Neurostimulator for migraine relief
Donation protected
In 1999 I was involved in a motor vehicle accident. This accident left me with broken bones, life-threatening internal injuries and, a severe closed head injury. I was hospitalized for about two weeks, most of which was in a coma. My family was told that I would not survive. Miraculously, I did. In the months after being released from the hospital I slowly recovered from the physical and mental injuries. Over the next couple of years, I would get a very strong headache about 2 or 3 times a month. I also had great difficulty remembering things. I sought help for my memory and after about two years of twice-a-week cognitive therapy, I regained most of the abilities I had before the accident. At the same time I started physical therapy to correct the damage caused from the broken bones and regain proper range of motion in my arm and leg. It was at this time that I decided to stop my career in sales and go back to school. I wanted to give something back for all good things that had been done for me. After some soul searching, I decided on nursing. Those men and women on the front lines of healthcare that truly help and heal the sick and injured. Going back to school, I discovered that I loved every single second of it and everything that had to do with my new direction in life. I had found my calling. My memory was back, I could walk without too much difficulty and I had regained the use of my arm exactly as it was before. All was great, except that my horrible headaches were getting worse and more frequent.
I finished nursing school, graduating with honors and the Florence Nightingale award. I was very proud, as was my family. I got a job with Florida Hospital, my 'dream job' hospital, the hospital I was born in. The headaches got worse. I loved my job and the people I worked with. My headaches got worse. I finally went to a neurologist and he diagnosed me with migraines, gave me some meds and sent me on my way. The headaches, or migraines as they were now officially called, got worse. Then, one day while I was working, I had a severe, blinding pain over one of my eyes. I called my neurologist and he sent me for an emergency MRI. From that day on, my nuisance migraines never went away. Since the day I have had a migraine. Over 5 years now. The pain is intense, excruciating and unrelenting. I sought help from a new neurologist, one that specializes in migraines. He reviewed the MRI and it revealed permanent brain damage in my left frontal lobe, evidence of bleeding in the brain over the years and, little white spots around the brain, a troubling sign.
After years of exams and drug trials, a two week stay for an intense migraine treatment plan at Tampa General Hospital, I was told that nothing could be done for my migraines. That I should concentrate on coping strategies to deal with the intense pain. No drugs will work, no treatment has or will work, no massage, no acupuncture, no treatments of any kind, nothing. I have been on over 24 different treatments and medications to try to alleviate the pain but nothing works. My neurologist then suggested I look in to a Neurostimulator implant. An experimental treatment that would be implanted on my skull and deliver electric current to certain nerves that are involved in my migraines. I made an appointment with the doctor that does the implant and it looks like, for the first time in years, that there is a chance for real relief. That was February 12, 2015. The problem with this stimulator is that insurance coverage is shaky, since it is experimental for treatment of migraines. I will first have a temporary implant installed for about a week to 10 days. This procedure will cost a minimum of $6,000, out of pocket. If the implant is successful, then a permanent one would be installed. This surgery would be in Dallas and will cost considerably more. Somewhere between $15,000 and $20,000, out of pocket, to start. This does not include travel and accommodations for the time in Dallas. These new costs are in addition to the multiple tens of thousands of dollars spent on treatment so far, and the multiple tens of thousands of dollars of lost wages from missed work.
So, this is where I am right now. I have a chance of real relief from the extraordinary pain I've been in for over 5 years but there is one thing that is keeping me from it. Money. I'm asking for donations, of any size, to help me achieve my goal. I thank you for your time and generosity. My family thanks you. My children thank you.
http://www.reedmigraine.com/procedure.php
I finished nursing school, graduating with honors and the Florence Nightingale award. I was very proud, as was my family. I got a job with Florida Hospital, my 'dream job' hospital, the hospital I was born in. The headaches got worse. I loved my job and the people I worked with. My headaches got worse. I finally went to a neurologist and he diagnosed me with migraines, gave me some meds and sent me on my way. The headaches, or migraines as they were now officially called, got worse. Then, one day while I was working, I had a severe, blinding pain over one of my eyes. I called my neurologist and he sent me for an emergency MRI. From that day on, my nuisance migraines never went away. Since the day I have had a migraine. Over 5 years now. The pain is intense, excruciating and unrelenting. I sought help from a new neurologist, one that specializes in migraines. He reviewed the MRI and it revealed permanent brain damage in my left frontal lobe, evidence of bleeding in the brain over the years and, little white spots around the brain, a troubling sign.
After years of exams and drug trials, a two week stay for an intense migraine treatment plan at Tampa General Hospital, I was told that nothing could be done for my migraines. That I should concentrate on coping strategies to deal with the intense pain. No drugs will work, no treatment has or will work, no massage, no acupuncture, no treatments of any kind, nothing. I have been on over 24 different treatments and medications to try to alleviate the pain but nothing works. My neurologist then suggested I look in to a Neurostimulator implant. An experimental treatment that would be implanted on my skull and deliver electric current to certain nerves that are involved in my migraines. I made an appointment with the doctor that does the implant and it looks like, for the first time in years, that there is a chance for real relief. That was February 12, 2015. The problem with this stimulator is that insurance coverage is shaky, since it is experimental for treatment of migraines. I will first have a temporary implant installed for about a week to 10 days. This procedure will cost a minimum of $6,000, out of pocket. If the implant is successful, then a permanent one would be installed. This surgery would be in Dallas and will cost considerably more. Somewhere between $15,000 and $20,000, out of pocket, to start. This does not include travel and accommodations for the time in Dallas. These new costs are in addition to the multiple tens of thousands of dollars spent on treatment so far, and the multiple tens of thousands of dollars of lost wages from missed work.
So, this is where I am right now. I have a chance of real relief from the extraordinary pain I've been in for over 5 years but there is one thing that is keeping me from it. Money. I'm asking for donations, of any size, to help me achieve my goal. I thank you for your time and generosity. My family thanks you. My children thank you.
http://www.reedmigraine.com/procedure.php
Organizer
Jeff Brandenburg
Organizer
Orlando, FL
