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Polly Carter, one of the kindest people I know, had a triple laminectomy on Feb 19, 2025 on an out-patient basis. Even the day after the surgery, while resting at a hotel, she experienced pain in left leg. She was told it was normal. After returning home, the pain became unbearable.

On Feb. 26, she was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. Once there, she had an MRI and CT scan that confirmed that she had fluid of some type that was pressing on her spinal cord at the site of the laminectomy. The doctor, deeming it an emergency, ordered her to be rushed to a hospital 250 miles from home by helicopter. There, she underwent a 2-hour emergency surgery on Feb 27. It was discovered that she not only had an abscess, but also a blood clot, which were successfully removed.

This time, she spent 2 days in intensive care, before being moved to a private room where she stayed for an additional 5 days. She has months of physical and occupational therapy ahead in order to be able to walk without assistance.

As a result of the additional surgery, Norm, Polly’s husband, who had run out of paid leave, was forced to take unpaid leave so he could stay with her in the hospital and care for her when she returned home. In addition to this, there were a lot of other related expenses, including a hotel stay and dog boarding, that have caused an additional financial hardship.

What makes this even more difficult, is that Polly underwent open heart surgery on July 27, 2024 last year, which had already caused financial difficulty.

At this time, Polly is required to receive antibiotics through a PIC line in her arm for a period of 4 weeks. The cost of these antibiotics after the insurance pays their share is $300 per day.

There is also a question as to how much or even which insurance company will cover the medical bills for this emergency surgery.

Please consider donating and sharing this fundraiser to spread the word. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this story.