Sam's surgery and recovery support
Donation protected
Hi everyone,
Before I begin sharing why I've created this GoFundMe page I want to share that the details below speak about gynecological and obstetric-related surgery that may be uncomfortable to read about for some. If so, I understand; please do not feel you need to read and donate if this is an area that does not align with you.
My name is Sam, I'm a single mum of two vivacious boys, and work in a small primary school on the Surf Coast of Victoria. I have created this page reluctantly, encouraged by trusted friends, to raise funds to help contribute to surgery that will allow me to regain my well-being. I feel guilty to be requesting this help when I consider how lucky I am to have what I do, and knowing how tight the cost of living has gotten for us all. I do not wish anyone to feel pressured into giving at all, or giving beyond their means, and I genuinely appreciate even just your time in reading this and your good wishes.
I was diagnosed with endo in 2014, had laparoscopic surgery, and have managed living with endo since with the support of diet, exercise, and therapy. Unfortunately over the last two years, and significantly the past 6 months, the symptoms have reached an unmanageable point. As we mums tend to do, I pushed on and on and on and on until I could no longer. I returned to the gyno in December and was diagnosed with adenomyosis, and it appears there is some new endo growth ('patches'); it is hard to see this clearly on scans, it is possible what is seen is scarring from the previous surgery. At the moment I am living with severe pain when my period is due, during my period, during ovulation, if my bladder is full, following exercise or scans, during and post what should be pleasurable activities, and at intermittent random times. I experience severe bloating, nausea, headaches, and breakthrough bleeding (and therefore accompanying symptoms) with increasing frequency as my cycles have been shortening and becoming more irregular. The pain I experience is in my pelvis and lower abdomen, lower back, and radiates down my legs, especially my left. There are multiple days per calendar month the pain is so intense I am almost unable to walk. This has meant missing work or dragging myself while (sometimes unsuccessfully) hiding my tears through the day; my 10-year-old son helping me to get in and out of the car to get us to work and school.
The flow-on effects of this have meant all the things I do to try to manage the endometriosis and my general well-being I have been increasingly less able to engage in. There are now increasingly fewer days I feel physically well; to go to yoga, take the kids and dogs for a walk, and cook the meals that support my and the boys' health best. I miss hiking, swimming, having a sense of vitality, being playful with my kids, and having the physical energy and well-being to be my best self for my professional, social, and parenting life. I have gained weight and feel my general physical health suffering as a consequence.
So to recover my health, and the self I have lost through this, I am having surgery on the 22nd March: a hysterectomy to remove my uterus and fallopian tubes, and the investigation of the endo growth and surgical removal of any patches. A hysterectomy is curative for adenomyosis and the removal of endo patches will alleviate the pain from those patches and give relief. Unfortunately, endo is not curable, and removing my ovaries as a management plan is not yet worth the risks that poses to my health. While the extent of the endo is hard to determine until surgery occurs, and therefore it is hard for doctors to determine how much pain is attributable to each issue, it is thought from the current scans that the adenomyosis is the primary cause of my pain and symptoms, and thus surgery will provide hugely significant relief. This will allow me to recover my life, the rest of my health, and allow me to manage and mitigate the risk of endo patches regrowing with diet, exercise, therapy, etc.
This is a positive prognosis and as daunting as major surgery is, plus the logistics of managing recovery with two children - my gratitude to their Dad and my amazing friends and family in advance - I am relieved to have a plan in place now; and an end point for the severity and frequency of the symptoms.
So why the GoFundMe page...as lucky as I am to work in a job I passionately love that allows me to afford private health insurance, and as much as I have budgeted myself to live within my means, my car decided she also needed some medical (mechanical) procedures that could not wait and drew on my savings in a very short space of time late last year. Before the surgery will take place I will have had 3 specialist appointments (one more to go) and one appointment with the endometriosis nurse through the specialist. It has been recommended I see a pelvic floor physiotherapist, ideally before the surgery and ongoing if any treatment plans are required; I have yet to learn about any follow-up appointments with the specialist post-surgery; and I am hopeful to look into more ways to reduce the future growth of endo patches and manage any remaining/returning endo symptoms when I can afford to do so. The out-of-pocket expenses of the surgery and minimum appointments remaining to reach surgery are just shy of $3000. I am putting it out in the universe that I need support in achieving my health goals and relieving the pain and their detriments to my living in March as planned.
There are links below to information regarding adenomyosis and endometriosis for anyone who wants to learn more about these conditions which can be debilitating for many who live with them.
Thank you for reading my story and your good wishes for a speedy recovery, both from surgery and from the impact these conditions have had on my overall health, are deeply appreciated. If anyone can donate, even the smallest amount, please know I truly appreciate the magnitude of this right now.
With hopes for what the future can hold post-surgery, and with dreams of hiking in beautiful locations with my two energy-filled boys, much love to you all.
Sam
Endometriosis:
https://assets.jeanhailes.org.au/Booklets/Understanding_endometriosis_2019.pdf?_ga=2.216038294.1613387895.1645069045-1067579649.1643606530
Adenomyosis:
Organizer
Samantha Pearson
Organizer
Wandana Heights, VIC