Help Rhy and Hana with Medical Expenses!!

Hello all :-)

My name is Rhy Doucette, and I broke my leg in five places. The surgery, which involved a plate, 8 screws, and an upcoming 3 months of recovery, cost $3,000 out of pocket. (Details and photos found below!)

Both my wife, Hana, and I work in education - my wife as a full-time Spanish teacher, and me as a substitute teacher. Due to the nature of our insurance, we have to pay for this surgery out of pocket. And due to the nature of our jobs, this is not a small sum.

Hana (who has a chronic back injury) has been taking care of me, our 5 cats, her 150 students, and our apartment while I recover and try to get back to work as soon as I can. She is an incredible teacher and an even better partner and I’m calling on our friends and family and neighbors to help lift this sudden financial weight off her shoulders.

Where EXACTLY is your money going to go???

All money we receive will go directly into payments for the surgery itself, crutches, two splints, 3 x-rays, and the co-pays for future post-operative appointments with the surgeon and a physical therapist. A photo of the itemized bill with specifics highlighted is found below.

Injury and Surgery Details:

I have what's called a trimalleolar break, in which all three parts of the ankle break at once -- the smaller leg bone called the fibula and the larger leg bone called the tibia, which is visible as the inner ankle but also extends behind the ankle joint. My fibula fractured in 3 places, which caused a large chip to break off in the lower third of the bone. The part of my tibia that becomes the inner ankle broke off completely at the end of the bone; the part that extends down the heel fractured about 2 inches.

Dr. James Duckette at Academy Orthopedics performed a surgery known as ORIF, an Open Reduction Internal Fixation surgery. My fibula required 6 screws and a 5-inch plate. The plate keeps the chip exactly where it’s supposed to be while also fully stabilizing the fibula. My tibia required 2 screws, both through my inner ankle to hold the two pieces of bone together correctly. Thankfully, the large fracture required no surgical intervention, as it’s held together in the correct place to heal by the splint.

X-Ray Details:

I have had three sets of x-rays done since I broke my leg: once at the Express Clinic (Urgent Care / Walk in Clinic), once at Dr. Duckette's office, and once again 7 days after my surgery at a post-op appointment. The urgent care needed confirmation of the various breaks/fractures to refer me to an orthopedic surgeon, but the images were not well-captured and obscured the 2-inch fracture at the back of my foot. The x-rays taken at my appointment prior to surgery showed the full extent of my injury and allowed Dr. Duckette to make a proper plan for the surgery. The post-op x-rays show the hardware currently in my leg, and my bones beginning to heal correctly – Yay!