Rebuilding Sean: surgery and recovery
Donation protected
One of the hardest things to do is ask for financial help. However, after receiving the quoted cost for Sean’s fourth surgery we must swallow our pride and put this out there.
On December 10, 2019 Sean will be going under the knife for the FOURTH time in less than two years. This journey has been tough, stressful, depressing, and every obstacle possible seems to come up.
Medical bills, and all other expenses have piled up, but we have always been able to (just barely) keep our head above the water... Until now.
His surgery on the 10th is going to cost anywhere from $37,000 to somewhere around $55,000 due to the out-of-network requirement. The surgery needed is to repair a full thickness TFCC tear and partially sublexed extensor tendon. While inside his wrist, they will use suture anchors repair the tear, and potentially a combination of suture anchors and a tendon sleeve to repair the tendon. The surgeon will also relocate the nerve that connects to the injury site to reduce the chances of on-going pain well after the surgery. Even after he fully heals from surgery, we are told he will not be at 100% as the repair will cause stiffness in his wrist that will never fully go away. However, this stiffness will be welcomed in place of the 6 years of pain, reduced range of motion and deteriorating grip strength he has been enduring.
His prior 3 surgeries dealt with hip, leg and thigh items. The first dealing with repairing the torn labrum in his hip and shaving off massive amounts of bone from his upper thigh and hip bone due to a “femoral acetabular impingement”. The second and third surgeries were needed to decompress 4 major nerves up and down his thigh and leg.
It has been over two years since Sean has been able to drive a vehicle or even walk without assistance. And six years since he has had full use of his right wrist and arm. The level of pain medication he has had to stay on is overwhelming, and yet... he still
manages to fulfill his work duties,
as well as report to drill for the Army Reserves.
Sean is an amazing man, and amazing husband. He is generous and kind, and (as most of you know) extremely stubborn and proud. When we found out how much this was going to cost he initially said we should delay the surgery. I told him that “delay is NOT an option!” I reminded him of the facts-
The amount of pain he is still in, the amount of pain medicine he is on, the fact that he hasn’t been able to be independent, and the most important fact: without surgery, the damage will continue to get worse.
Knowing that surgery delay is not an option has caused waves of depression, anxiety, and stress as we realize we need to figure out how to pay for this. TRUST ME when I say that forcing him to let me create this “Go Fund Me” was not easy. But the reality of it is, people have asked what they can do to help, and if we are too proud to accept help, then that is not strength... that is weakness.
On December 10, 2019 Sean will be going under the knife for the FOURTH time in less than two years. This journey has been tough, stressful, depressing, and every obstacle possible seems to come up.
Medical bills, and all other expenses have piled up, but we have always been able to (just barely) keep our head above the water... Until now.
His surgery on the 10th is going to cost anywhere from $37,000 to somewhere around $55,000 due to the out-of-network requirement. The surgery needed is to repair a full thickness TFCC tear and partially sublexed extensor tendon. While inside his wrist, they will use suture anchors repair the tear, and potentially a combination of suture anchors and a tendon sleeve to repair the tendon. The surgeon will also relocate the nerve that connects to the injury site to reduce the chances of on-going pain well after the surgery. Even after he fully heals from surgery, we are told he will not be at 100% as the repair will cause stiffness in his wrist that will never fully go away. However, this stiffness will be welcomed in place of the 6 years of pain, reduced range of motion and deteriorating grip strength he has been enduring.
His prior 3 surgeries dealt with hip, leg and thigh items. The first dealing with repairing the torn labrum in his hip and shaving off massive amounts of bone from his upper thigh and hip bone due to a “femoral acetabular impingement”. The second and third surgeries were needed to decompress 4 major nerves up and down his thigh and leg.
It has been over two years since Sean has been able to drive a vehicle or even walk without assistance. And six years since he has had full use of his right wrist and arm. The level of pain medication he has had to stay on is overwhelming, and yet... he still
manages to fulfill his work duties,
as well as report to drill for the Army Reserves.
Sean is an amazing man, and amazing husband. He is generous and kind, and (as most of you know) extremely stubborn and proud. When we found out how much this was going to cost he initially said we should delay the surgery. I told him that “delay is NOT an option!” I reminded him of the facts-
The amount of pain he is still in, the amount of pain medicine he is on, the fact that he hasn’t been able to be independent, and the most important fact: without surgery, the damage will continue to get worse.
Knowing that surgery delay is not an option has caused waves of depression, anxiety, and stress as we realize we need to figure out how to pay for this. TRUST ME when I say that forcing him to let me create this “Go Fund Me” was not easy. But the reality of it is, people have asked what they can do to help, and if we are too proud to accept help, then that is not strength... that is weakness.
Organiser
Elle Gallipeau
Organiser
Ashburn, VA