Medical Expenses for Mary Gentry
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The reason I started this page is because so many kind people have asked what can they do for Mary? This page talks about Mary because some people reading this may not know the struggles she has been through.
Everyone knows that Mary is a strong fighter and has been through a lot for 12 years. She was misdiagnosed at age 14 to 22 with GERD disease with no relief from pain. She handled the pain and continued her dream to dance! She moved to North Hollywood as soon as she graduated college signed with MSA to pursue her dreams to perform onstage with a famous artist one day! She was there a few months and was told she had bone on bone disease in both knees by an orthopedic surgeon. She had several surgeries on her knees and no one caught the real problem with her knees until she moved to LA. She suffered from extreme stomach pains in LA and was FINALLY told she had endometriosis which would need surgery ASAP. She fulfilled her year in LA thanks to Nappytabs letting her sell their clothing line. Mary not realizing she had stage 4 endometriosis fought the pain to stay there before coming back to Va to schedule her surgery for endo. If the endo would have been caught when Mary was younger she would not be suffering now.
She has had 10 surgeries in 4 1/2 years for the endometriosis. Mary has also been in the ER sooo many times, seen so many doctors, been in ICU for the endo and prescribed unbelievable amounts of medicine. The endo rotted and strangled her appendix and gall bladder to the endo causong them to be removed. She was put into full blown menopause with shots for months to help relieve the pain, but only to suffer from the menopause symptoms. She was told if she wanted a child to have one ASAP. She went to several fertility specialists and preceded with fertility meds and fertility shots a few years ago. She had the procedure after all the meds and was unable to have a child due to the endo. The endometriosis as of the last surgery, was on her bladder, bowels, urethra, and now her lungs. On April 15, 2014 she had a total hysterectomy when she was 26 years old and is an endo warrior!
Mary is very open to discussing her disease hoping she can help others that suffer. The medical expenses have became unrealistic and hospitals have no sympathy for any situation it seems. For the last 4 years she has missed so much work and lost jobs due to hospitalization and missing work. She is blessed to work for American HomePatient and Genia Johnson's Dance CO which has been kind and Understanding through all of this. When she had to move back to VA, she was lucky enough to continue teaching dance at nights and on weekends! The surgery again will require more loss of time at both her jobs. She has worked 2 jobs for the last 4 years and her family is helping her with the other expenses. Thank you to everyone for all the support you have given Mary and her family through all of this. Thank you to Monsters of Hip Hop for giving Mary the Monsters for Life scholarship so she can dance when she is able! Dance was her life as everyone knows and her health doesn't allow her to travel anymore. I know she misses all of her LA and NY dance family! She met sooo many wonderful people through the dance world. She has been lucky that all her friends and hometown have been so supportive too!
The total hysterectomy only made Marys endo worse! It returned and attacked her organs and rectum. The OBGYN's had no clue what they were doing. The scraping and burning of her organs only made them thin and more dangerous for the excision surgery she needed. We found 4 well known excision surgeons in the US and Mary was blessed to find an an amazing one! She was told a total hysterectomy was never needed :-(
Mary had her 10th surgery on November 7, 2014 at Lennox Hill Hospital in NYC by Dr Tamer Seckin. Mary has been very blessed to meet so many wonderful people and has not lost that smile she is known for! The goal is set for $20,000 which is not close to what she owes but it will help pay off all the little bills she has. As always, there was a huge deposit required for this surgery as there was for the last! Thank you again for everything <3
Endo has no cure but some relief from all of these surgeries would be nice! Prayers please this journey will finally end and Mary will get her life back! While other young people travel to Cacun and other fun places, Mary uses all her time off for surgeries or Missing work because of the pain. Mary is now working 3 jobs! She is trying but it doesn't seem to ever end :-( her life is still consumed with pain and she has to return to see Dr. Seckin in NY again in Sept, 2015. Does it ever end? :-( the heart break alone from not being able to have children at such a young age is hard enough! There is so much to Marys story and it just can't all be written! :-(
UPDATE! Mary had her 11th surgery performed in NYC in December 2015 by Dr Tamer Seckin! Honestly we cannot trust the doctors in VA anymore! He performed a bladder lift for Mary because there was a complication from the total hysterectomy! Will she ever get her life back :-(
Organizer
Wanda Ball Gentry
Organizer
Chester, VA
