Sandra's Operation
Donation protected
Both I and more importantly Sandra are overwhelmed with everyone's caring donations. When we first discussed the idea we wondered whether to make the goal 1k or 2k and to be honest 5k seemed a bit optmistic. As we are just £430 short at the time of writing, the initial target would seem acheivable and we would like to thank you all for your marvellous generosity and help.
Unfortunately the operation is considerably more than £5000 and therefore we would like to continue the appeal. Our deadline is 21st March 2013 so if you have not given yet and would like to, please do not be put off. Anyone who has met Sandra knows it's a very deserving cause. Thank you again from us both and please knock yourselves over patting yourself on the back.
Kevin Reese 18/02/2015 15.20pm
Sandra’s Operation
Sandra has MS and is a wheelchair user. As a result she has no functional strength in her legs and cannot walk or stand with any type of aid at present. On top of this she has terrible spinal and sciatic pain. The pain is such that when it becomes extreme which sadly is most days, she can no longer sit and has to lie down and wait for the severity to pass; this can take 24 hours plus.
Her spinal pain is due to at least one very large ‘slipped disc’ and possibly a sacroiliac joint instability. Both appear suitable for improvement or correction by an operation but unfortunately the type of operation she now needs is not available through the NHS. Sandra and her GP have approached the local CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) in an attempt to seek funding – but were refused.
Sandra has been referred to Neurosurgeons as well as Orthopaedic Surgeons in the hope they could alleviate her pain through surgical intervention. Sadly the Neurosurgeon felt Sandra’s post-op rehabilitation could be problematic and the Orthopaedic Surgeon had failed to even consider or realise that Sandra has MS. No adequate explanation has been given for this and certainly no clinical reasons for the withdrawal of treatment have been forthcoming. Ironically the risks involved in spinal surgery are less in Sandra’s case as either her pain or function cannot be worsened. In the meantime she suffers terribly and this is steadily worsening over the 20 years she has had the condition.
A world renowned surgeon Mr Martin Knight has reviewed her case and believes he can help her. He has developed a surgical technique which is minimally invasive and only necessitates and short stay in hospital. It is called Transforaminal Endoscopic Lumbar Decompression & Foraminoplasty. Mr Knight has performed this operation many times – including for people like Sandra with MS and has excellent results.
To fund this operation, which will take place in London, Sandra is using her meagre savings but we are still woefully short of the amount needed to have the operation. We are asking her friends and those who don’t know her to help in whatever way they can to raise this money. As a Physiotherapist of 25 years standing I am used to seeing people in pain. Sandra’s pain is very high end I fear for her overall well being. She is a remarkably strong person but we all have our breaking point.
On a personal note Sandra was diagnosed with MS whilst working as a nurse in 1987 although the symptoms could be traced back to 1976. She undertook voluntary relief work in Africa and is highly regarded in her profession. Her father told me that towards the end of her working time (before her MS became so debilitating) he saw her at midnight drive to help a child with spina bifida whilst walking with the aid of her elbow crutches. She is a practising Christian and very moral person and does not deserve the lack of care which seems to be the case in her situation.
Please give whatever you can to help this fine person.
Kevin Reese Physiotherapist
Unfortunately the operation is considerably more than £5000 and therefore we would like to continue the appeal. Our deadline is 21st March 2013 so if you have not given yet and would like to, please do not be put off. Anyone who has met Sandra knows it's a very deserving cause. Thank you again from us both and please knock yourselves over patting yourself on the back.
Kevin Reese 18/02/2015 15.20pm
Sandra’s Operation
Sandra has MS and is a wheelchair user. As a result she has no functional strength in her legs and cannot walk or stand with any type of aid at present. On top of this she has terrible spinal and sciatic pain. The pain is such that when it becomes extreme which sadly is most days, she can no longer sit and has to lie down and wait for the severity to pass; this can take 24 hours plus.
Her spinal pain is due to at least one very large ‘slipped disc’ and possibly a sacroiliac joint instability. Both appear suitable for improvement or correction by an operation but unfortunately the type of operation she now needs is not available through the NHS. Sandra and her GP have approached the local CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) in an attempt to seek funding – but were refused.
Sandra has been referred to Neurosurgeons as well as Orthopaedic Surgeons in the hope they could alleviate her pain through surgical intervention. Sadly the Neurosurgeon felt Sandra’s post-op rehabilitation could be problematic and the Orthopaedic Surgeon had failed to even consider or realise that Sandra has MS. No adequate explanation has been given for this and certainly no clinical reasons for the withdrawal of treatment have been forthcoming. Ironically the risks involved in spinal surgery are less in Sandra’s case as either her pain or function cannot be worsened. In the meantime she suffers terribly and this is steadily worsening over the 20 years she has had the condition.
A world renowned surgeon Mr Martin Knight has reviewed her case and believes he can help her. He has developed a surgical technique which is minimally invasive and only necessitates and short stay in hospital. It is called Transforaminal Endoscopic Lumbar Decompression & Foraminoplasty. Mr Knight has performed this operation many times – including for people like Sandra with MS and has excellent results.
To fund this operation, which will take place in London, Sandra is using her meagre savings but we are still woefully short of the amount needed to have the operation. We are asking her friends and those who don’t know her to help in whatever way they can to raise this money. As a Physiotherapist of 25 years standing I am used to seeing people in pain. Sandra’s pain is very high end I fear for her overall well being. She is a remarkably strong person but we all have our breaking point.
On a personal note Sandra was diagnosed with MS whilst working as a nurse in 1987 although the symptoms could be traced back to 1976. She undertook voluntary relief work in Africa and is highly regarded in her profession. Her father told me that towards the end of her working time (before her MS became so debilitating) he saw her at midnight drive to help a child with spina bifida whilst walking with the aid of her elbow crutches. She is a practising Christian and very moral person and does not deserve the lack of care which seems to be the case in her situation.
Please give whatever you can to help this fine person.
Kevin Reese Physiotherapist
Organizer
Kevin Reese
Organizer
