Jonny Fritz needs a hip
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5 years ago I ran a marathon in California. I got hurt a couple weeks before the race but I'm an idiot and I ran it anyway. What I would later find out is that I was suffereing from a series of micrscopic fractures in my left femur. The bone would envtually die and eat away at the cartilage in my hip.
Fast forward 4 years and I'm limping and hobbling around looking for help. I can't sleep well, walk straight or drive much. I tried everything from acupunture to steroids but to no avail (well, the steroids were great but only for a few days). An X-Ray showed that I had about a %40 loss of cartilage in my hip but no surgeon would touch me. They all agreed that I needed a hip but the risk of performing such a surgery on a youngster like myself was too much a liability and they were willing to risk it. So they told me to come back when I was older.
I finally got some answers last month at UCLA. We did an MRI and the results were yucky at best. The entire femoral head was pretty much gone and all the cartilage with it, along with a bonus of some internal bleeding. So we very quickly booked a surgery date for next Wednesday (April 6th).
This is going to happen no matter what but I'm terrified because I really can't afford it. I don't care anymore. It has to happen and it sucks but I'm actually really excited to get it done with.
I have insurance but it's not great and I live in the United States so this is a $50,000 surgery. My bills are going to come to roughy $12,000. I hate asking for money but this is really really important (to me).
I have a record coming out this year and I want to tour it like crazy and I want to shake my ass across the country without having to choke down twenty Ibuprofen. I don't know what to say or how to deal with this.
I really look forward to putting this behind me and to a speedy recovery without fear of losing my house and my stuff. I REALLY look forward to seeing you all this year and to maybe go for a walk and tell you all about it.
Thank you in advance.
Jonny Fritz
Sean Dunne was making a documnetary about me running the race. It's called Stray Dawg and you can watch it here.
Fast forward 4 years and I'm limping and hobbling around looking for help. I can't sleep well, walk straight or drive much. I tried everything from acupunture to steroids but to no avail (well, the steroids were great but only for a few days). An X-Ray showed that I had about a %40 loss of cartilage in my hip but no surgeon would touch me. They all agreed that I needed a hip but the risk of performing such a surgery on a youngster like myself was too much a liability and they were willing to risk it. So they told me to come back when I was older.
I finally got some answers last month at UCLA. We did an MRI and the results were yucky at best. The entire femoral head was pretty much gone and all the cartilage with it, along with a bonus of some internal bleeding. So we very quickly booked a surgery date for next Wednesday (April 6th).
This is going to happen no matter what but I'm terrified because I really can't afford it. I don't care anymore. It has to happen and it sucks but I'm actually really excited to get it done with.
I have insurance but it's not great and I live in the United States so this is a $50,000 surgery. My bills are going to come to roughy $12,000. I hate asking for money but this is really really important (to me).
I have a record coming out this year and I want to tour it like crazy and I want to shake my ass across the country without having to choke down twenty Ibuprofen. I don't know what to say or how to deal with this.
I really look forward to putting this behind me and to a speedy recovery without fear of losing my house and my stuff. I REALLY look forward to seeing you all this year and to maybe go for a walk and tell you all about it.
Thank you in advance.
Jonny Fritz
Sean Dunne was making a documnetary about me running the race. It's called Stray Dawg and you can watch it here.
Organizer
Jonny Fritz
Organizer
