Help James Overcome Medical and Financial Struggles

Hello. My name is James Alexander (the handsome one is Jack, he’s three this month). I’m 71 and live with my two huskies, Jack and Lady (who is 10 this month). Jack is curious and very much attached to his daddy. My life is quiet and a bit lonesome for human company, but being 100% disabled and battling constant medical problems, it's not an attractive life to share.

To the point. In the last years, the Covid years, I’ve been plagued with Covid-complicated medical problems. I now have a lifelong blood disorder of rapid diffuse clotting. The first occasion was on my 68th birthday. I awakened gasping for air. An emergency ride to the hospital and hours of tests revealed my Pulmonary Artery was 75% blocked and in need of emergency vascular surgery. I nearly died that day on the table, and afterward nearly bled out in my room. It was close. But the incident didn’t enhance my existing COPD. It was a long, slow recovery. Exactly a year later on my next birthday, I went to the hospital to have my right hip replaced. I remember the check-in desk, but nothing of the 15 hours that followed. Both legs were completely clotted off from the groin to my toes. I was told that I had at least 20 cardiac arrests while they decided to amputate both my legs to take the load off my heart. Fortunately, my vascular surgeon stepped up and decided to save my legs by manually cleaning out the vessels in both legs. The remaining week in ICU was spent deciding if the decision to keep them was a good one. Another trip to the OR with my favorite vascular surgeon once again saved both legs, while most of the advanced care team voted for amputation to unburden my heart.

I am so grateful every day that I have two legs and two feet on which to stand.

A year ago, I finally got the hip replacement I had fought to have for six years. It’s a year later and I am still learning to stand and walk again. These damaged legs, lungs, kidneys, and heart are all failing, but still trying.

I also suffered brain involvement from loss of blood flow and micro clots. This has led to brain shrinkage, speech difficulties, memory issues, and a whole host of things. Congestive Heart Failure, Pulmonary failure (COPD), kidney failure, liver failure, vision problems, and a whole host of medications.

I take 22 medications throughout the day. My doctor is sensitive to the fact that my only source of income is my Social Security and I can’t afford many of the best drugs, but even the older drugs are a huge drain on my income. Debt servicing the $28,000 hip, $220,000 first emergency vascular surgery, the second $248,000 second surgery and week-long ICU stay, and multiple medical visits with various specialists all cost me something. Insurance has done its job caring for all the major hospitalizations, but the copays are well beyond my capacity to pay. I’ve been sent to collections by three hospitals. I can’t keep up with bills when I try to pay the people and institutions I owe my life to.

I’ve really tried my best. I can’t make it. I’ve eliminated any social life, don’t go out to eat or go to the movies, or go grocery shopping every month. That’s right, I can’t buy groceries every month, so I owe money to friends who have undertaken to keep me fed, and paying them back is sometimes not as promptly as I promised. I can’t overlook that.

These are the harsh facts. I have to decide every month between food, medicine, home upkeep, etc. And now the kicker… I may have cancer in the bladder and/or right kidney. I’m getting my bloodwork in order to allow the upcoming intervention.

I figure I need at least $3,500 immediately and maybe more as things unfold. I need $300 to keep my power on as of the 28th of this month… yep, three days from now.

Please help if you can. I hate to ask, I’m always the guy giving, that’s who I want to be, not the beggar by the garden gate. But I can’t work, am not the vital man I used to be. 71 has been a turning point, and there’s no going back. Help me go forward if you can.

Thanks for checking me out. I will be eternally grateful.