I’m facing urgent gallbladder surgery, now rescheduled for 04/07, after years of health struggles, a possible MS diagnosis, and the devastating loss of my dad. On top of everything, my family is now grieving the unexpected passing of my granny, which has made this season even heavier than I ever imagined.

My out-of-pocket cost is $7,370.12, and I set my goal at $8,000 to cover GoFundMe’s processing fees and a small buffer for post-op needs so I don’t end up short. This surgery is no longer optional — the pain and complications have reached a point where I can’t function day to day. Any amount truly helps me move toward healing and stability so I can keep showing up for my kids. Thank you for supporting me during one of the hardest seasons of my life.

My dad had gallstone symptoms that he didn’t get checked out until it was too late, and his gallbladder ended up rupturing. He had to undergo emergency surgery for a rare, life-threatening condition caused by severe inflammation and tissue death to the gallbladder — that was a very scary time. Seeing what he went through made me very aware of how serious gallbladder issues can become. And because I have other cancers that run in my family, I’ve always been diligent about prescreening, annuals, and preventative measures so I can stay on top of my health.

At the start of the pandemic — when everyone was hoarding toilet paper and sheltering in place — that’s when my health decided to take me on a downhill rollercoaster. Everything felt unpredictable, and my body started reacting in ways I didn’t understand at the time.

I was still experiencing severe PTSD from the wreck in 2018, so a lot of my symptoms seemed to overlap, and doctors may have overlooked the bigger picture of what was really going on with me. And with the pandemic and everything being virtual, appointments were challenging — it was hard to get seen, hard to get answers, and even harder to explain symptoms through a screen. At the same time, I was dealing with pain that just didn’t make sense, but I kept assuming it was from my previous car accident. Those undetected injuries were uncovered after another car accident, which led to surgery on my hip.

From there, everything snowballed, and I felt like every time I came out of an imaging machine, a new diagnosis was waiting for me. Almost like a death sentence — just this heavy mix of despair, sadness, and always that question of “why me?” My body was throwing things at me at speeds I could barely keep up with, but I had to remind myself that I wouldn’t be given anything I couldn’t overcome.

2023 didn’t start off great for me. Before the year even began, I was already dealing with a possible Multiple Sclerosis (MS) diagnosis, after finding a lesion on my brain scan — flare-ups, blurry vision, daily migraines, numbness, and eventually I couldn’t even wear heels anymore because I was losing my balance. I was trying to juggle all of that, go through different testing, still show up for my kids, put a pause on getting married, and keep everything together.

Then, on the day I thought my family was calling to wish MaKaila a happy 16th birthday, my entire world shifted when I realized it wasn’t a birthday call at all — it was the news that my father had been killed. Losing my dad while dealing with all of that was already overwhelming, and it changed everything for me. Especially with family being involved. I know some of you thought I became distant for peace, but part of that was for protection. Everyone knows I’m a mom first, and I will do anything to protect my kids. They are the same reason I continue to fight my health battles, celebrate my little wins, and keep going — because I want to be the best mom I can be, no matter what life throws at me.

When the symptoms started in 2023 and I found out I had gallstones, I took it seriously. Because I was determined to avoid surgery and take a holistic approach, I tried every natural remedy I could, and for a while, my symptoms actually improved. Finally, a little relief. I changed my diet and lost almost 50 pounds — mostly because I couldn’t keep food down, was constantly nauseous, or just didn’t have an appetite. Out of everything I’ve experienced so far, this was the toughest. Sleepless nights, early mornings — it felt like my body was fighting me nonstop. But I kept going. I stayed focused. I tried to enjoy milestones, like MaKaila graduating and starting college. I made changes to my health insurance to try and get the most benefit, because as you know, things changed within our healthcare system. Health coverage just wasn’t stretching as far as it used to. I felt medical bills slowly piling up, and routine tests or procedures that should’ve been covered suddenly weren’t. That whole process in itself was daunting and frustrating.

By October 2025, everything came back, only this time it was 1000% worse. I felt so defeated when the imaging showed another recurrence of gallstones — something that’s actually pretty common once you’ve had them before — and it just made everything feel that much heavier. It was times like this that I wished my dad was still around to talk about what worked for him, or someone who could relate to the type of pain I was experiencing. A different doctor also recommended surgery, but again, I continued to manage it as naturally as I could.

Until last month, my body finally said enough. The pain, the nausea, the flare-ups, and the constant discomfort reached a point where I cannot push through it anymore. I have tried to avoid this for as long as I could, but now it is affecting my ability to work, parent, maintain my relationships, and even function from day to day. My last plea to my doctor for any other options only led to my doctor wanting to schedule surgery within the week. That’s how dire my situation had become.

My total out-of-pocket cost for the cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal) surgery is $7,370.12. I set the goal at $8,000 to cover GoFundMe’s processing fees and a small buffer for post-op needs so I don’t end up short. The total includes the surgery center fee — half of which is due on the day of the procedure and is the biggest burden — along with the surgeon’s fee, anesthesia, post-op care, and the income I’ll lose from the time I have to miss work since I haven’t accrued enough PTO yet.

On my birthday, my family and I experienced the unexpected passing of my granny. Her loss has been heartbreaking, and it also created sudden travel expenses and responsibilities related to her funeral. Because of everything happening at once, I had to reschedule my surgery to 04/07. This shift gives me a little more time to prepare, but it has also added to the financial strain during an already difficult moment. I’m truly grateful for every share, prayer, and donation — your support means more than you know. I’ve tapped into my resources — my savings, 401k, and anything else I could — but I was not anticipating needing surgery this early in the year. It’s a lot to carry all at once, especially while trying to stay present for my kids, keep up with their extracurricular activities, and keep our household running.

It hasn’t been easy to open up like this, but I’m trying to put my health first and finally get this taken care of so I can feel like myself again. I’m doing everything I can to prepare for this surgery, but the financial burden is more than I can manage alone. Any amount — truly any amount — brings me one step closer to healing, stability, and being able to show up for my family the way I want to.

If you can donate, share, or simply send encouragement — it means more than you know. Thank you in advance for helping me move toward a healthier, pain-free future.

With love and gratitude,

Kristina

- In memory of my granny, whose unexpected passing reminded us how fragile and precious life is. This update is shared with her memory in my heart and her strength will carry on with me in my next steps.