GinaRayesSpinalNerveinjury

Hi my name is Gina. In Feb 2018 I had a slip & fall accident where I fell on my left hip & damaged my L5 Spinal Nerve. Nerves can't be fixed. So about every 8 to 15 months I have to have a small 45 min surgery called a Rhizotomy.

They put me to sleep, insert 3 needles into my lower back/spine & burn my L5 nerve so I can't feel the pain. There are branches of these nerves on my left & right sides.

On a daily basis I take a nerve pain medication called Gabapentin. Anywhere from 900 to 2,000 mg per day. Even though surgery makes the pain go away temporarily, my body will regrow the L5 nerve. If I do too much heavy lifting from laundry, or taking out the trash, making the bed with a heavy blanket, playing with my kids etc etc I can have muscle spasms that hurt & it radiates down my left leg. I have 2 children at home & it has been hard for me to work. I am asking for help with my bills so I can stay home as much as possible & be with my kids. In 2023, I'd like to go to college for my paralegal certification along with an AA degree. Most of my life I have worked jobs that are very physically demanding (I also have a severe Right rotator cuff injury in my shoulder but cant have surgery bc Id be out of work too long to keep my bills paid on time) however I am now 50 yrs old & my body can't handle all my injuries so working in an office (after I achieve a college education) seems like the best thing for me to pursue.

I have L5 Spinal Nerve damage. I have a labrael tear in the RIGHT & the LEFT groin. I have lost cartilage on my left femoral head, have a calcified bone spur or stone on my left femoral head. Osteoarthritis on the left & right hip. Mild right bursitis. 5mm left facet joint synovial cyst, I have a total of three 1mm disc bulges in my spine, a 4mm disc bulge in C5-C6, a 2mm disc bulge in C6-C7,

a 4mm cyst projecting at L5-S1. Yes I have medi-cal so my doc bills are covered. I have 2 children to be responsible for & I want to work. I was just approved for Disability (July 2023) however they only allow what I made from W-2s (which is around $13,000) and they won't allow me to use my 1099s when claiming my disability income. 

If I feel great one month then I would prefer to try to work but if I am in too much pain then Id like some help so I can stay as independent as possible. My gofundme page is for those months when I need that extra help. I'm grateful for any help you can financially provide for me & my kids. Thank you for listening & I will post pictures soon. I just asked for a referral for my 4th Rhizotomy, I've had 3 on my L5 nerve and this one will be on my Si joint.

I am grateful for the time you took to read my Gofundme & thank you for your support.

* I do not have continuing conversations with my donors because I have had a donor become obsessed with me and she has been stalking me. So this is for my safety. I will acknowledge & reply to your donations with my gratitude. Thank you & may GOD bless you for your kindness.