TL;DR in order to regain mobility and free myself from debilitating chronic pain, I need to raise AU$1358 to see a pain specialist (AU$480) and have a nerve root injection in my spine (medical procedure, AU$878) to relieve pressure on a nerve and spinal cord so I can begin physical rehabilitation. The ultimate goal is to improve my health enough to wean off my prescription painkillers and be able to walk without a cane.

After an accident 8 years ago which left me with a fractured vertebra, bulging/ruptured disks and sciatica, I’ve dealt with life altering chronic pain on a daily basis. Over the last 2 years I’ve also developed severe muscular
atrophy which has rendered my body incapable of supporting its own weight and furthering the damage to my spine. As a result I’ve lost mobility in the left side of my body, I’m unable to work and my university department co-ordinater has even urged me to defer until my health improves (which would be absolutely heartbreaking if I had to defer my studies). 

Currently I’m on a ridiculously large dose of prescription pain killers per day which are slowly destroying my organs, and I’m at a high risk for physical dependency. This alone would be another life shattering problem to face.

In order to wean off the prescription medication and regain full motor control in the left side of my body, I need to undergo rigorous physical rehabilitation. Unfortunately the injury in my back causes debilitating pain daily and my muscular atrophy has progressed to the point where I am now reliant on a mobility aid (walking cane) in order to get around. 

This is where my need for assistance comes in - my GP has referred me to a pain specialist in my city for a consultation to begin physical rehabilitation. Unfortunately I don’t have private health insurance and the out of pocket consultation fee is AU$480 after Medicare rebate. On top of that, in order to begin therapy I require a nerve root injection (medical procedure) to relieve the pressure of my injured disk pressing on the nerve root and spinal cord. This procedure comes with a pretty out of pocket price tag of AU$878. 

The cost of these two medical procedures totals a whopping AU$1358 out of pocket! I’m a full time student living with a debilitating injury, and without intervention (physical rehabilitation) I will be wheelchair bound in the next few years with no hope of weaning myself off the prescription painkillers I am reliant on to function. I am desperate to begin physical therapy as the thought of becoming physically dependent on my medication is terrifying. 

The remainder of the fundraiser goal will go towards ongoing prescription medication costs. On top of the painkillers I require to have even the slightest quality of life (AU$40 fortnightly), I am also a photosensitive epileptic and my anticonvulsants cost AU$37 month. These costs add up very quickly, and without my anticonvulsants I experience life-threatening grand mal seizures. 

Any amount you can spare would go a long way towards being free from the prescriptions painkillers I currently rely on to function, as well as recovering from my muscular atrophy, walking unassisted and living a life free from daily debilitating pain. But without assistance I am financially unable to begin physical rehabilitation or undergo the procedure (nerve root injection) which will reduce the pressure on my spinal cord and kickstart my journey to physical recovery. 

I have photos of the referrals from my GP, the price tag attached to my prescription medication, as well as a diagnosis summary from my last MRI in the interest of transparency and integrity.