventually get her inside, where it was decided to go to the hospital. There it was confirmed that the seizure had occurred. The following morning David decided to call an ambulance to take Lisa to the Marshfield Hospital, the best in the area, to have the MRI done earlier. The MRI, which was conducted on June 13, showed a tangerine-sized tumor, larger than anticipated. The shape was round, meaning it would be slightly less complicated to remove, but it needed to be removed immediately. Surgery was scheduled for June 17.
As you can see, things were moving very quickly. Lisa underwent 7 hours of brain surgery. Her head was cut open from ear-to-ear and the growth was almost completely removed. She remained in the hospital for an additional 5 days before she was sent home to recover completely. This recovery will likely last 5-6 months. According to Wisconsin law, Lisa cannot drive a vehicle for at least 3 months. She is taking 6 different drugs, including steroids to help reduce swelling, and anti-seizure medication. She will likely not be able to work through the rest of this year. This is a woman who loves to stay busy, loves to express her creativity, and loves her customers, clients and friends.
Lisa is doing a little better every day. She feels like she has more clarity than she has felt in a long time. Her energy level and concentration is still very low, however, and she gets exhausted very quickly. Her wonderful neurologist has advised her to practice patience, get plenty of sleep, and just a little bit of exercise every day. His advice is to try and stick to a light schedule and have some structure during the day, avoid stress and stay calm. Her prognosis is good, and she will have regular check-ups to make sure she is healing properly. Her kids have been awesome, and she has friends circulating through on a daily basis.
Unfortunately, her divorce was final the week before the surgery, and although she was able to stay in her house, there is a sizable mortgage, she has no savings and now cannot work at least for the next several months. She has bills and monthly payments due, and her cash reserves are running low. Lisa had major medical insurance coverage, but hasn't seen any co-payment bills yet. That will be just a matter of time. We are setting up this Go Fund Me account as any help would be greatly appreciated.
Each day Lisa tries to remind herself of her mantra:
God's got me
Don't be afraid
Don't worry about money
Thank you for your help.
Organiser
Lisa Africano
Organiser
Minocqua, WI
