Treesh Medical Fund

Want a cool t-shirt? A sense of humor can get you a long way and that is just what we are going to do! #nowUCmycolonnowyoudont is the hashtag that Jonathan created as a joke when he and Mandy were deliriously bored and waiting for one of his many appointments due to his Ulcerative Colitis. We've decided to raise UC awareness with this cool hashtag while raising cash for the Treeshes. Our goal is to put a dent in the many expenses they have coming in and will continue to incur due to non-covered medical expenses, hotel stays and the many road trips during Jonathan's extensive recovery time.

We have all been asking what we can do to help and we finally have a plan. Please help by donating to the Treesh Medical Fund. No amount is to small, however, for every $50 increment you donate, you will receive a t-shirt with "Jonathan's Hashtag"! Please help us make this fun! Once you make your donation, you will receive an email requesting your t-shirt size(s).

As most of you know, in August 2013, Jonathan was diagnosed with an inflammatory bowel disease (an autoimmune disease) called Ulcerative Colitis.  It is a disease that is located inside the large intestine, or colon, but as with all autoimmune diseases, it affects every part of your body. After years of attempted treatments, physician visits, second and third opinions and appointments, he was referred to a new GI doctor at University of Florida. It was there that the decision was made for Jonathan to have his colon removed.  They are hopeful that Jonathan will feel better immediately after the surgery.  That is exciting to think about!  It has been a long and hard three years on their whole family. It can take up to a year to get back to normal, but knowing that it will happen and there is finally an end in sight is very encouraging.  The surgeries and treatments will entail a lot of back and forth to Gainesville between his hospital stays and check-ups.

The Basics of What Is To Come:
The Surgeries – There will be two surgeries.  The first surgery will remove the colon and redirect his small intestine to begin functioning as his “new colon”.  This procedure is called a J Pouch.  Over the next 6-8 weeks, Jonathan’s main job is to HEAL!  He will have many staples and stitches all throughout his body that will need to heal. After this period, the second surgery will be to connect the J Pouch so that it can begin doing its new job.
When? - Surgery #1 is September 2, 2016 with a 2-7 day recovery in the hospital. Surgery #2 will be scheduled 8-12 weeks after complete healing from the first surgery.
Where? - The surgeries will take place in Gainesville, FL at University of Florida Shands Hospital.
How Long? - It is estimated that full recovery from these surgeries can take up to a year.