Help Fix Ali's Neck So She Can Dance Again!

Dance dance dance.

Full stop.

I don't usually ask for help. But in this case, I am losing hope and don't know what else to do. I'm asking for my community to help me raise $20,000 for surgery on my neck.

The Problem. I have been plagued with 3 bulging discs in my neck for the past 18 months. For the past 7 months I have chosen to be as homebound as possible and resting to see how much of a difference that would make. It has helped to some extent, but there is great uncertainty about making a full recovery.

The bulges are small and 3mm or less, but they are pressing into the nerve roots at 3 levels (C5 - C7) that lead out to the right side of my body. I also have bone spurring which further complicates the situation. Bone spurs do not go away on their own and must be surgically removed. If not removed, these will continue to cause pain, continue to grow and press into the spinal cord eventually.

I tried to push through this for the longest time thinking it was just a muscular issue. Students and friends may recall me complaining of pain between my shoulder blades after class. When I got an MRI in January 2023, it confirmed what was going on. I had to stop doing most things. I couldn't even sit in a chair without getting severe pins and needles down my arm.

The condition still sends nerve pain down my fingers, forearm, tricep, deltoid, rhomboid, lat, and pec muscles. Spasms used to be constant but they have diminished now because I have stopped doing most things. Pins and needles are still ongoing. My right arm is chronically shaking and weak. My muscles in my shoulder and upper girdle feel like they're atrophying. My balance on my right side is off and my right leg is a bit shaky. I am reading this is a common thing.

The whole situation caused me to get stranded in my homestate, Minnesota. The flare up was so bad I could hardly write with a pencil or button up a shirt. I couldn't fly again so I had to coordinate people moving my stuff across the country from California. I also fell into a pain/panic cycle that causes extreme anxiety with panic attacks: a condition I've never had before. I'm now on medicine to regulate it, but it is still there.

Things have calmed a bit since then, but there is still a low-grade inflammation and discomfort between 0 - 5 on any given day. Luckily I can still work remotely from bed, but have to be in control of my environment at all times. I get up for short walks, stretches, food, and self-care. My stamina for most things has been reduced. I get by on anti-inflammatories and luckily no harder pain killers.

Normally herniated discs can resolve themselves within 3 months or less. Anything more than that is considered chronic. Some say it takes 6 months to 2 years. Going on 18 months now in hopes that it will heal on its own, but I am losing hope. If it were just herniated discs, that might be okay. But the bone spurs are also part of the problem.

The only way surgeons know how to remove bone spurs is through surgeries that are not ideal. Surgeons have offered replacing the discs completely with artificial discs or doing a fusion. For disc replacement, the U.S. only allows 2 discs to be replaced in one region of the body. In order to get all 3 discs replaced, I would have to go to Europe, and that would be out of pocket. Disc replacements supposedly let you have the life you used to have, but there seems to be a 36%+ rate of recurring issues with disc replacements and re-replacements, so not a feasible option.

Fusions are even worse and cause adjacent disc disease, where you continue to have pain and might need more fusions down the road because the joints are stiffened. Many fusions need subsequent operations. Many go wrong and people end up in chronic pain for the rest of their lives.

Let me tell you. Chronic pain ruins people. It alters your personality. You become a shell of who you once were. Heck, I am already there. It shatters hopes and dreams of a future in any direction. I never thought this was a world I would live in. Then again, who does?

Those of you who know me, know that I am normally a cheerful mover and a shaker who likes to make a difference in the community. I have built a career on raising money for causes around the world, and on the side have devoted myself to the health and wellness of myself and others. The last 13 years, I have raised more than $12 million for others and have taught Zumba, dance, yoga, and Pilates.

I still have big dreams and aspirations, but when you don't have your health, what good is it? The chronic pain and symptoms from this condition have made all of these things nearly impossible. I still can't sit in a chair for more than a few minutes without experiencing pressure and pain through my shoulder, arm and back. Once I get flared, it is exhausting and takes a few hours to come down. Sometimes days, or weeks. I tried to go for a quick bike ride the other day to test it out, and was bedridden for 1 1/2 week, unable to sleep and eat well all over again.

This is a disease. One that is not often spoken about and cripples many. I have probably spent close to $20,000 in conservative treatments alone such as PT, chiropractor, decompression, traction, acupuncture, cranio-sacral, rolfing, bodywork, dry needling, shiatsu massage, oils, trauma therapy, myofascial release, you name it! Despite this, recovery seems dismal.

A different procedure. There seems to be one ounce of hope that might be "safe". I found a spine institute in another state that is the only one performing an endoscopic laser procedure with a 95% - 98% success rate. The procedure would remove both the herniations AND the bone spurs. No other procedure can do that! This would take the pressure off my nerve roots so they can heal and stop the ongoing inflammation. The procedure has a 1% re-herniation rate for those who don't follow healing protocol during the first year.

The doctor would go through the front of my neck, directly into the disc itself with a tiny probe and video, and laser off the dead disc pieces irritating the nerves. They then cauterize the areas around the disc tear to prevent further herniation. They also zap away the spurring that is going on, which is pressing into my thecal sac of my spinal cord. The healing time is 1 day to a few weeks. They broadcast all of their surgeries life for transparency and follow up with patients regularly.

Cost. Friends, family and former students. I am asking for your help! If you have been impacted by me in any way, whether it be through teaching or co-mingling, this is my cry for a miracle.

I have set a goal of $20,000 that would help offset a lot of the costs. This includes:

The full procedure cost is $35,000. I plan to pay the rest of the costs using the resources I have access to.

Please help me reach my $20,000 goal by or before October 25, 2023. I must provide the funds upfront 7-10 days in advance.

Am I crazy? Maybe a little. Do I know if it will work? No clue. I have to give it a shot though.

Thank you for considering! :)

XO

Ali