HI Friends!

The time has come; I can not put it off any longer. Upon entering the end-stage of cardiomyopathy, defined by my diagnosis of chronic heart failure, the only real choice moving forward is a Septal myectomy.

For those who don't know, Cardiomyopathy is a genetic defect wherein your septal wall (the wall separating the chambers of your heart) is thicker than most. In my case, it heavily obstructs blood flow through my heart, leading to a myriad of debilitating symptoms. I suffer from heart palpitations, high blood pressure, shortness of breath, and lightheadedness, and these ongoing symptoms have led to heart failure on more than one occasion. The surgery would shave down the thick parts of that septal wall, allowing blood to flow correctly again.

This condition has had an extensive toll on my quality of life. Those who knew me 15 years ago knew me as strong, independent, and capable. Unfortunately, I no longer feel like that person, as I depend on my friends and family to care for me and everything I can no longer do. With this surgery, I can have 80%+ improvement of my symptoms, and it would relieve the symptoms related to heart failure. It would be an entirely new lease on life.

Why do I need money? I have Masshealth. It will cover the direct costs. However, Kevin will need to take time off and has no paid time left to take. He's had to use his time for my hospital stays. I will also be having the surgery in Burlington. So there will be travel costs. And there are things I need and need to take care of before I can go through with this. Recovery will be ten days in the hospital, rehab, and two months at home, with no stress and minimal work. I also have to be careful not to be exposed to anything that can cause an infection.

The things I need instead of money:

A bed. Preferably queen, but a twin will be ok. I've been on the couch since my knee injury and can't sleep on that while recovering from heart surgery.

Meal prep: For at least the 10 days I'm in the hospital and maybe a week beyond. You can donate delivery or you can bring us pre made meals. No particular restrictions for the ten days. Cardiac diet after I get home, for me at least.

Garden Help: mostly weeding and mulching. Maybe once or twice during the two months.

Abby distractions: I can't take her for our everyday adventures. So maybe take her to the park, library, beach or something? Andy's the one that always helps keep Abby busy, and he's going away for a college program most of the summer. Kevin works the second shift, so he doesn't have a lot of time to go places.

My upstairs bathroom repaired: Kevin can do it, but if someone has a ton of spare PVC and know-how we could use the help or help with costs. Also, it would be nice if I didn't have to climb downstairs for the bathroom.

Dumpster: Again, I must have a clean environment to avoid infection post-surgery. We have a large pile of junk in the basement that was ruined when the plumbing went, building mildew. It needs to be removed. We need to get a dumpster or truck to clean that pile out.