Jasmin's Medical Expenses
Donation protected
*Quick warning, I will be talking about medical conditions and bodily functions, I wont be graphic but please look away if you get squeamish*
Hi everyone,
Just a quick intro, my name is Jasmin and I am 20 years old. I have several different conditions that I would like to tell you about so strap yourself in, it's going to be a wild ride! (I promise I will try to keep it brief! - if you want to skip to the bit where you come into this, I have bolded it at the bottom)
(I am the good looking one on the left)
Lets start at the beginning, after many years of quietly dealing with horrible symptoms and a bit of a fight with my GP to take my symptoms seriously (a story for another day) I was diagnosed in 2016 Endometriosis .
Endometriosis is a chronic pain condition (that is, the pain lasts long term) in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus on the abdominal walls and/or the surrounding organs. It is a very complicated disease with no easy treatment and a difficult diagnostic journey attached (the only way to diagnose Endo is through surgery). My Endo grows all over my bowel (causing long term gastro intestinal symptoms like nausea and also *severe* bowel and bladder pain often during menstruation) and all over my Pouch of Douglas (officially known as the recto-uterine pouch, it is the space between ones uterus and their rectum), I am incredibly lucky that my reproductive organs are not damaged, but as it stands, it's a bit of a mess in there.
My Endo (which causes a fair amount of pain and discomfort on it's own) has been irritating my organs for long enough that my pelvis has developed another seperate-but-kinda-related-condition, chronic pelvic floor dysfunction (CPFD) . When we think of pelvic floor dysfunction we often think of post-natal bladder issues, however CPFD for me looks like sharp stabbing pain, cramping, and serious aching through my pelvis and abdomen (think up to a solid 7 or 8 out of 10 that only super strength Codeine or Endone relieves).
Now I know what you're thinking, MY GOODNESS WHEN WILL THIS END? How many chronic conditions can one seemingly normal (albeit super attractive) 20 year old have? Well, my dear friend, it gets a little worse.
In addition to Endometriosis and Chronic Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, I was also recently diagnosed with yet another chronic pain condition called Fibromyalgia. Fibro is another chronic pain condition that causes wide spread muscle aches, pains, stiffness, fatigue, brain fog/concentration and memory issues, headaches, dizzyness, tachycardia etc etc etc. Fibro hit me hard at the end of last year and at the beginning of this year and it ended in me having to withdraw from work due to an inability to work safely or effectively. I am very lucky that my boss is very understanding and that my position will be there when I am able to return, but for the mean time that's just not possible, so as a casual employee who cannot work, I have no income as I don't qualify for any government benefits either (they don't like it if you aren't studying or looking for work, even if there is several medical reasons why you cannot).
My friends, being a sick person, (even in Australia, even when you have a health care card, even when you have have reached the medicare safety net, and even when you are covered by your parents health insurance) is expensive. The list of doctors and specialists I have seen this year alone is extensive, a lot of them I still see and most of them have a large out of pocket cost attached. Many of the treatments and medications I have tried have been expensive and not all that effective. Treating/managing my illnesses has been very hit and miss.
So where do you come into this?
I am going under the knife again on the 9th of June 2017 with a Specialist Gynaecologist who will excise my Endometriosis and give me pelvic floor botox and a pudendal block. For me, that means a massive decrease if not total abolition of pain caused by both Endo and CPFD Yay!
I have lived with abdominal and pelvic pain for so many years I absolutely cannot wait for this surgery so I can start on the road to recovery!
The only problem is the cost, it will cost me $3000 out of pocket for the surgeon and anaesthetist. Pelvic floor botox is a large chunk of this bill, while medically necessary it is not covered by Medicare and so the entire cost is footed by the patient, one single treatment can cost around $500 and is only expected to last 6 months - longer if you are lucky (if you have time, please consider signing this petition to give pelvic floor botox a Medicare item number) . The removal of Endo is complicated surgery and will keep me in hospital for a couple of nights and the recovery period is expected to last over a month.
Absolutely anything that you can contribute will be a HUGE help to me. The surgery is on the 9th of June 2017 and hopefully thats the day I get to close the chapter of Endo and CPFD and start fresh without that pain.
If you can't contribute financially, just kind words and keeping me in your thoughts/prayers is absolutely appreciated.
Thank you for your time and your eyes.
Much love,
Jasmin
Hi everyone,
Just a quick intro, my name is Jasmin and I am 20 years old. I have several different conditions that I would like to tell you about so strap yourself in, it's going to be a wild ride! (I promise I will try to keep it brief! - if you want to skip to the bit where you come into this, I have bolded it at the bottom)
(I am the good looking one on the left)
Lets start at the beginning, after many years of quietly dealing with horrible symptoms and a bit of a fight with my GP to take my symptoms seriously (a story for another day) I was diagnosed in 2016 Endometriosis .
Endometriosis is a chronic pain condition (that is, the pain lasts long term) in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus on the abdominal walls and/or the surrounding organs. It is a very complicated disease with no easy treatment and a difficult diagnostic journey attached (the only way to diagnose Endo is through surgery). My Endo grows all over my bowel (causing long term gastro intestinal symptoms like nausea and also *severe* bowel and bladder pain often during menstruation) and all over my Pouch of Douglas (officially known as the recto-uterine pouch, it is the space between ones uterus and their rectum), I am incredibly lucky that my reproductive organs are not damaged, but as it stands, it's a bit of a mess in there.
My Endo (which causes a fair amount of pain and discomfort on it's own) has been irritating my organs for long enough that my pelvis has developed another seperate-but-kinda-related-condition, chronic pelvic floor dysfunction (CPFD) . When we think of pelvic floor dysfunction we often think of post-natal bladder issues, however CPFD for me looks like sharp stabbing pain, cramping, and serious aching through my pelvis and abdomen (think up to a solid 7 or 8 out of 10 that only super strength Codeine or Endone relieves).
Now I know what you're thinking, MY GOODNESS WHEN WILL THIS END? How many chronic conditions can one seemingly normal (albeit super attractive) 20 year old have? Well, my dear friend, it gets a little worse.
In addition to Endometriosis and Chronic Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, I was also recently diagnosed with yet another chronic pain condition called Fibromyalgia. Fibro is another chronic pain condition that causes wide spread muscle aches, pains, stiffness, fatigue, brain fog/concentration and memory issues, headaches, dizzyness, tachycardia etc etc etc. Fibro hit me hard at the end of last year and at the beginning of this year and it ended in me having to withdraw from work due to an inability to work safely or effectively. I am very lucky that my boss is very understanding and that my position will be there when I am able to return, but for the mean time that's just not possible, so as a casual employee who cannot work, I have no income as I don't qualify for any government benefits either (they don't like it if you aren't studying or looking for work, even if there is several medical reasons why you cannot).
My friends, being a sick person, (even in Australia, even when you have a health care card, even when you have have reached the medicare safety net, and even when you are covered by your parents health insurance) is expensive. The list of doctors and specialists I have seen this year alone is extensive, a lot of them I still see and most of them have a large out of pocket cost attached. Many of the treatments and medications I have tried have been expensive and not all that effective. Treating/managing my illnesses has been very hit and miss.
So where do you come into this?
I am going under the knife again on the 9th of June 2017 with a Specialist Gynaecologist who will excise my Endometriosis and give me pelvic floor botox and a pudendal block. For me, that means a massive decrease if not total abolition of pain caused by both Endo and CPFD Yay!
I have lived with abdominal and pelvic pain for so many years I absolutely cannot wait for this surgery so I can start on the road to recovery!
The only problem is the cost, it will cost me $3000 out of pocket for the surgeon and anaesthetist. Pelvic floor botox is a large chunk of this bill, while medically necessary it is not covered by Medicare and so the entire cost is footed by the patient, one single treatment can cost around $500 and is only expected to last 6 months - longer if you are lucky (if you have time, please consider signing this petition to give pelvic floor botox a Medicare item number) . The removal of Endo is complicated surgery and will keep me in hospital for a couple of nights and the recovery period is expected to last over a month.
Absolutely anything that you can contribute will be a HUGE help to me. The surgery is on the 9th of June 2017 and hopefully thats the day I get to close the chapter of Endo and CPFD and start fresh without that pain.
If you can't contribute financially, just kind words and keeping me in your thoughts/prayers is absolutely appreciated.
Thank you for your time and your eyes.
Much love,
Jasmin
Organizer
Jasmin Gregory
Organizer
Gaythorne, QLD