Katie Fights Kienbock's- Treatment Funds

Help Katie Keep Creating —gofundme.com/katiefightskienbocks or Venmo: @KatieJW (to avoid fees)— Hello! My name is Katie Jean White, I am 24 years old. I work full-time at a craft store, and I am a student at USU, double majoring in journalism and sociology. I am also an avid mental health advocate, particularly youth mental health. I am a writer, an artist, a musician, and a crafter; honestly, I dabble in most everything I can do with my hands. I am reaching out for help in building funds that will cover the cost of my sudden and unexpected medical needs; needs which have now caused my work to put me on a leave of absence because of the doctor's restrictions. I have been diagnosed with advanced Kienbock's Disease, in my right dominant hand. (More info below.) Surgery is necessary and urgent, as the lunate bone in my wrist has totally collapsed and fragmented. The fragments are rubbing away at the other bones and cartilage, causing intercarpal instability, migration of the bones, intense marrow edema of several surrounding bones, sclerosis in the wrist,  etc. and this will lead to arthritis, chronic pain, and total loss of function of the wrist. I am in the late stages, and thus have very little options. In an effort to avoid a full-wrist fusion, I have sought out a specialist, Dr. Mark Henry, who can do a surgery to replace the lunate bone with a prosthetic. This specialized surgery has potential to save or at least increase my wrist function; motion, rotation, and grip strength. The Implant Arthroplasty is a newer procedure, the surgeon replaces just the lunate bone with a prosthetic replica that is made of a special pyrolytic carbon material that is very smooth as well as durable.  New ligament connections are created because the original ones are lost when the lunate comes out. This is my best chance at saving at least some of my wrist function, because let's be real, it's pret-ty dope when your wrists can bend.  —Expected Costs— • Surgery estimate: $3000-$5000 (this must be paid in full at the time of service.) •Roundtrip flight to Houston, and at least 2-3 nights in a hotel •One or two more flights to Houston for follow-up appointments (the rest of the appointments will be with a local surgeon, working in conjunction with Dr. Mark Henry).  •6+ months of post-op appointments: being in a cast for 8 weeks, months of physical therapy with a CHT (certified hand therapist), then moving into weight training, and then onward towards six months using a home based program •My usual 2x weekly appointments with my therapist •Reduced paychecks from work hours I'll miss, being at doctor's appointments, etc. My Story On June 8th, 2020 I went to see an orthopedist about my right wrist, my dominant hand. I had sprained it back in December. The InstCare doctor told me to wear a brace for a few weeks, and it would heal. But, it didn't. I didn't pay a lot of attention to it, though it was slowly hurting more and more. The pain went from my wrist into my fingers, and then up to my elbow. I noticed I was losing my grip strength, my wrist wasn't moving forward or backward like it should. I started compensating with my left hand. Maybe it was a pinched tendon? Maybe I just needed to wear the brace again? I kept making excuses, until finally, my coworkers urged me to go to the doctor.  The orthopedist looked at my December x-rays, and the x-rays taken that day. Then he broke the news to me. My wrist wasn't sprained. Its Kienbock's Disease; my lunate bone was dying inside my wrist. Yes, bones can die. Kienböck’s disease, is a rare, debilitating condition that can lead to chronic pain and dysfunction. It happens when the lunate bone, becomes damaged because there is no blood supply to the bone, thus oxygen and nutrients cannot reach the tissue, and it will die. The lunate bone is crucial for proper movement and support of the joint. Damage to this bone can lead to stiffness and pain and eventually arthritis of the wrist. In the early stages, the patient might experience pain and swelling, similar to a wrist sprain, but, unlike a sprain, the symptoms will persist and get worse. The cause of Kienbock's is unknown. (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/264720) I got a CT scan and an MRI, then the worst news: the bone was already dead. Already fractured. Totally collapsed. All hope for revascularization or bone grafts was gone.  I am a HANDS-ON person. And I was (am) not willing to be defeated. I would not accept full-wrist fusion as an option. My wrist function is essential for my life pursuits to work in journalism/documentary filmmaking and humanitarian efforts. Wrist function is also necessary for me to continue creating, crafting, and doing art projects, my art that I use as a means of self-expression and therapy. It was hard to do but I told myself that I AM worth it. My wrist function is worth it. Worth the exhausting search for someone who could offer me a better option, for a better quality of life. It took a lot of phone calls, a lot of consulting, dealing with insurance, emailing medical assistants back and forth, and so much more. But I FINALLY have the local clinicians in place for post-op recovery, that are willing to team up with Houston.  Reaching out, and being vulnerable enough to ask for help, has definitely required of me, great courage. I immensely appreciate all contributions and efforts to help me raise these funds for treatment. If you prefer to donate through a different transfer service, let me know, and we can work it out. Thank you so much for taking time to read this! 2020 has been a BONKERS year for everyone, so please know that whatever YOU may be dealing with, you are not alone. You are valid. Know that you, too, are WORTH IT. Worth reaching out, worth fighting for your physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. The only way we're going to get through this, is TOGETHER. Love, Katie ❤️