A Little Help Post Spinal Surgery

My name is Deanne, I'm 32 years old and I had major spinal surgery (L5/S1 artificial disc replacement) on the 13th of August 2018 to resolve severe lower back pain from disc degeneration, herniation and an annular tear that did not improve after almost 2 years of conservative treatment. My life before surgery was very restricted, painful and compromised my mental health.  The out-of-pocket costs for my procedure were just over $8,000 (after Government & private health insurance rebates). My amazing mother helped out and contributed $3,000 but I'm struggling with the rest plus rent, food and all of the usual bills that keep rolling in.  I used up all of my annual leave and sick leave at work, which gave me only 2 weeks of paid leave since my surgery. The rest has been and will be unpaid. My research and advice from the surgeon indicated I would be able to return to work full time around 6-8 weeks post op but it turns out it's going to be more like 12 weeks.  My credit card was sky high before the surgery due to medical bills over the past couple of years from specialists, allied health professionals, pain management and diagnostic procedures and is now close to maxed-out. I do not have income protection insurance and I am ineligible for Government assistance. Anything you can spare would help immensely as it's one more meal on the table or one less bill to worry about. I feel a bit awkward asking for money but I am struggling and I'm not too proud these days to ask for help. If you would prefer to donate some kind of gift card so I can buy food that would be awesome too!  I am travelling really well now with my recovery after a few hiccups in the beginning and I will keep y'all updated with my progress on Facebook.  Thank you and much love ❤️