Paralyzed, PLEASE HELP?
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HELP PLEASE! Imagine being suddenly paralyzed from your waist down and you don’t know why. Madeline was not in a car accident and she didn’t fall. Her husband called 911 and an Ambulance took her straight to the ER. After days of extensive testing by Teams of Neurology Specialists, many full body MRI’s, Angiograms, CT scans, they finally determined Madeline had rare multiple Spinal AVF’s (Arteriovenous Fistulas) leaving her paralyzed.
Her condition gradually improved while at the hospital to the point where she was able to shuffle short distances using a cane. They sent her home, but not for long. A few days later, she felt the same numbness symptoms returning and once again, in the middle of the night, she woke up paralyzed. Another ambulance ride to the ICU Critical Care Unit at VCU. She immediately had another 4-hour sedated MRI to locate the AVF’s. The Team of Surgeons agreed this time on the 4 locations and immediately prepped her for a 7 ½ hour spinal surgery. She remained in the hospital until her intense pain was barely under control. She was moved by Ambulance to Sheltering Arms Rehabilitation Center and has been undergoing daily and intensive PT and OT. She is still paralyzed from the waist down, however, the slightest movement of a toe offers a sign of hope.
PARALYSIS - what does that mean? You have no control of your toes, feet, calves, thighs, hips, bladder and more. How would this affect you?
Madeline now has a very difficult and new challenge to deal with. Movements we all take for granted are no longer an option for her. She must learn how to live, with the aid of tools. She is learning how to put her socks and shoes on using a foot lifter; use a transfer board to move from bed to wheelchair; use a wheelchair to get around. (We won’t even mention personal care issues). These are skills that most of us will never need to learn especially while recovering from a painful major spinal surgery.
This has turned her life upside down, including she had to quit her teaching profession at VCU. The loss of her income is not helping matters.
Madeline and her husband currently live in a 3-story town-home and she will not be able to go upstairs to the bedroom or the full bath. Her husband has cleared out the living room to make room for a Hospital Bed for when she is able to go home. The Doctor said they cannot begin to understand what recover will even look like for at least six months.
Madeline’s new challenge will include many new needs, including:
· Hospital Bed (unknown cost at this point)
· Wheelchair (ex. $3,500 costs with her needing to pay $700 for her co-pay)
· Handicap Ramp
· Grab bars in bathrooms
· Leg lifters, multiple grabbers
· Personal medical supplies, not needed prior to this
· Personal assistance (home health care)
· Nursing care at home (some not covered by her insurance)
· Loss of her income
· Plus, other unknowns at this time
Her Medicare insurance will cover 80% of many of these items, but still, the 20% not covered adds up to a lot with an on-going serious medical condition. Living on a fixed income of only social security now, since Madeline had to resign from VCU this will be, and already is, a huge financial burden. The bills are starting to roll in, in the thousands, for the 16-day Critical Care VCU/MCV hospital stay, about 29 days so far at a rehab center, 3 ambulance rides, doctors, surgeons, tests, anesthesiologists, surgeries, and the co-pays for durable medical equipment.
There will be many, many more unexpected and uncovered expenses in her recovery as she works hard to gain mobility, in addition to the expenses of everyday life in her "new normal" CAN YOU PLEASE HELP?
The unknown final costs for medical treatment received so far (because bills are still being finalized and just started coming in) include:
· Three Ambulance trips
· 4 full body, sedated 4-hour MRI’s
· 2 to 3 CT scans
· 3 Angiograms
· 16 days at VCU Critical Care Center
· Team of Surgeons
· 7 ½ hour Spinal Surgery
· 29 days at Sheltering Arm Rehabilitation Hospital as an inpatient for intense OT and PT, and she will be transferred to to another more long term rehab facility to hopefully regain some mobility
· Personal hygiene products, etc.
As it stands today, Madeline is going from Sheltering Arms Rehab, to another more long-term rehabilitation facility as she is not yet ready to go home.
Madeline and her husband NEED YOUR HELP PLEASE!
They will have to make some major adjustments in their living arrangements once she gets home from the rehabilitation facility. They may even need to move to a one-story home which will be more suited for this disability, but we don’t know this yet.
Many of you know Madeline from her work as an Adjunct Professor in the School of Social Work at VCU. She LOVES all of her students, the faculty, and staff at VCU, and misses them greatly. Also, many of us have known her since elementary school or high school. Even though her family is scattered all over the country, they are all very close and come into town to help when they can. She also has friends far and wide all over the world that mean so much to her. A large diverse group of us, from all walks of her life, are attempting to HELP our dear Madeline.
Because we love Madeline, we are here to reach out to everyone possible for your financial support. Whatever you can spare will be greatly appreciated by Madeline and her family. Even $5 or $10 or whatever $$ you can spare will be a GREAT help with this huge ongoing endeavor. THANK YOU!
Her condition gradually improved while at the hospital to the point where she was able to shuffle short distances using a cane. They sent her home, but not for long. A few days later, she felt the same numbness symptoms returning and once again, in the middle of the night, she woke up paralyzed. Another ambulance ride to the ICU Critical Care Unit at VCU. She immediately had another 4-hour sedated MRI to locate the AVF’s. The Team of Surgeons agreed this time on the 4 locations and immediately prepped her for a 7 ½ hour spinal surgery. She remained in the hospital until her intense pain was barely under control. She was moved by Ambulance to Sheltering Arms Rehabilitation Center and has been undergoing daily and intensive PT and OT. She is still paralyzed from the waist down, however, the slightest movement of a toe offers a sign of hope.
PARALYSIS - what does that mean? You have no control of your toes, feet, calves, thighs, hips, bladder and more. How would this affect you?
Madeline now has a very difficult and new challenge to deal with. Movements we all take for granted are no longer an option for her. She must learn how to live, with the aid of tools. She is learning how to put her socks and shoes on using a foot lifter; use a transfer board to move from bed to wheelchair; use a wheelchair to get around. (We won’t even mention personal care issues). These are skills that most of us will never need to learn especially while recovering from a painful major spinal surgery.
This has turned her life upside down, including she had to quit her teaching profession at VCU. The loss of her income is not helping matters.
Madeline and her husband currently live in a 3-story town-home and she will not be able to go upstairs to the bedroom or the full bath. Her husband has cleared out the living room to make room for a Hospital Bed for when she is able to go home. The Doctor said they cannot begin to understand what recover will even look like for at least six months.
Madeline’s new challenge will include many new needs, including:
· Hospital Bed (unknown cost at this point)
· Wheelchair (ex. $3,500 costs with her needing to pay $700 for her co-pay)
· Handicap Ramp
· Grab bars in bathrooms
· Leg lifters, multiple grabbers
· Personal medical supplies, not needed prior to this
· Personal assistance (home health care)
· Nursing care at home (some not covered by her insurance)
· Loss of her income
· Plus, other unknowns at this time
Her Medicare insurance will cover 80% of many of these items, but still, the 20% not covered adds up to a lot with an on-going serious medical condition. Living on a fixed income of only social security now, since Madeline had to resign from VCU this will be, and already is, a huge financial burden. The bills are starting to roll in, in the thousands, for the 16-day Critical Care VCU/MCV hospital stay, about 29 days so far at a rehab center, 3 ambulance rides, doctors, surgeons, tests, anesthesiologists, surgeries, and the co-pays for durable medical equipment.
There will be many, many more unexpected and uncovered expenses in her recovery as she works hard to gain mobility, in addition to the expenses of everyday life in her "new normal" CAN YOU PLEASE HELP?
The unknown final costs for medical treatment received so far (because bills are still being finalized and just started coming in) include:
· Three Ambulance trips
· 4 full body, sedated 4-hour MRI’s
· 2 to 3 CT scans
· 3 Angiograms
· 16 days at VCU Critical Care Center
· Team of Surgeons
· 7 ½ hour Spinal Surgery
· 29 days at Sheltering Arm Rehabilitation Hospital as an inpatient for intense OT and PT, and she will be transferred to to another more long term rehab facility to hopefully regain some mobility
· Personal hygiene products, etc.
As it stands today, Madeline is going from Sheltering Arms Rehab, to another more long-term rehabilitation facility as she is not yet ready to go home.
Madeline and her husband NEED YOUR HELP PLEASE!
They will have to make some major adjustments in their living arrangements once she gets home from the rehabilitation facility. They may even need to move to a one-story home which will be more suited for this disability, but we don’t know this yet.
Many of you know Madeline from her work as an Adjunct Professor in the School of Social Work at VCU. She LOVES all of her students, the faculty, and staff at VCU, and misses them greatly. Also, many of us have known her since elementary school or high school. Even though her family is scattered all over the country, they are all very close and come into town to help when they can. She also has friends far and wide all over the world that mean so much to her. A large diverse group of us, from all walks of her life, are attempting to HELP our dear Madeline.
Because we love Madeline, we are here to reach out to everyone possible for your financial support. Whatever you can spare will be greatly appreciated by Madeline and her family. Even $5 or $10 or whatever $$ you can spare will be a GREAT help with this huge ongoing endeavor. THANK YOU!
Organizer
Susan Cary
Organizer
Chester, VA