Help Lena Recover and Keep Her Deli Open

Hi. My name is Lena. I own Cafe Express Deli in Davenport Iowa. I bought it 6 months before the pandemic. What a wild ride it’s been to say the least. I have worked here for 14 years and love what I do! We make everything from scratch served with love and our customers can attest to that. The deli was started by a woman named Mary back in 1987. We use her original sourdough starter and same bread recipes. This past summer was our hardest with construction in front of us for 4 months. Some days completely blocking our entrances. We know that every winter is slow and tough to get through but with the slump in summer sales. We were not ready for the slow winter. We made some changes and are managing. But here’s my problem. I’ve had health issues my entire adult life. Ive had 2 surgery’s already and Im ready for my last. I’ve been trying to get a hysterectomy since I was 30 but my doctor would not agree because I very much desired to have children of my own and had not had any yet. So I kept suffering hoping one day to be pregnant. Here I am almost 42 and that’s just not an option anymore. At the beginning of 2024 the first few months I experienced pretty horrific pain among other experiences. I found a new doctor then she sent me to Iowa City. A few ultrasounds and MRIs later they saw the severity of what I was going through. We got a hysterectomy scheduled! But I would need to take 2 months off work. I plan on going back to work after one month but not to my original baking job which can be physically demanding. I would be the “register lady” :) The amount of work I do considering I make everything from scratch as well as work on the line and help close every day. I would need to hire 2 people. I just hired one person to work 10-4 everyday and I even have a previous employee who used to bake for me agree to come in for the 2 months. My surgery is Feb 10th. I tried to figure things out financially but I cannot afford to take the time off but I also cannot live in this pain and discomfort. Here’s the hardest part. I’m scared and I need help. I don’t want to choose my business over health or vice versa. Could you please consider making small donation or share my story. Thank you and God Bless.