Help Alicia with Post-Op Recovery Expenses
Donation protected
There's some irony in creating a GoFundMe for myself, after I created one a year ago, to help my mom recover and get on her feet. Thanks to those of you who supported her, she was able to get her hip replaced, and is doing extremely well in her recovery.
As most of you know, I've had the pleasure (insert sarcasm here) of living with IBD (Inflammatory bowel disease) since I was 14.
(Waking up in the ICU in 2004 after my emergency colectomy.)
The road has been far from easy for me since my diagnosis. I've spent so many years of my life in the hospital, doctor's office, and recovering from surgery or complications from surgery - and that still doesn't cover half of it. At times, I feel like I have not even started to live my life to the fullest because I spend a significant portion of my time dealing with or stressing over my health.
Medications, specifically biologics, gave me a handful of good years after I graduated from college. However, I've developed antibodies to all the available drugs to treat the severity of my disease. I've been struggling for a couple years now with an RV fistula (a complication from my Crohn's disease). The RV fistuale have been the main complication I've faced - and I've had more than 20 surgeries to try and correct them, but the corrections lasted maybe a year.
On March 21st, I'm getting a second chance by a surgeon who is going to redo my J-Pouch and fix my RV fistula with a muscle graft from my leg (graciloplasty). This is giving me hope for my future health. This is a major surgery - probably my largest surgery to date.
If all goes well, I will be mostly healed within 6 weeks. Four months after my March 21st surgery, I'll undergo an additional surgery to complete the two-part series and take down the temporary ostomy bag. This is the third temp ostomy I've had.
As of right now, I haven't worked consistently in over month, and I won't be able to work during the entirety of my recovery. My health keeps deteriorating and the fistula leaves me home bound 75% of the time. This creates a massive amount of stress and strain for me. My current financial situation has also hindered my ability to have this much-needed surgery in the first place.
Anyone who knows me, knows that asking for personal support is extremely hard for me to do. I don't reach out for help until I've exhausted every resource I have. And right now, my resources are completely exhausted. I'm hopeful this surgery can give me my life back, or some semblance of it and return some of the years I've lost due to botched medical care.
Any support you can give will go towards my rent, utilities, and medical costs during the entirety of my recovery.
As most of you know, I've had the pleasure (insert sarcasm here) of living with IBD (Inflammatory bowel disease) since I was 14.
(Waking up in the ICU in 2004 after my emergency colectomy.) The road has been far from easy for me since my diagnosis. I've spent so many years of my life in the hospital, doctor's office, and recovering from surgery or complications from surgery - and that still doesn't cover half of it. At times, I feel like I have not even started to live my life to the fullest because I spend a significant portion of my time dealing with or stressing over my health.
Medications, specifically biologics, gave me a handful of good years after I graduated from college. However, I've developed antibodies to all the available drugs to treat the severity of my disease. I've been struggling for a couple years now with an RV fistula (a complication from my Crohn's disease). The RV fistuale have been the main complication I've faced - and I've had more than 20 surgeries to try and correct them, but the corrections lasted maybe a year.
On March 21st, I'm getting a second chance by a surgeon who is going to redo my J-Pouch and fix my RV fistula with a muscle graft from my leg (graciloplasty). This is giving me hope for my future health. This is a major surgery - probably my largest surgery to date.
If all goes well, I will be mostly healed within 6 weeks. Four months after my March 21st surgery, I'll undergo an additional surgery to complete the two-part series and take down the temporary ostomy bag. This is the third temp ostomy I've had.
As of right now, I haven't worked consistently in over month, and I won't be able to work during the entirety of my recovery. My health keeps deteriorating and the fistula leaves me home bound 75% of the time. This creates a massive amount of stress and strain for me. My current financial situation has also hindered my ability to have this much-needed surgery in the first place.
Anyone who knows me, knows that asking for personal support is extremely hard for me to do. I don't reach out for help until I've exhausted every resource I have. And right now, my resources are completely exhausted. I'm hopeful this surgery can give me my life back, or some semblance of it and return some of the years I've lost due to botched medical care.
Any support you can give will go towards my rent, utilities, and medical costs during the entirety of my recovery.
Organizer
Alicia Aiello
Organizer
Philadelphia, PA
