- J
- B
- M
A week before Halloween I woke up with excruciating pain from the tips of my fingers up to the base of my skull. The next day I lost feeling in my hands and arms. After many appointments with a specialist and a particularly unpleasant appointment with a neurologist, I now have answers! Bilaterally, I have nerve damage in my ulnar nerves (your funny bone nerve), carpal tunnel in my wrists, tendinitis in my thumbs, and something else with the outside of my wrists. As far as I know, this all hit me on the same day, which explains the immediate loss of feeling, constant pain, and loss of fine motor skills (grip, lifting virtually anything, etc.)
Moving forward, I am scheduled for surgery 1.12.2021 to fix the ulnar nerve in my right arm (and hopefully bring feeling back!!). I will have surgery on the left side 4 weeks after.
During that time, I will not be able to work for a little bit. I don’t want to risk getting chemicals and hair in the incisions/I have to ease my way back into working. In between surgeries I will have one arm post-op and one arm getting ready to be fixed.
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2020 was particularly difficult for me. I did not qualify for any form of government help (stimulus checks or unemployment) and drained all of my savings to pay bills on time- savings I'd spent years building up to pay for my degree. I've consistently worked a minimum of 3 jobs to build a proper savings for myself (savings that would have covered these surgeries) and they're completely depleted now.
In June I contracted COVID and was unable to work for 3 weeks, which set me back even further. There is a possibility that COVID catalyzed this nerve damage situation.
At this point, I don't know what else to do but ask for help- something I'm not the best at doing. I'm not the best at being vulnerable and admitting I need help and can't do something completely on my own. If you're able to help me in the slightest it would mean more than I can express. Thank you for making it to the bottom of this very long description and thank you in advance for any contribution. It will not go unnoticed or unappreciated.
Sachi Tanaka
Moving forward, I am scheduled for surgery 1.12.2021 to fix the ulnar nerve in my right arm (and hopefully bring feeling back!!). I will have surgery on the left side 4 weeks after.
During that time, I will not be able to work for a little bit. I don’t want to risk getting chemicals and hair in the incisions/I have to ease my way back into working. In between surgeries I will have one arm post-op and one arm getting ready to be fixed.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
2020 was particularly difficult for me. I did not qualify for any form of government help (stimulus checks or unemployment) and drained all of my savings to pay bills on time- savings I'd spent years building up to pay for my degree. I've consistently worked a minimum of 3 jobs to build a proper savings for myself (savings that would have covered these surgeries) and they're completely depleted now.
In June I contracted COVID and was unable to work for 3 weeks, which set me back even further. There is a possibility that COVID catalyzed this nerve damage situation.
At this point, I don't know what else to do but ask for help- something I'm not the best at doing. I'm not the best at being vulnerable and admitting I need help and can't do something completely on my own. If you're able to help me in the slightest it would mean more than I can express. Thank you for making it to the bottom of this very long description and thank you in advance for any contribution. It will not go unnoticed or unappreciated.
Sachi Tanaka
Organizer and beneficiary
Sachi Tanaka
Beneficiary