Brain surgery/recovery for Melanie
Donation protected
PLEASE HELP ME GET THE BRAIN SURGERY I NEED, AND GET MY LIFE BACK!
I have always been a very active person with a love for the outdoors. I love art and enjoy photography and painting. I have always enjoyed traveling and going on adventures. I had even booked and paid for a cruise in January of this year, and looked forward to turning 40 years-old in the middle of the ocean on November 29, 2018. However, life has other plans for me and I will be having brain surgery instead.
My tumor was found on August 15th. I have brain surgery scheduled for December 10th.
The Backstory
For the last four or five years, I have been struggling with several symptoms; such as fatigue, sleeping issues, heat sensitivity, light sensitivity, pressure headaches, and tremors. In January of 2018, my symptoms began to get worse, and I began to develop new ones, including vision issues, stuttering, getting stuck on words, losing my balance, cognitive issues, emotional outbursts, ice pick headaches, muscle spasms, vertigo, and more.
After several blood tests, eye specialists appointments, MRIs, and EEGs, we finally found out what was going on. I have a Pineal Tumor.
The Plan
Due to the type of tumor, and the location (Geographic center of the brain), there are only 2 neurosurgeons in the United States that will remove it. Therefore, I will be traveling to Charleston, South Carolina for brain tumor removal surgery with Dr. Patel at MUSC on December 10th. He is the Chair of the Neurosurgery department, and I truly believe I could not be in better hands for this surgery.
The Cost
The total for the hospital (surgery, anesthesia, hospital stay, etc) will be around $58,000.
As of 11/6/18, the hospital is requiring HALF as down payment before surgery. They had originally agreed to $10,000 down, but the supervisors decided the total was too great of a risk so now they want the $29,000 down payment by November 23rd!!!! Down Payment has been PAID!!!! Surgery is definitely happening.
I am trying everything I can to get insurance coverage. I had insurance through my job, which i lost in September. I can possibly qualify for insurance through Missouri, however Missouri Medicaid is considered out of network by the hospital in South Carolina and won't be accepted as payment. I do not currently qualify for disability. I do qualify for special enrollment through the health.gov marketplace. However, when i enter my zip code, there are only 5 plans offered and they are all from a company (Ambetter) that is also out of network for the hospital. I can purchase Short Term Health Insurance, however, they do not cover any pre-existing conditions or anything that consulted on 12 months prior to enrolling. So, my insurance options are not hopeful at this point.
Travel and lodging: Due to safety reasons, I have to stay in Charleston until after my 2 week follow-up appointment and suture removal. Travel and lodging expenses for myself, and my family will be around $3000 total. This includes renting a home in Charleston for 2 1/2 weeks (as I will need privacy and quiet while healing. Also, there is no way that I am going to be in Charleston for 3 weeks and not have my family with me), gas and hotel stays for the 2400-mile round-trip.
Follow-up and Recovery: I will have to travel back to Charleston in a year after surgery for follow-up scans to check for regrowth. I will also need physical therapy, briefly, to help me get my balance and strength back after surgery. Medications will add to the expenses. After brain surgery, i will not be able to work for a few months and will require help with many of my daily life activities. This will make it more of a strain to pay for household expenses.
Help me get my life back!
I don't feel like "me" anymore. This tumor is taking so much away from me and my family. I don't like to travel anymore, because the vertigo and motion sickness are too much to handle. I can't enjoy time outside for very long due to severe light sensitivity and heat sensitivity. I can't spend much time playing with my one-year old before I am too tired to even move or tremors force me to sit out. Tremors and vision issues make photography and painting a frustrating challenge. My severe insomnia and fatigue make it nearly impossible to enjoy life or function. My emotional outbursts and anxiety are crippling. I have been slowing turning into someone else, and I need "me" back. My family needs me back.
Please donate! Help me get rid of this tumor and get my life back!
Please share, share, share with everyone you know. The more people that see this, the better my chances of meeting my goal are!
Thanks so much for your support!
Much love,
Melanie
(Moey)
I am also selling tshirts that I designed for brain tumor awareness. The link is below if you are interested.
http://www.bonfire.com/help-support-brain-surgery-for-melanie/
I have always been a very active person with a love for the outdoors. I love art and enjoy photography and painting. I have always enjoyed traveling and going on adventures. I had even booked and paid for a cruise in January of this year, and looked forward to turning 40 years-old in the middle of the ocean on November 29, 2018. However, life has other plans for me and I will be having brain surgery instead.
My tumor was found on August 15th. I have brain surgery scheduled for December 10th.
The Backstory
For the last four or five years, I have been struggling with several symptoms; such as fatigue, sleeping issues, heat sensitivity, light sensitivity, pressure headaches, and tremors. In January of 2018, my symptoms began to get worse, and I began to develop new ones, including vision issues, stuttering, getting stuck on words, losing my balance, cognitive issues, emotional outbursts, ice pick headaches, muscle spasms, vertigo, and more.
After several blood tests, eye specialists appointments, MRIs, and EEGs, we finally found out what was going on. I have a Pineal Tumor.
The Plan
Due to the type of tumor, and the location (Geographic center of the brain), there are only 2 neurosurgeons in the United States that will remove it. Therefore, I will be traveling to Charleston, South Carolina for brain tumor removal surgery with Dr. Patel at MUSC on December 10th. He is the Chair of the Neurosurgery department, and I truly believe I could not be in better hands for this surgery.
The Cost
The total for the hospital (surgery, anesthesia, hospital stay, etc) will be around $58,000.
As of 11/6/18, the hospital is requiring HALF as down payment before surgery. They had originally agreed to $10,000 down, but the supervisors decided the total was too great of a risk so now they want the $29,000 down payment by November 23rd!!!! Down Payment has been PAID!!!! Surgery is definitely happening.
I am trying everything I can to get insurance coverage. I had insurance through my job, which i lost in September. I can possibly qualify for insurance through Missouri, however Missouri Medicaid is considered out of network by the hospital in South Carolina and won't be accepted as payment. I do not currently qualify for disability. I do qualify for special enrollment through the health.gov marketplace. However, when i enter my zip code, there are only 5 plans offered and they are all from a company (Ambetter) that is also out of network for the hospital. I can purchase Short Term Health Insurance, however, they do not cover any pre-existing conditions or anything that consulted on 12 months prior to enrolling. So, my insurance options are not hopeful at this point.
Travel and lodging: Due to safety reasons, I have to stay in Charleston until after my 2 week follow-up appointment and suture removal. Travel and lodging expenses for myself, and my family will be around $3000 total. This includes renting a home in Charleston for 2 1/2 weeks (as I will need privacy and quiet while healing. Also, there is no way that I am going to be in Charleston for 3 weeks and not have my family with me), gas and hotel stays for the 2400-mile round-trip.
Follow-up and Recovery: I will have to travel back to Charleston in a year after surgery for follow-up scans to check for regrowth. I will also need physical therapy, briefly, to help me get my balance and strength back after surgery. Medications will add to the expenses. After brain surgery, i will not be able to work for a few months and will require help with many of my daily life activities. This will make it more of a strain to pay for household expenses.
Help me get my life back!
I don't feel like "me" anymore. This tumor is taking so much away from me and my family. I don't like to travel anymore, because the vertigo and motion sickness are too much to handle. I can't enjoy time outside for very long due to severe light sensitivity and heat sensitivity. I can't spend much time playing with my one-year old before I am too tired to even move or tremors force me to sit out. Tremors and vision issues make photography and painting a frustrating challenge. My severe insomnia and fatigue make it nearly impossible to enjoy life or function. My emotional outbursts and anxiety are crippling. I have been slowing turning into someone else, and I need "me" back. My family needs me back.
Please donate! Help me get rid of this tumor and get my life back!
Please share, share, share with everyone you know. The more people that see this, the better my chances of meeting my goal are!
Thanks so much for your support!
Much love,
Melanie
(Moey)
I am also selling tshirts that I designed for brain tumor awareness. The link is below if you are interested.
http://www.bonfire.com/help-support-brain-surgery-for-melanie/
Fundraising team (2)
Melanie Grace
Organizer
Maryville, MO
Debi Grace
Team member
