Grace's emergency surgery & medication

Hello wonderful community, my name is Grace and for those of you who don't know me, I have stage IV endometriosis, adenomyosis and PCOS. I was officially diagnosed in October 2022 and have been in increasingly chronic pain since, following horrific periods and severe ovarian pain since I was 14. Following my 5th laparoscopy which entailed a left ovary & fallopian tube removal, I am undergoing major abdominal surgery via laparoscopy to remove fast returning endometriosis and detach an adhered right ovary on May 5th. I will be travelling to Sydney to undergo my next laparoscopy due to requiring a more qualified surgeon to treat my complex case and correct the mistakes from the previous surgeries. I am facing approximately $10,000 to make this surgery happen.

Following a round of IVF last February & my 4th laparoscopy, I underwent a two week ketamine infusion, pulsed radio frequency and pudendal nerve blocks aiming to provide systemic pain relief, to which all failed. Due to the severity of my pain, I was forced to stop work in August 2024 and have been relying solely on jobseeker (I am still fighting for disability pension), which hardly doesn’t even cover my rent. Due to my surgeries, IVF, medications & appointments, I have spent over $100,000 in medical bills over the last 18 months, $200,000 in 2.5 years, leaving me needing more treatment but not being able to afford it.

In December, I underwent a large lipoma excision on my shoulder, resulting in me undergoing a total of 6 surgeries in 2024. After my laparoscopy in May, I will be admitted back into hospital for another 1.5 weeks to undergo another round of intense pain treatment to aid my recovery and medication regime. This will cost another several thousand dollars. In addition to this, I am expected to begin a new round of treatment for my daily chronic migraines, which have been exacerbated as a result of the endometriosis. This treatment will cost $600 more than the current treatment I am on. Unfortunately, all of my future treatment is extremely expensive however necessary, leaving me in a difficult situation due to all of the costs I have had to front over the last two years. 

I am currently on a significant amount of medication to treat my daily pain and correlating chronic conditions, costing me roughly $1,300 per month. Alongside this, I see my GP fortnightly as well as having regular appointments with my gynaecologist, pain specialist, neurologist, gastroenterologist, physiotherapist and psychiatrist. As you can imagine, these appointments are expensive and add up fast.

I have tried everything to treat my pain, from nerve blockers, surgery, pain treatment all the way through to physiotherapy. I am currently on a high level of pain medication just to get me through the day. I am unable to go for a walk, I can’t shop for myself, not even the groceries. It is too painful to drive the car. I am unable to sleep most nights due to the pain. I am in severe, unimaginable pain every day of my life. I am socially isolated due to my endometriosis and have lost my independence. As a result, I am unfortunately unable to return to work.

As a result of the endo, adhesions & many surgeries, I am sadly facing infertility. Nothing breaks my heart more than facing the possibility of infertility as all I’ve ever wanted is to have a family of my own. It has already been predicted that I will most likely need to utilise IVF to conceive, but I am also in the stages of planning another round of egg freezing to do whatever I can to preserve whatever chance I have left at fertility. It goes without saying just how undeniably expensive IVF services are, all of which I most certainly can’t afford. 

Endometriosis has taken over my life and it’s become extremely difficult to keep up while unemployed. I currently rent and unfortunately have no savings left behind me as every last cent has been spent on my healthcare over the last two years. 

It is extremely difficult for me to ask for help and I have tried my very best to maneuver my way through the last two horrific years, however, I need help and have no choice but to turn my beautiful community. I don't expect anything from anyone, but if you can afford to spare any change to help me afford my medications and my treatment, I would be deeply appreciative and will do whatever I can to return the favour in the future.

This has been extremely hard to write and awfully hard to do as it's horrible having to ask for help, so I thank you so much for taking the time to read my story and I recognise the full worth of any donation, big or small. xx