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Greetings!

It’s not an easy thing for me to ask for help, but I find myself in a situation where I have no choice. This past year has been the most challenging of my life, physically/mentally/emotionally/financially, and I am reaching out for support.

For roughly 10 years, I’ve lived with discomfort in both of my hips. In September 2023, that discomfort turned into daily, severe pain. After seeing an orthopedic surgeon, I was diagnosed with Femoroacetabular Impingement which is a genetic condition where the bones in the hip joint are misshapen, damaging cartilage and ligaments.

In February 2024, I had surgery on my right hip to repair a torn labrum and reshape the joint. The recovery was horrible. So painful, and I was non-weight-bearing (supporting all my weight with my left leg which was already in pain before surgery) for a month and relying heavily on others for care. Unfortunately, within a couple months of my surgery, the pain returned and started becoming worse than before surgery.

Since then, I’ve been searching for answers: physical therapy for 10 months, multiple MRIs, steroid injections, anti-inflammatories, acupuncture—you name it. Imaging gave no clear answers for the ongoing pain, but in October I had an MRI on my lower back which showed a bulging disc at L5-S1, which could be contributing.

Meanwhile, an MRI on my left hip (which also requires surgery) showed a labral tear and a large ovarian cyst that had quadrupled in size in two months. The findings from my MRI and an appointment with an OBGYN had me trying to cope with the fact that I could have cancer. Luckily after some ultrasounds and bloodwork, it doesn’t look like I have cancer. However, I was given a probable PCOS diagnosis and possibly have endometriosis.

I’m super relieved that bloodwork ruled out cancer, but I still have a long road ahead of me. Between addressing the ovarian issues, navigating the possibility of endometriosis (which may require a laparoscopy in order to formally diagnose), and planning future hip surgeries, I am insanely overwhelmed.

This year alone, I’ve spent thousands on medical expenses, draining my savings and leaning heavily on my parents for help. With more surgeries ahead (the first one being a surgery on my right hip on 12/27), I’ll need to take significant time off work. Luckily I am able to take a leave of absence from work, and can apply for short term disability - but short term disability will only give me 60% of my pay while I’m out of work, and where I’m barely scraping by with help from my parents while I’m working full time, I’m really going to need some help surviving.

Any financial support you can provide will be appreciated more than you know, and even if you can’t afford to donate (I know times are tough) sharing my post can really go a long way.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story and for any support you can offer. It means more than I could ever put into words.

With love,

Sare