Help With Must Have Neck Surgeries
Donation protected
I am no longer able to work, due to ruptured discs in my neck; at C2 to C4, & C5 to T1 junction of Cervical & Thoracic. I broke my neck in 2006. I had been living with a broken lumbar since 1973; no doctor ever detected, until 2006. My Cervical (C4 & C5) was fixed in November of 2006, & my Lumbar was fixed in January of 2007.
In 2011 I was struck by a 48' long, 1200 lb piece of steel. I was an Owner Operator, with a dedicated haul. I had just leased a new truck & trailer for the haul. The start of the 7th week, a crane operator knocked a piece of steel off of a trailer behind me, with no prior warning he was going to load the partially loaded trailer. The company that injured me, cut off my medical & financial support in September 2013. I'm still battling with them. Almost 7 years of watching the "System" protect the people that nearly killed me.
One picture of bruising at the time of the injury below.
I have Titanium in my right ankle, right knee, right shoulder, left shoulder, lumbar spine, & cervical spine. I started receiving SSDI in 2012, & Medicare in 2014. The company cut off Comp September of 2013. Every medical procedure & physical therapy after losing the Comp was 80% paid by Medicare. The rest was on me, & has been since September 2013. I have spent my life's savings. I draw less than half of what I was making, at the time of the injury. By the time I pay bills, insurance, rent, utilities, groceries, gas, doctor, & pharmacy copays; I'm broke. And now there's all the imaging done, & more for a second surgery, more doctor appointments, anesthesia, hospital, more doctor appointments, gas, & physical therapy after both surgeries. And more medications. I'm so tired of it all.
Turns out I am going to need TWO neck surgeries. He is entering from the back, & caging C5-T1. The second surgery, he's coming in from the front. He will be caging C2-C4. So my neck will be fused from C2-T1. If I don't have these surgeries, I will lose most of the use of both hands, for any type of work. (Not even typing). I will also lose the ability to play guitar & piano; which is a vital part of my songwriting. No words describe how permanently losing the ability to play music would affect me. That would rip my heart out.
I'm in debilitating pain every day. (Keep in mind I lived with a broken lumbar for 33 years.) I'm not one of those whom is interested in spending the rest of my life on pain meds. That is a Bandaid at best, & they destroy your organs. They also do not restore function, or reverse symptoms. The numbness, dropping simple things, weakness, & inability to get comfortable are all as troubling as the pain. I know I will always have aches & pains; but the current pain & symptomatic issues are insane. The copays for Surgeon appointments, Imaging, Surgery, Anesthesia, Hospital, Prescriptions, Physical Therapy, & travel expenses are crazy. I was a truck driver/owner-operator for 33 years. Now I can't even sit in my high back office chair, in my one room, cheapo studio, for more than an hour without driving my neck & spine insane. I really need help, or I wouldn't ask. I've never needed help, until I lost my ability to work.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP; NO MATTER IF YOU DONATE OR SHARE THIS WITH OTHERS.
HAVE A BLESSED DAY!!!!!!!!!!
In 2011 I was struck by a 48' long, 1200 lb piece of steel. I was an Owner Operator, with a dedicated haul. I had just leased a new truck & trailer for the haul. The start of the 7th week, a crane operator knocked a piece of steel off of a trailer behind me, with no prior warning he was going to load the partially loaded trailer. The company that injured me, cut off my medical & financial support in September 2013. I'm still battling with them. Almost 7 years of watching the "System" protect the people that nearly killed me.
One picture of bruising at the time of the injury below.
I have Titanium in my right ankle, right knee, right shoulder, left shoulder, lumbar spine, & cervical spine. I started receiving SSDI in 2012, & Medicare in 2014. The company cut off Comp September of 2013. Every medical procedure & physical therapy after losing the Comp was 80% paid by Medicare. The rest was on me, & has been since September 2013. I have spent my life's savings. I draw less than half of what I was making, at the time of the injury. By the time I pay bills, insurance, rent, utilities, groceries, gas, doctor, & pharmacy copays; I'm broke. And now there's all the imaging done, & more for a second surgery, more doctor appointments, anesthesia, hospital, more doctor appointments, gas, & physical therapy after both surgeries. And more medications. I'm so tired of it all.
Turns out I am going to need TWO neck surgeries. He is entering from the back, & caging C5-T1. The second surgery, he's coming in from the front. He will be caging C2-C4. So my neck will be fused from C2-T1. If I don't have these surgeries, I will lose most of the use of both hands, for any type of work. (Not even typing). I will also lose the ability to play guitar & piano; which is a vital part of my songwriting. No words describe how permanently losing the ability to play music would affect me. That would rip my heart out.
I'm in debilitating pain every day. (Keep in mind I lived with a broken lumbar for 33 years.) I'm not one of those whom is interested in spending the rest of my life on pain meds. That is a Bandaid at best, & they destroy your organs. They also do not restore function, or reverse symptoms. The numbness, dropping simple things, weakness, & inability to get comfortable are all as troubling as the pain. I know I will always have aches & pains; but the current pain & symptomatic issues are insane. The copays for Surgeon appointments, Imaging, Surgery, Anesthesia, Hospital, Prescriptions, Physical Therapy, & travel expenses are crazy. I was a truck driver/owner-operator for 33 years. Now I can't even sit in my high back office chair, in my one room, cheapo studio, for more than an hour without driving my neck & spine insane. I really need help, or I wouldn't ask. I've never needed help, until I lost my ability to work.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP; NO MATTER IF YOU DONATE OR SHARE THIS WITH OTHERS.
HAVE A BLESSED DAY!!!!!!!!!!
Organizer
T Steve Hodnett
Organizer
Shelbyville, TN
