Help Becky Schneider get back on her foot!

Hi, my name is Becky Schneider. Today, Nov. 14th I find out if I'm gonna need immediate open heart surgery. I'm home after spending 63 days in the hospital. On August 27th, I woke up with my right foot extremely swollen and hurting really bad. I made it through work, as a waitress, for a couple of days, but by Sept 1st, I couldn't handle the pain any longer and went to the hospital. It turned out I had COVID and a blood infection that had gone to my heart, lungs, and both my feet. They put me on antibiotics right away. I was so sick by then, I mean soooo sick! I could barely open my eyes when visitors came, and I wasn't able to even snap my kids for nearly 10 days. On day 8, the podiatrist came and looked at my foot and had me in surgery within 2 hours. The news wasn't good. The infection had gone to my toes, and they had to be amputated. The next day, I had surgery again to remove all the toes on my right foot and clean out the infection on my left foot! I was transferred to Mayo because I was still spiking fevers of 104°F even after all the antibiotics and surgeries. I found out that I had endocarditis. The infection had gone to my heart. I went in for a TEE, swallowing an ultrasound, and they discovered I had a vegetation on my right valve that was 1.3 cm, about the size of a dice, and I had an aneurysm that had burst and a moderate hole on my right valve. It wasn't good news. The cardiologist surgeon came in and told me I needed open-heart surgery because my growth was so large. Thankfully, he came back a few hours later and told me they had decided they were gonna put it off at this time since I would be unable to walk after the surgery, and they push you to get up and walk soon after open-heart surgery. So they started pumping me full of IV antibiotics every 8 hours instead, hoping it would shrink the growth. I stayed on the Mayo cardiology floor for the next 2 weeks so they could monitor my heart. Then they transported me to Mayo in Osseo, Wisconsin, to continue the IV antibiotics every 8 hours for another month and go to physical therapy to help me start walking again.

The hardest part of it all was not being able to be home with my kids, Alivia, 15, and Landon, 13. They did amazing adjusting but missed their mom, and I missed them greatly! I missed Landon's first homecoming dance and Alivia's volleyball games and so much more! I'm very grateful for technology because, once well enough, I was able to connect with them daily! I was finally discharged on Oct. 31st and was able to surprise them that night! It was great, and I was finally home! But reality sank in very quickly. I was 2 months behind on all my bills and could barely walk from the living room to the kitchen with a walker. The kids have been a big help! Landon makes us pizzas for dinner, and Alivia helps out any way she can when she's home! And my lifelong bestie brought me groceries!

It isn't easy asking for help, but I don't know what else to do at this time. I am unable to work for at least a couple of months and could be longer. My kids deserve the world, and I would hate to put them through any more, especially losing our home. All donations will be put towards back rent and overdue bills, electricity, water and sewer, and internet, along with medical bills that insurance hasn't covered, and hopefully a wheelchair so I can go places with my children! Thank you for reading my story! Any contribution, no matter the size, will make a meaningful difference in our lives! I'll keep you all posted

Update: I Thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for your donations! ❤️ It means the world to me and brings me to tears! I haven't heard back from the doctors about the results of my TEE to see if I need heart surgery or not yet. I'm hoping today I do!