Hi my name is Leslie. Some of you know me and some of you don't. Those who do, know how hard it is for me to even be creating this account. I am a travel hospice nurse, and the sole financial provider for my family of 5. I am currently on assignment in New Jersey, 1100 miles away from my family. 12 days ago I had a diverticulitis flare up that I thought I caught in time to manage conservatively with oral antibiotic and pain meds. I was wrong. I was admitted to the hospital on Thursday, 3/21. The surgeon there thought it was a micro-perforation and said that if I opted for surgery at that point, it would be a simple laparoscopy, would only be about an hour long, and he would only have to resect 2-3 inches of my intestine. He said I would likely be back to work by Monday, April 1st. The surgery did not go as planned. Once he was in, he realized I had a full perforation with a lot of free fluid, adhesions, and scar tissue and he had to fully open my abdomen. The surgery was approximately 7 hours long and he ended up taking 10-12 inches instead of 2-3. He told me if I would have waited this time, I would have died from the infection in my body. I am "home" at my apartment in Jersey now, but I still have a long road to recovery. I have a drain that will be removed on Tuesday the 2nd, but my staples will not be removed until the following week. At this time, I do not know when I will be allowed to return to work. My agency only pays 40 hours of sick time, but no stipends if I'm not physically working my shifts. Unfortunately, the bills do not stop, just because I do, and I still have to pay rent in both places. I do not have short term disability insurance or savings to fall back on. I am not a beggar, and I very rarely ask for help for anything, but I am completely lost and don't know what to do at this point. If there's anything at all that you can do to help me and my family, it would be appreciated immensely! Thank you all so very much!

Love,

Leslie