Hello, my name is Cassandra Burkett. I am a 40 year old single mother of 3. I have been going through a lot medically, especially over the past 2-3 years. I'm trying my best to keep afloat. Over the past few years, l've had several surgeries, procedures, scans, testing and hospital stays that have had me out of work off and on. It all started in April of 2022 | had to have a surgery for kidney stones that required a few days stay in the hospital, I was released and 4 days later was right back in the hospital having to have a second surgery just 8 days after the other. Fast forward to August and I had to go for a check up which ended up being a miscarriage. While performing my full exam she found a lump in my left breast. I had to go through a biopsy, thankfully I was in the 2% and it was benign. A week later I had the surgery to have a D & C and an ablation. Following every 3 months I had to go back for mammograms and after another spot was seen I had to have another biopsy around 9 months later(benign also).

In those times I was looking into getting a double mastectomy and trying to get all the testing done. I was never able to complete that process. I passed a kidney stone or two, while suffering from migraines regularly. Fast forward to December of 2024 and I had to have two surgeries again to unblock and removed kidney stones these surgeries being 4-5 days apart also causing hospital stay, then another surgery in January of 2025 for yet more kidney stones, a hospital stay in March for 3 days where I passed the stone so no surgery at that time. I started seeing my urologist very often with labs and scans followed with additional testing with the Endocrinologist to try to find the reason my body produces so many stones. At one time they counted 13+ stones in my left side and 9 in my right side. June, I had another stone that was stuck and blocked my output causing me to have to have another surgery this one having me out for over 2 weeks and spending my 40th birthday in bed recovering, followed up with the latest just at the end of July for the same thing. I'm am still currently unable to return to work due to having a stent in place and waiting for the call because I am having to have yet another surgery where they are going to have to actually make an incision in my back and insert a tube into my kidney to remove all the stones and then leaving a drainage tube in for a few days. We still don't have the full answer to what is causing all the stones but they are getting closer. I just had a scan done on my parathyroid and get those results soon. However, all the scans and labs have never really coincided with each other to come to a definite answer of the cause. We know it has nothing to do with diet or not drinking enough water. The endocrinologist is leaning towards my parathyroid glands, he is also having to figure out what causes my blood sugar to stay low and at times bottoms out, I had one episode the beginning of June where I blacked out twice back to back from my sugar bottoming out. I have been able to keep this mostly under control, I will usually get a headache and blurred vision when it's get low. Due to all the unexpected surgeries, I am struggling to get the money together to cover living expenses on top of the medical copays and bills. My children do work and have helped as they can, my daughter is only home during the summer due to being in college in another state where she receives a full scholarship and is doing amazing, my middle son graduated high school in May and is about to begin his freshman year of college in a couple days under his scholarship. My youngest is about to begin his senior year of high school. While my job has approved me for FMLA, there is no set date to or if and when I will start to receive any kind of partial pay which will only cover my insurance, leaving me with nothing for bills or groceries, making bills a lot more stressful with no realistic solution. I am seeking assistance to help with utility bills, car note and rent while I recover from my past surgeries and prepare for my future at least two surgeries I still have to have over the next month or so. The stress from all this is causing me more issues and I try my hardest not to stress. I really do appreciate any and all help and am trying to keep my head up and just keep moving forward the best I can.