Tricia's Endometriosis Surgery
Donation protected
Update 5/30/17: It's come to my attention that I put too much medical stuff in my story. So, here is the problem in a nutshell:
My doctor requires a payment of $18,500 prior to surgery on June 16th. She doesn't accept credit cards, or offer payment plans for this fee. This $18,500 does not include the fees for the anesthesiologist, the urologist, nor the general surgeon who is needed in case there is endo on the bowels.
Since 1997 we have spent over $80,000 out of pocket on surgeries, medications, and treatments in an effort to fight this disease. Any funds raised by this campaign will go directly to help pay the medical bills for this surgery because we have exhausted our savings and our retirement plan money in our effort to fight this insidious disease.
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In 1997, after a 20 year delay, I was diagnosed with ENDOMETRIOSIS. ENDOMETRIOSIS is a medical condition that affects millions of women worldwide. It is a highly prevalent, high cost, high impact disease with an embarrassingly low profile in the public domain. Women with endometriosis continue to endure years of diagnostic delay, misunderstanding by the medical profession, and sub-optimal and ineffective treatments, resulting in a life of chronic pain and debilitation.
What is Endometriosis
Endometriosis is when tissue that somewhat resembles the lining of the womb (endometrium) is found outside the womb. Endometriosis and endometrium are not identical, in fact there are many differences between them. Endometriosis comes in many shapes and forms and has common patterns of occurrence within the pelvis. Very ocasionally endometriosis can occur in other parts of the body, such as in the belly button, lung, and brain. Endometriosis has been found to occur in animals and in humans, including babies, men, and women post menopause. It is an equal opportunity disease! The main symptom of endometriosis is chronic pelvic pain and pain during certain activities. Endometriosis represents one of the most common human diseases on the face of the earth.
Prior to my diagnosis, I was misdiagnosed by 5 different doctors.
- This delay in a proper diagnosis allowed the disease to continue to grow unchecked.
- The optimal treatment for endometriosis is excision surgery. I have had 2 such surgeries since 1999 and I am now facing my 3rd.
- At this point in time, endometriosis has infiltrated the muscle wall of my uterus, requiring a hysterectomy.
- There is also evidence that it is growing elsewhere in my abdomen such as the bladder, ureters, nerves, and more.
Endometriosis is THE most aggressive benign disease affecting humans. It can invade the bowel, ureter, bladder, diaphragm, pelvic nerves, and so on. Some unlucky patients have invasive disease in all these locations. Invasive endometriosis involving multiple organ systems is far more common than cancer involving multiple organ systems. If a cancer surgeon were to find this degree of cancer in a patient, they would simply close the patient up and recommend that their final affairs be put in order. This is why cancer surgeons are not necessarily good endometriosis surgeons - they very rarely operate on disease as severe as endometriosis can be. But an endometriosis surgeon can't stop simply because a patient may have severe disease everywhere.
There are very few doctors who specialize in excision surgery in the U.S. Luckily, there are 2 in NYC.
My doctor is out of network and due to the complex nature of the surgery (which is not properly reimbursed by insurance), she requires a payment of $18,500 prior to surgery on June 16th. She doesn't accept credit cards, or offer payment plans for this fee. This $18,500 does not include the fees for the anesthesiologist, the urologist, nor the general surgeon who is needed in case there is endo on the bowels.
Any funds raised by this campaign will go directly to help pay the medical bills for this surgery.
Since 1997 we have spent over $80,000 out of pocket on surgeries, medications, and treatments in an effort to fight this disease. We have exhausted our savings and our retirement plans.
My doctor requires a payment of $18,500 prior to surgery on June 16th. She doesn't accept credit cards, or offer payment plans for this fee. This $18,500 does not include the fees for the anesthesiologist, the urologist, nor the general surgeon who is needed in case there is endo on the bowels.
Since 1997 we have spent over $80,000 out of pocket on surgeries, medications, and treatments in an effort to fight this disease. Any funds raised by this campaign will go directly to help pay the medical bills for this surgery because we have exhausted our savings and our retirement plan money in our effort to fight this insidious disease.
------------------------------------------------------------------
In 1997, after a 20 year delay, I was diagnosed with ENDOMETRIOSIS. ENDOMETRIOSIS is a medical condition that affects millions of women worldwide. It is a highly prevalent, high cost, high impact disease with an embarrassingly low profile in the public domain. Women with endometriosis continue to endure years of diagnostic delay, misunderstanding by the medical profession, and sub-optimal and ineffective treatments, resulting in a life of chronic pain and debilitation.
What is Endometriosis
Endometriosis is when tissue that somewhat resembles the lining of the womb (endometrium) is found outside the womb. Endometriosis and endometrium are not identical, in fact there are many differences between them. Endometriosis comes in many shapes and forms and has common patterns of occurrence within the pelvis. Very ocasionally endometriosis can occur in other parts of the body, such as in the belly button, lung, and brain. Endometriosis has been found to occur in animals and in humans, including babies, men, and women post menopause. It is an equal opportunity disease! The main symptom of endometriosis is chronic pelvic pain and pain during certain activities. Endometriosis represents one of the most common human diseases on the face of the earth.
Prior to my diagnosis, I was misdiagnosed by 5 different doctors.
- This delay in a proper diagnosis allowed the disease to continue to grow unchecked.
- The optimal treatment for endometriosis is excision surgery. I have had 2 such surgeries since 1999 and I am now facing my 3rd.
- At this point in time, endometriosis has infiltrated the muscle wall of my uterus, requiring a hysterectomy.
- There is also evidence that it is growing elsewhere in my abdomen such as the bladder, ureters, nerves, and more.
Endometriosis is THE most aggressive benign disease affecting humans. It can invade the bowel, ureter, bladder, diaphragm, pelvic nerves, and so on. Some unlucky patients have invasive disease in all these locations. Invasive endometriosis involving multiple organ systems is far more common than cancer involving multiple organ systems. If a cancer surgeon were to find this degree of cancer in a patient, they would simply close the patient up and recommend that their final affairs be put in order. This is why cancer surgeons are not necessarily good endometriosis surgeons - they very rarely operate on disease as severe as endometriosis can be. But an endometriosis surgeon can't stop simply because a patient may have severe disease everywhere.
There are very few doctors who specialize in excision surgery in the U.S. Luckily, there are 2 in NYC.
My doctor is out of network and due to the complex nature of the surgery (which is not properly reimbursed by insurance), she requires a payment of $18,500 prior to surgery on June 16th. She doesn't accept credit cards, or offer payment plans for this fee. This $18,500 does not include the fees for the anesthesiologist, the urologist, nor the general surgeon who is needed in case there is endo on the bowels.
Any funds raised by this campaign will go directly to help pay the medical bills for this surgery.
Since 1997 we have spent over $80,000 out of pocket on surgeries, medications, and treatments in an effort to fight this disease. We have exhausted our savings and our retirement plans.
Organizer
Tricia Solomine Salese
Organizer
Berkeley Heights, NJ
