Help heal my scars
Donation protected
Hello! I'm Lily and I'm raising money to help pay for reconstructive surgery on my stomach to remove my scar.
6 years ago, on 12.13.2014, I married the love of my life. It was a spontaneous small wedding. We didn't have anyone at our wedding except for our 2 closest friends, we wanted to tell everyone on Christmas morning.
On 12.24.2014, as we were driving to California to surprise everyone with the news of our nuptials; we got a surprise ourselves. A car had side swiped us on the freeway which resulted in my husband losing control of our car and we hit the center divider. We waited what felt like hours for the emergency personnel to get to us because we were a few miles shy from the Nevada/California stateline. Firefighters had to cut me out of the car and with my injury symptoms they decided it was best for me to be airlifted from Primm to the nearest level 1 trauma center.
Once at the hospital, imaging confirmed I had some free fluid in my abdomen. Dr's were unsure of what it was from so they kept me overnight for observation.
The next morning 12.25.2014, I had another scan done and it showed that the fluid in my abdomen had significantly multiplied. Dr's started to prepare me for surgery. They said they would do a laparoscopic surgery and repair what was needed.
5 hours later, when I was in post anesthesia care unit, Dr's told me that the laparoscopic surgery was unsuccessful, and they had to make a large incision on my abdomen and do an exploratory laparotomy. Fortunately, they found out that I had a torn small intestine from the car accident, and it was repairable. Unfortunately, I am now left with 30 staples on my stomach and sutures on my intestine and my muscle wall. Dr's had also advised me that I will not be able to return to the gym for a year and wait at least 1 year to think about having children because I would run the risk of the internal sutures tearing apart.
I am sooo grateful that even though my body went through something so traumatic, I was able to conceive and have 2 beautiful babies.
But unfortunately, I was so unhappy with the appearance of the scar on my stomach it made me very self conscious and put me into a downward spiral of depression. I just hated the way my scar looked. I would binge eat anything and everything.
I realized I needed to take better control of my health to be here to for my babies and watch them grow up. I need to set a good example for them. I also realized that for them to be comfortable in their own skin, they must see that I am comfortable in my own skin as well. I started working out and eating better and started losing the weight.
I've been able to lose the weight and keep it off, but this scar still haunts me every day. I didn't know that there were procedures that can be done to remove it until recently, but it will require a major surgery. Drs will have to first remove the scar and repair any muscle damage there could be because since it was an emergency surgery, the original surgeon did not care what the scar or what the muscle integrity would be like after they closed me up from the initial surgery.
Insurance will not cover it because it is deemed an elective surgery. I would appreciate any assistance that is offered to help me remove this scar and help me heal mentality and be able to live a happy life for my children. Donated funds will go towards the surgeon fees, surgery center fees and anesthesiologist fees.
6 years ago, on 12.13.2014, I married the love of my life. It was a spontaneous small wedding. We didn't have anyone at our wedding except for our 2 closest friends, we wanted to tell everyone on Christmas morning.
On 12.24.2014, as we were driving to California to surprise everyone with the news of our nuptials; we got a surprise ourselves. A car had side swiped us on the freeway which resulted in my husband losing control of our car and we hit the center divider. We waited what felt like hours for the emergency personnel to get to us because we were a few miles shy from the Nevada/California stateline. Firefighters had to cut me out of the car and with my injury symptoms they decided it was best for me to be airlifted from Primm to the nearest level 1 trauma center.
Once at the hospital, imaging confirmed I had some free fluid in my abdomen. Dr's were unsure of what it was from so they kept me overnight for observation.
The next morning 12.25.2014, I had another scan done and it showed that the fluid in my abdomen had significantly multiplied. Dr's started to prepare me for surgery. They said they would do a laparoscopic surgery and repair what was needed.
5 hours later, when I was in post anesthesia care unit, Dr's told me that the laparoscopic surgery was unsuccessful, and they had to make a large incision on my abdomen and do an exploratory laparotomy. Fortunately, they found out that I had a torn small intestine from the car accident, and it was repairable. Unfortunately, I am now left with 30 staples on my stomach and sutures on my intestine and my muscle wall. Dr's had also advised me that I will not be able to return to the gym for a year and wait at least 1 year to think about having children because I would run the risk of the internal sutures tearing apart.
I am sooo grateful that even though my body went through something so traumatic, I was able to conceive and have 2 beautiful babies.
But unfortunately, I was so unhappy with the appearance of the scar on my stomach it made me very self conscious and put me into a downward spiral of depression. I just hated the way my scar looked. I would binge eat anything and everything.
I realized I needed to take better control of my health to be here to for my babies and watch them grow up. I need to set a good example for them. I also realized that for them to be comfortable in their own skin, they must see that I am comfortable in my own skin as well. I started working out and eating better and started losing the weight.
I've been able to lose the weight and keep it off, but this scar still haunts me every day. I didn't know that there were procedures that can be done to remove it until recently, but it will require a major surgery. Drs will have to first remove the scar and repair any muscle damage there could be because since it was an emergency surgery, the original surgeon did not care what the scar or what the muscle integrity would be like after they closed me up from the initial surgery.
Insurance will not cover it because it is deemed an elective surgery. I would appreciate any assistance that is offered to help me remove this scar and help me heal mentality and be able to live a happy life for my children. Donated funds will go towards the surgeon fees, surgery center fees and anesthesiologist fees.
Organizer
Lilybell Phillips
Organizer
Henderson, NV
