Magdalena’s medical expenses
Donation protected
Friends, family, combinations of the two: I am reluctantly writing this Gofundme because I need help. I am near the end of an intense 2 year journey battling ulcerative colitis and have reached the end of my financial rope. I have been so fortunate to have an incredible family who has supported me physically and financially through 8 abdominal surgeries and I will never be able to thank them enough. However, I have one final surgery in September and due to a momentary lapse in insurance coverage, I can no longer rely entirely on my family.
Not even two weeks after graduating with a bachelor’s in Criminology and Criminal Justice I started working in one of the top law firms in California, and secured a 40k salary. I had a plan to move up relatively quickly and make enough money to put myself through law school. I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in August of 2018 but remained focused on my professional goals. In October, after a few months of failed treatments, the 19 ulcers in my colon persisted and were only getting worse. The only defense left was a 3-step procedure to remove the organ that was killing me, and quick.
My surgical plan was the following:
Step 1) remove colon; divert intestine with ostomy bag.
Step 2) build j-pouch with remaining intestines to replace removed colon; let rest.
Step 3) take down ostomy and reattach intestines.
Even if everything goes perfectly, this 3-step procedure takes 9 months. That meant 9 months where I could not work, so I lost my job and my parents had to move me back home. I also had a persistent wound that my stepmom, Sara, had to pack at home and a few abdominal jp drains. When you have a drain, you can’t shower. You can’t risk any bacteria from the water entering your body, and each drain was in for 14 day periods at least. I also had the transgluteal drain more than once. Imagine sleeping, walking, (not showering) sitting, using the bathroom, even trying to maintain a normal conversation with a silicon tube piercing through your ass cheek. Believe it or not, this was the best case scenario and unfortunately, due to many complications, that 9 months turned into 2 years.
*For those of you who don’t have any medical knowledge this is probably really hard to comprehend, I’m happy to answer questions*
To make a very long story short: 3 days after my third surgery in June, which was supposed to be the end of an already painful road, my newly stitched intestine popped causing me to go septic. After hours of convincing the nurse practitioner of the 10/10 pain I was in, I finally received a CT scan proving my concerns. By the time I was finally being wheeled into surgery, over 8 hours later, I was in extreme life-threatening danger. To remove the rapidly spreading infection, I was washed out with 10 liters of water. After I woke up, I had a picc line (a long-term IV catheter placed to administer continuous antibiotics) and 4 drains. My infection was so bad, it took over a month before it subsided. This delayed any potential revisions to my surgeries by another month or two, but eventually in October we were able to try again. At first it seemed like this one worked and I was just having a hard time adjusting. However, 3 months had gone by, I weighed just 88lbs and my health was still progressively declining. On New Years Day we learned my J-pouch had been leaking that whole time. Two surgeries that week brought me back to step 1: diversion with an ostomy bag. It was at this point my surgeon recommended a specialist at the Cleveland Clinic. I had another picc line placed, double lumen this time - one for TPN (IV nutrition because of my dangerously low body weight) and one for antibiotics. Twenty-four days later I was finally allowed to go home. The antibiotics ran for 24 hours and the TPN for 12, requiring me to stay attached to a 7 lb backpack and a 2 lb purse. As the former athlete and generally fit person you all know me as, you’ll be surprised to hear I was too weak to even carry them around with me, but at least I was in my own home and not in the hospital. I was this way for a few weeks and was finally gaining weight again when the first wave of Covid-19 hit.
Traveling to Cleveland for a medical procedure during a pandemic was not an easy task but it was the best decision I have ever made. The surgeon completely redid the j-pouch and I haven’t felt this good in years. However, I’m still not out of the woods and have one final surgery to reattach my intestine for the third time. It is this final step that I am asking for help. Fortunately, I have been covered under my stepmom’s insurance the past two years and Blue Anthem has made NO money off me! Ha! However, a temporary lapse in my insurance coverage amidst the incredibly volatile market that is American Health Care has made some unforeseen circumstances impossibly expensive.
I think it is very important to point out my stepmom is a charge nurse in the Transitional Care Unit at UCSF. In other words, she’s been saving lives and fighting for nurse and patients’ rights for 13 years. In June, while she was flying me out to Cleveland for surgery to repair my J pouch, UCSF dropped us from their coverage, stating Sara had not worked enough days. We were still in Cleveland when Sara got the call.
This is an injustice of its own and a slap in the face to a professional who has given over a decade of superb work to this institution. It is this slap in the face, the poor provisions of the CA disability system, and the fact that American Health Care accounts for 65% of ALL personal bankruptcies that has finally made me ask for help. I have been reluctant up to this point because I was very proud of my plans and future before I was diagnosed. While I am lucky to have had medical insurance up until this point, I am already struggling to pay medical bills and know this final surgery will inevitably have a detrimental impact on my family and me.
These funds would help with hospital bills, airfare, lodging and transportation for me and my caretaker in Cleveland.
It might be hard to believe, but I left out a few events and a lot of detail. To put an almost comical spin on things, when I applied for disability after my first surgery, CA provisions allowed me only $16 per day, for 3 weeks. I reapplied when that stipend ran out and was then toId I had to have returned to work in the meantime in order to qualify… I physically could not do that.
I know times are especially tough for everyone, but even $10 donations add up and I could really use the help.
Thank you for taking the time to read my complicated story,
Magdalena
Not even two weeks after graduating with a bachelor’s in Criminology and Criminal Justice I started working in one of the top law firms in California, and secured a 40k salary. I had a plan to move up relatively quickly and make enough money to put myself through law school. I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in August of 2018 but remained focused on my professional goals. In October, after a few months of failed treatments, the 19 ulcers in my colon persisted and were only getting worse. The only defense left was a 3-step procedure to remove the organ that was killing me, and quick.
My surgical plan was the following:
Step 1) remove colon; divert intestine with ostomy bag.
Step 2) build j-pouch with remaining intestines to replace removed colon; let rest.
Step 3) take down ostomy and reattach intestines.
Even if everything goes perfectly, this 3-step procedure takes 9 months. That meant 9 months where I could not work, so I lost my job and my parents had to move me back home. I also had a persistent wound that my stepmom, Sara, had to pack at home and a few abdominal jp drains. When you have a drain, you can’t shower. You can’t risk any bacteria from the water entering your body, and each drain was in for 14 day periods at least. I also had the transgluteal drain more than once. Imagine sleeping, walking, (not showering) sitting, using the bathroom, even trying to maintain a normal conversation with a silicon tube piercing through your ass cheek. Believe it or not, this was the best case scenario and unfortunately, due to many complications, that 9 months turned into 2 years.
*For those of you who don’t have any medical knowledge this is probably really hard to comprehend, I’m happy to answer questions*
To make a very long story short: 3 days after my third surgery in June, which was supposed to be the end of an already painful road, my newly stitched intestine popped causing me to go septic. After hours of convincing the nurse practitioner of the 10/10 pain I was in, I finally received a CT scan proving my concerns. By the time I was finally being wheeled into surgery, over 8 hours later, I was in extreme life-threatening danger. To remove the rapidly spreading infection, I was washed out with 10 liters of water. After I woke up, I had a picc line (a long-term IV catheter placed to administer continuous antibiotics) and 4 drains. My infection was so bad, it took over a month before it subsided. This delayed any potential revisions to my surgeries by another month or two, but eventually in October we were able to try again. At first it seemed like this one worked and I was just having a hard time adjusting. However, 3 months had gone by, I weighed just 88lbs and my health was still progressively declining. On New Years Day we learned my J-pouch had been leaking that whole time. Two surgeries that week brought me back to step 1: diversion with an ostomy bag. It was at this point my surgeon recommended a specialist at the Cleveland Clinic. I had another picc line placed, double lumen this time - one for TPN (IV nutrition because of my dangerously low body weight) and one for antibiotics. Twenty-four days later I was finally allowed to go home. The antibiotics ran for 24 hours and the TPN for 12, requiring me to stay attached to a 7 lb backpack and a 2 lb purse. As the former athlete and generally fit person you all know me as, you’ll be surprised to hear I was too weak to even carry them around with me, but at least I was in my own home and not in the hospital. I was this way for a few weeks and was finally gaining weight again when the first wave of Covid-19 hit.
Traveling to Cleveland for a medical procedure during a pandemic was not an easy task but it was the best decision I have ever made. The surgeon completely redid the j-pouch and I haven’t felt this good in years. However, I’m still not out of the woods and have one final surgery to reattach my intestine for the third time. It is this final step that I am asking for help. Fortunately, I have been covered under my stepmom’s insurance the past two years and Blue Anthem has made NO money off me! Ha! However, a temporary lapse in my insurance coverage amidst the incredibly volatile market that is American Health Care has made some unforeseen circumstances impossibly expensive.
I think it is very important to point out my stepmom is a charge nurse in the Transitional Care Unit at UCSF. In other words, she’s been saving lives and fighting for nurse and patients’ rights for 13 years. In June, while she was flying me out to Cleveland for surgery to repair my J pouch, UCSF dropped us from their coverage, stating Sara had not worked enough days. We were still in Cleveland when Sara got the call.
This is an injustice of its own and a slap in the face to a professional who has given over a decade of superb work to this institution. It is this slap in the face, the poor provisions of the CA disability system, and the fact that American Health Care accounts for 65% of ALL personal bankruptcies that has finally made me ask for help. I have been reluctant up to this point because I was very proud of my plans and future before I was diagnosed. While I am lucky to have had medical insurance up until this point, I am already struggling to pay medical bills and know this final surgery will inevitably have a detrimental impact on my family and me.
These funds would help with hospital bills, airfare, lodging and transportation for me and my caretaker in Cleveland.
It might be hard to believe, but I left out a few events and a lot of detail. To put an almost comical spin on things, when I applied for disability after my first surgery, CA provisions allowed me only $16 per day, for 3 weeks. I reapplied when that stipend ran out and was then toId I had to have returned to work in the meantime in order to qualify… I physically could not do that.
I know times are especially tough for everyone, but even $10 donations add up and I could really use the help.
Thank you for taking the time to read my complicated story,
Magdalena
Organizer
Magdalena Dye
Organizer
Montara, CA
