I’ll try to make this brief. I’ve been dealing with chronic pain and medical issues my entire life due to endometriosis. Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the uterine lining attaches to various structures and organs in the body. There is no cure. The gold standard treatment is excision surgery, but skilled surgeons are rare. This will be my fourth surgery. I had hoped my surgery in 2023 would be my last, but unfortunately all my symptoms have returned.

I’ll be traveling 2.5 hours away for this surgery, but my biggest concern is recovery. I live alone and wasn’t prepared for how much assistance I would need. I don’t have anyone who can help me. My dog, who is 80 lbs and pulls on walks, will be especially difficult to care for, since I won’t be able to walk her for a few weeks after surgery, according to my surgeon. I’ve thought through every possible option, and the safest plan that also allows her to stay with me is to hire dog walkers Dog walking afterward would be about $50-75 per day. On top of that, I’ll need to order meals and cover other recovery needs.

The surgery itself will cost me about $600 with insurance since my new surgeon is in-network. However, I’ll be out of work for a few weeks, unpaid the first week, and only receiving 60% of my pay- not even enough to cover my bills. The added cost just for dog care feels overwhelming.

My original plan was to postpone surgery until I could get a part-time job, save up, and move first. Unfortunately, my pain has worsened drastically, and I’ve reached my breaking point. I can’t keep pushing through like this.

My apartment and moving costs (fingers crossed this is happening) adds additional stress that I don’t need. I am constantly dealing with bugs and issues in this apartment. Being in this apartment definitely doesn’t help my chronic pain. I am constantly in a state of fight or flight it seems.

I would be grateful for any help so I can keep my dog with me through recovery. I hate asking for help, I hate being chronically ill, but living alone with medical problems while everything is so expensive feels impossible. I’m doing my best. Thank you so much for reading and for any support.