- A
Meet Sara...She is 32 years old, wife of Eddie and mom of 3 ~ 9 year old Drake, 2 year old Thurston and Gibson, who turned 1 just 3 days ago. Oh, and we can't forget Wyatt, their 8 year old Black and Tan, miniature Dachshund. We'll talk more about him later. We also can't forget 26 year old Uncle Dillon, who has put his life on hold to help.
While pregnant with little Gibson, Sara began having problems swallowing her food. Doctors thought it was due to the pregnancy and put the problem on the back-burner with an, "Oh well, it will fix itself after she gives birth." But it didn't. Sara was starving to death.
From time to time Sara would check into an Emergency Room for intravenous feeding and fluids. Each time her doctors would prescribe the same tests, but her HMO would not approve of the tests to be performed. This went on for months.
Meanwhile, Sara was determined to breast feed baby Gibson as long as her body would allow, her milk dried up at 6 months; her body fighting to feed itself as Sara lost 2 pounds per week. (WooHoo Sara, you might think but it turns out FAT IS GOOD - we need it to survive.)
What about Papa Eddie?...As you might imagine, juggling a newborn, a 2 year old and a 9 year old, plus a very sick wife caused him to miss some work. He decided to take Family Medical Leave of Absence from work, but according to his 7 year long employer, he filed his paperwork one day too late. He was let go. Eddie decided to follow his father's career path and start a window cleaning business for flexibility...but it turns out that starting a window cleaning business during an El Niño year is sort of like opening a car wash on a rainy day. It's tough.
I am Eddie's mom, "Nana Jo" as my grand babies call me. I began fighting for Sara in September, when it became clear that her insurance company was not going to approve her care and Sara had lost 50 pounds. I started calling from the top down, each tier saying, "We have not denied any procedures; in fact, we have never received a request for tests for Sara." I was given the advice to ask for Confirmation Numbers of the requests, which I did. Come to find out they were right, the doctors' requests for tests had never-ever been submitted...needless to say that problem got fixed.
Right about that time another problem reared it's ugly head...Eddie and Sara were not able to keep up with their rent and were threatened with eviction. It turns out their apartment takes credit cards and Nana Jo had one, so I began paying their rent...on credit...back rent from July plus current rent 8 months at $1500ish per month...I know you can do that math. (Sounds high, right? But this is California and that's the cheapest rent they could find.)
Back to Sara...Her tests were performed and she was sent to the very best doctors...and by November... 20 more lost pounds later, Sara was diagnosed with Achalasia; a disease which causes the muscle at the top of her stomach to freeze shut.
These special doctors ordered an operation to be performed by a surgeon who specializes in a procedure called a "Heller Myotomy", but THAT surgeon was not in Sara's "Network". Instead Sara was sent to a surgeon who knew nothing of Achalasia, nor how to treat it. His plan was to begin diagnosing Sara and see if he thought she needed to be sent to a specialist.
On December 23rd Sara began working through her list of "Firsts and Lasts"...She took 9 year old Drake ice skating for the first time so he would have something special to remember her by...She had baby Gibson's first birthday pictures taken early, thinking she might not make it to February 3rd for his real birthday and so on.
Nana Jo got mad again and made calls again and filed an official complaint again...By December 28, 2015 Sara's surgery was approved by THE surgeon and scheduled for January 20th...by then Sara had lost 88 pounds.
The surgery went as planned and Sara could swallow liquid. However, with no fat to protect her intestines from the blood vessels that feed the colon, the liquid she swallowed could not get through. Instead it backed up into her stomach, and like an over-filled water balloon ~ it popped.
Back to the Operating Room where THE surgeons worked feverishly to close the hole and repair the damage caused by her HMO waiting much too long to approve of them to operate. Sara would have to stay a long time to be fed intravenously in hopes of growing some fat to protect her intestines. She gained 10 pounds...YAY!
February 3rd came and Gibson was officially 1 year old but Sara, still in the hospital, was in pain...serious pain...
Back to Operating Room again for a stent to be put into her esophagus, which had begun to atrophy and close...
Oh but I promised to talk about Wyatt (as in Erp) - who lost his partner Doc (as in Holliday) 3 years ago...Well on February 3rd as Gibson was turning 1 and mommy was preparing to be operated on, Wyatt developed a large bulge on his left hind quarter. What in the world IS that??? We would soon find out it was his bladder, which had popped through a hernia. Nana Jo had just paid the rent and could not pay the $2400 to fix Wyatt and of course neither could Eddie and Sara.
Thurston, Gibson and Drake, who have lived without their mommy for weeks now could not lose their precious Wyatt. NOT THAT DAY!!! Our wonderful veterinarian suggested a credit program that would enable his surgery to be paid for over 18 months and the surgery was a success.
Poor Wyatt is drugged and groggy, but alive. Poor Sara is drugged and groggy, but alive. Poor Eddie, he misses his sweet wife. Poor Drake, desperate for his mommy, but old enough to understand what's happening. Poor Gibson, clings to papa for dear life afraid he will leave too. Poor Thurston, angry with Nana Jo because I took mommy away from him to go to the hospital and never brought her back. Poor Dillon, their Autistic uncle who has spent nearly every day with Eddie to help with laundry, cooking, dishes, holding and feeding...but NOT diaper changing.
As for me, I am staring at poor Wyatt, who cannot go home just yet; he'll have to stay with Nana Jo for awhile. With tears streaming down my face I can say only this...
My heart aches because I cannot make Sara well. I cannot bring her home to her babies. I cannot afford to do any more than I have financially. I can however ask for help. Please, please, please DONATE if you can and if you can or can't than please PRAY to GOD that Sara makes it home.
~Nana Jo
While pregnant with little Gibson, Sara began having problems swallowing her food. Doctors thought it was due to the pregnancy and put the problem on the back-burner with an, "Oh well, it will fix itself after she gives birth." But it didn't. Sara was starving to death.
From time to time Sara would check into an Emergency Room for intravenous feeding and fluids. Each time her doctors would prescribe the same tests, but her HMO would not approve of the tests to be performed. This went on for months.
Meanwhile, Sara was determined to breast feed baby Gibson as long as her body would allow, her milk dried up at 6 months; her body fighting to feed itself as Sara lost 2 pounds per week. (WooHoo Sara, you might think but it turns out FAT IS GOOD - we need it to survive.)
What about Papa Eddie?...As you might imagine, juggling a newborn, a 2 year old and a 9 year old, plus a very sick wife caused him to miss some work. He decided to take Family Medical Leave of Absence from work, but according to his 7 year long employer, he filed his paperwork one day too late. He was let go. Eddie decided to follow his father's career path and start a window cleaning business for flexibility...but it turns out that starting a window cleaning business during an El Niño year is sort of like opening a car wash on a rainy day. It's tough.
I am Eddie's mom, "Nana Jo" as my grand babies call me. I began fighting for Sara in September, when it became clear that her insurance company was not going to approve her care and Sara had lost 50 pounds. I started calling from the top down, each tier saying, "We have not denied any procedures; in fact, we have never received a request for tests for Sara." I was given the advice to ask for Confirmation Numbers of the requests, which I did. Come to find out they were right, the doctors' requests for tests had never-ever been submitted...needless to say that problem got fixed.
Right about that time another problem reared it's ugly head...Eddie and Sara were not able to keep up with their rent and were threatened with eviction. It turns out their apartment takes credit cards and Nana Jo had one, so I began paying their rent...on credit...back rent from July plus current rent 8 months at $1500ish per month...I know you can do that math. (Sounds high, right? But this is California and that's the cheapest rent they could find.)
Back to Sara...Her tests were performed and she was sent to the very best doctors...and by November... 20 more lost pounds later, Sara was diagnosed with Achalasia; a disease which causes the muscle at the top of her stomach to freeze shut.
These special doctors ordered an operation to be performed by a surgeon who specializes in a procedure called a "Heller Myotomy", but THAT surgeon was not in Sara's "Network". Instead Sara was sent to a surgeon who knew nothing of Achalasia, nor how to treat it. His plan was to begin diagnosing Sara and see if he thought she needed to be sent to a specialist.
On December 23rd Sara began working through her list of "Firsts and Lasts"...She took 9 year old Drake ice skating for the first time so he would have something special to remember her by...She had baby Gibson's first birthday pictures taken early, thinking she might not make it to February 3rd for his real birthday and so on.
Nana Jo got mad again and made calls again and filed an official complaint again...By December 28, 2015 Sara's surgery was approved by THE surgeon and scheduled for January 20th...by then Sara had lost 88 pounds.
The surgery went as planned and Sara could swallow liquid. However, with no fat to protect her intestines from the blood vessels that feed the colon, the liquid she swallowed could not get through. Instead it backed up into her stomach, and like an over-filled water balloon ~ it popped.
Back to the Operating Room where THE surgeons worked feverishly to close the hole and repair the damage caused by her HMO waiting much too long to approve of them to operate. Sara would have to stay a long time to be fed intravenously in hopes of growing some fat to protect her intestines. She gained 10 pounds...YAY!
February 3rd came and Gibson was officially 1 year old but Sara, still in the hospital, was in pain...serious pain...
Back to Operating Room again for a stent to be put into her esophagus, which had begun to atrophy and close...
Oh but I promised to talk about Wyatt (as in Erp) - who lost his partner Doc (as in Holliday) 3 years ago...Well on February 3rd as Gibson was turning 1 and mommy was preparing to be operated on, Wyatt developed a large bulge on his left hind quarter. What in the world IS that??? We would soon find out it was his bladder, which had popped through a hernia. Nana Jo had just paid the rent and could not pay the $2400 to fix Wyatt and of course neither could Eddie and Sara.
Thurston, Gibson and Drake, who have lived without their mommy for weeks now could not lose their precious Wyatt. NOT THAT DAY!!! Our wonderful veterinarian suggested a credit program that would enable his surgery to be paid for over 18 months and the surgery was a success.
Poor Wyatt is drugged and groggy, but alive. Poor Sara is drugged and groggy, but alive. Poor Eddie, he misses his sweet wife. Poor Drake, desperate for his mommy, but old enough to understand what's happening. Poor Gibson, clings to papa for dear life afraid he will leave too. Poor Thurston, angry with Nana Jo because I took mommy away from him to go to the hospital and never brought her back. Poor Dillon, their Autistic uncle who has spent nearly every day with Eddie to help with laundry, cooking, dishes, holding and feeding...but NOT diaper changing.
As for me, I am staring at poor Wyatt, who cannot go home just yet; he'll have to stay with Nana Jo for awhile. With tears streaming down my face I can say only this...
My heart aches because I cannot make Sara well. I cannot bring her home to her babies. I cannot afford to do any more than I have financially. I can however ask for help. Please, please, please DONATE if you can and if you can or can't than please PRAY to GOD that Sara makes it home.
~Nana Jo
Organizer and beneficiary
Edward Chaffin
Beneficiary