Help Lydia Recover From 2 Rounds of Spine Surgery
Donation protected
My name is Lydia, I am a hardworking 33 years-old single mother of two. My daughter is 11 and my son is 7. My weekdays consist of working full time in the medical field, taking care of my children, and going to music and dance lessons. I love to come home and cook dinner for my family as that time is precious for us. As any full-time working parent knows the day doesn’t end when dinner is over, there is still cleaning, laundry and other duties. On the weekends we like to enjoy time in the community, supporting the kids activities, and having fun with friends and family.
Over the past 6 months I have been having this pain down my left leg and since the beginning of June I have been rapidly losing my ability to walk or be active for more than a few minutes at a time. My recent MRI shows a herniation of L5-S1 and is compressing the left spinal nerve causing me to lose function. I need surgery in order to fix this and get my life back. The Neurosurgeon says that this is a routine procedure and that my risks are minimal, but It will take 3 months to recover and a year to get back to my full normal life. The first 2-3 weeks of recovery are the most sensitive and I will only be aloud to walk and rest. My surgery date is set for August 1, 2019.
I have medical insurance and will only need to pay 20%, which is approximately $5300. This amount is more than I can afford while still maintaining a normal life for me and my children. Asking for help is not something I am used to, but I know I cannot do this alone. I have already exhausted all my income in trying other conservative treatments to avoid surgery. My surgery is right before school starts and I will still need to provide school supplies, clothes, registration and monthly fees for daycare.
A little back story: My injury did not come from any one specific thing that I am aware of. As a child I was very active and played with my siblings and rough housed just like any other kid. My back pain started when I was 7 and I collapsed losing function from the waist down, when I was 15 years old. They diagnosed me with scoliosis. I have seen chiropractic care, physical therapy, massage and acupuncture since then. When I was 24, I got an MRI showing disc protrusions on L4-L5 and L5-S1. Surgery was an option then but when the options were weighed, I was still having good days 80 percent of the time. I continued with conservative treatments and still managed to live a fun life. I could wrestle with my kids, take them to the park and chase them around the jungle gym. I even got into weightlifting and was feeling great for about 3 years. I enjoy doing photography, dancing and watching local live music and going to local art events. I like to snowboard, hike, play volleyball, swim and just be able to move when I want. Today, I am stuck in a bed due to the disc herniation. In September of 2018 I was in the ER for severe pain from the waist down and was unable to accomplish much. The doctor who saw me walked in, prescribed medications and x-ray and I never saw her again, and never received an exam. Thankfully I recovered quickly with anti-inflammatories and more therapy. If the ER would have done an L-Spine MRI this would have been caught much sooner. I finally got my MRI this past June when I couldn’t walk very well. Today I force myself through excruciating pain to get to work. I do not have enough paid time off to stop working right now as I still have bills to pay. However, I am not sure I can make it all the way to surgery. After work and all weekend long, I am back in bed. Dinner with my kids no longer happens, chores are not getting done and I am just ready for this to be over. My journey has been long enough. I know my condition is not life threatening but it is taking away MY life.
I thank everyone in advance. Everyone who is willing to give a little to help me get back to my normal life. Possibly even a better life than I have had to live with this whole time. I am too young, and I have so many goals I have yet to accomplish. Thank you.
Over the past 6 months I have been having this pain down my left leg and since the beginning of June I have been rapidly losing my ability to walk or be active for more than a few minutes at a time. My recent MRI shows a herniation of L5-S1 and is compressing the left spinal nerve causing me to lose function. I need surgery in order to fix this and get my life back. The Neurosurgeon says that this is a routine procedure and that my risks are minimal, but It will take 3 months to recover and a year to get back to my full normal life. The first 2-3 weeks of recovery are the most sensitive and I will only be aloud to walk and rest. My surgery date is set for August 1, 2019.
I have medical insurance and will only need to pay 20%, which is approximately $5300. This amount is more than I can afford while still maintaining a normal life for me and my children. Asking for help is not something I am used to, but I know I cannot do this alone. I have already exhausted all my income in trying other conservative treatments to avoid surgery. My surgery is right before school starts and I will still need to provide school supplies, clothes, registration and monthly fees for daycare.
A little back story: My injury did not come from any one specific thing that I am aware of. As a child I was very active and played with my siblings and rough housed just like any other kid. My back pain started when I was 7 and I collapsed losing function from the waist down, when I was 15 years old. They diagnosed me with scoliosis. I have seen chiropractic care, physical therapy, massage and acupuncture since then. When I was 24, I got an MRI showing disc protrusions on L4-L5 and L5-S1. Surgery was an option then but when the options were weighed, I was still having good days 80 percent of the time. I continued with conservative treatments and still managed to live a fun life. I could wrestle with my kids, take them to the park and chase them around the jungle gym. I even got into weightlifting and was feeling great for about 3 years. I enjoy doing photography, dancing and watching local live music and going to local art events. I like to snowboard, hike, play volleyball, swim and just be able to move when I want. Today, I am stuck in a bed due to the disc herniation. In September of 2018 I was in the ER for severe pain from the waist down and was unable to accomplish much. The doctor who saw me walked in, prescribed medications and x-ray and I never saw her again, and never received an exam. Thankfully I recovered quickly with anti-inflammatories and more therapy. If the ER would have done an L-Spine MRI this would have been caught much sooner. I finally got my MRI this past June when I couldn’t walk very well. Today I force myself through excruciating pain to get to work. I do not have enough paid time off to stop working right now as I still have bills to pay. However, I am not sure I can make it all the way to surgery. After work and all weekend long, I am back in bed. Dinner with my kids no longer happens, chores are not getting done and I am just ready for this to be over. My journey has been long enough. I know my condition is not life threatening but it is taking away MY life.
I thank everyone in advance. Everyone who is willing to give a little to help me get back to my normal life. Possibly even a better life than I have had to live with this whole time. I am too young, and I have so many goals I have yet to accomplish. Thank you.
Co-organizers (2)
Lydia Hanson
Organizer
Albuquerque, NM
Kimberly Madero
Co-organizer