Medical Support For Shimona

Our dear friend Shimona is in need of financial support for necessary medical treatments and to cover living expenses during recovery for two surgeries.

For those of you who have spent time with Shimona you know exactly how wonderful she is! How she creates an accessible space for all kinds of people through her trauma and mental health informed beauty practice, teaching, and her “all bodies are beautiful” pin-up photography. Shimona has helped us see how damn gorgeous we are even when the world tries to tell us otherwise. This fabulous artist and OG punk is the friend everyone needs and it’s a gift to know her! We hope you’ll dig deep and shower this babe in tangible love.

We are seeking $38 500 and you can find more details below <3

Surgeries:

Shimona is in need of abdominal and pelvic surgeries. These will have to take place at two separate times with their own recovery periods. The surgeries themselves are covered by MSP, but the time off work is not. We hope to cover 2 months of rent, bills, and food for Shimona to allow for the fullest recovery possible.

Rent is $1700, bills are $300 and groceries are $300 for one month. This makes the recovery expenses we need to cover for each surgery $4600, and the total for two surgeries $9200.

Medical treatments for Centralised Sensitivity Syndromes, Chronic Pain and Mental Health:

Shimona has been diagnosed by a Specialist with 12 of 14 Centralised Sensitivity Syndromes (CSS); Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Myofascial Pain Syndrome, IBS, costochondritis, pelvic pain syndrome and related disorders, PTSD, restless leg syndrome, temporomandibular disorders, multiple chemical sensitivities, migraines and tension headaches.

The report stated that her ‘long term prognosis was poor’. These syndromes are not curable but are manageable with proper lifestyle changes and working within her ‘energy envelope’. This means not pushing herself (practising ‘pacing’) even when she’s having a day of reduced pain/symptoms.

She was advised by both the surgeon and CSS specialist to not work, even part time, to avoid certain things that can increase symptoms or a flare-up, especially those that increase the level of stress. Of course, this is not possible and Shimona continues to work in a significantly reduced capacity both because she loves her hair styling and photography, and because it is necessary.

Adding to her pain is having advanced (for her age) osteoarthritis/degenerative disc disease, spondylosis/osteophytes and thoracic kyphosis. After being referred to an orthopaedic surgeon, the surgery to fuse the spine came with more risks than benefits.

It's impossible for Shimona to not work, survive under capitalism, and access the treatments that may help manage her conditions allowing her a better quality of life and this is where we come in!

The hope is to cover the costs for Shimona to access treatments recommended by her doctors that aren't covered by MSP.

These include: a back brace, knee braces, custom orthotics, physiotherapy, massage therapy, acupuncture, acupressure, cognitive behavioural and talk therapy, pilates, a membership to access a pool, dietary supplements and ketamine infusions.

The back brace recommended by Shimona’s doctor is partially covered by MSP and costs $2800. The knee braces are $1200 and custom orthotics $300.

Physio, RMT, acupuncture, and acupressure run about $75-$120 a session. CBT is approximately $160 a session. Pilates are around $40 for group classes and $100 for private instruction (often requiring private lessons before one can attend classes). Talk therapy is $260 a month. We hope to provide $200 a month for supplements.

Shimona has been told she's a perfect candidate for medically administered ketamine infusions to treat her mental health conditions and chronic pain. The round of treatments is approximately $7000.

The hope is to provide $1500 a month for 12 months of therapies so Shimona can find what works best and then reassess this time next year.

With $7000 for therapeutic ketamine treatment, that brings us to a total of $25,000.

Any funds raised over the goal will be put towards needed dental work etc.

If you are unable to contribute financially, donation of any of these services would be amazing!

Please contact shimona henry 85 @ gmail . com if you can offer one of these methods of support!

If you experience disability, struggles with mental health, or chronic illness you know how we can feel like a burden to our community and how hard it can be to ask for help. You know how isolating it can be, how even sending a text can be impossible. You understand how heartbreaking it is to miss birthdays, baby showers, punk shows, and have to adjust our passions to fit our changing abilities. We know that the best things we can do are to show up for each other and hold each other up in a time and culture that says we are disposable. Each of us is worthy and Shimona is worthy of all the care she needs. So let’s make this happen y’all! Let's sucker punch isolation and poverty right in the noggin and shower this amazing woman in all the funds she needs to access her treatments.

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