Help Chris Heal and Get Back on His Feet

Update #2 at the end of this post.

Last September, after a long night shift, I noticed my right leg had swelled to almost twice the size of my left. It was red, rock-hard, and incredibly painful. I ended up in the ER and eventually got diagnosed with venous insufficiency, a condition that causes poor blood flow and leads to swelling, pain, and recurring infections like cellulitis, which I’ve now had over seven times.

I didn’t realize how serious things were at first. I thought I’d be back to work within a week, so I didn’t file for workers comp—something I now deeply regret. Weeks turned into months of uncertainty, specialists, and unanswered questions from doctors. During this time, I was barely scraping by on short-term disability through a third-party company that works with my employer, US Foods. I was thankful, but their paperwork is extremely strict, and things eventually fell apart.

By the time I got officially diagnosed in late December, my legs had gotten worse. I tried going back to work in January, doing everything I could—using up every sick and vacation day just to survive—but by the end of March, I couldn’t do it anymore. I went back on medical leave. My job requires constant physical labor, and it just isn’t possible right now.

The specialist told me I need a vein ablation surgery and daily treatment with a hard compression machine, which alone costs $1,600—I’m currently making payments on it. Unfortunately, just last week I was denied short-term disability, even though my condition hasn’t improved. That means I now have zero income.

I’m asking for help to stay afloat while I wait for this surgery and try to heal. My goals are simple:

Pay for medical equipment and upcoming treatment

Keep a roof over my head and help support my son

Get healthy enough to return to work—or find a job I can actually do with this condition

This isn’t easy to ask. But if you’ve ever known what it’s like to feel like you’re drowning and just need a hand to stay above water—you’ll understand. Even a share can make a difference. Thank you so much for reading this.

With gratitude,

Chris

https://gofund.me/f9a5acba

Update #2

July 16, 2025

First off I want to say thank you for all the help financially as well as emotionally. I am going to see my Cardiologist in 5 days. I am feeling panicked and stressed out. My legs are better one day and then right back to the same problems that have plagued me for almost a year now. I am injured in a fashion that has kept me from being active and I'm out of shape. Last September when my leg grew/swelled up 2x the size of my other leg I was in great shape, fit in appearance at the least. Inside my legs hid some major problems that have kept me in a lot of pain and basically made me slow down so much that I'm not sure if I can ever go back to the way things were. I still have to rush to sit down and mentally I just can't accept it.

When I was a kid I never thought about retirement or that my body might quit on me when my mind wasn't ready. The worst part of all of this is the health care that I've received is totalling in the tens of thousands. The price wouldn't be a problem if I had actually been given the best of care. I've been to the hospital 8 times in the last year. They do the same thing every time which is put a band-aid on a problem that requires surgery. This is how all my hospital visits have went. I'm swollen and I can barely walk. They do x-rays, they do an ultrasound, cat scans, CT tests, lab work... You have veinous insufficiency to which 6 out of 8 times I already knew that but please treat my symptoms such as a serious infection, swelling to the point of fluid just leaking out of my pores on my legs. This causes me not to be able to stand for long periods of time but why can't you put me in a room and instead of prescribed oral antibiotics why not put me on IV antibiotic regimen and get this cellulitis under control. Not 1 time did a cycle of the oral antibiotics actually work fully and knock it out of my body. Instead I have to show up for life uncomfortable in my own skin and unable to do most of the things I love to do. I'm hopeful that the doctor visit goes well because I can't take another passive response to my issues. I thought because I have good insurance that I'd be given a treatment that would help me out the most instead I've been moved around from specialist to specialist until 4 months in to this mess I got a diagnosis and along with it I got released back to work 100% no restrictions. The doctor that released me or I should say nurse practitioner I released me was at my cardiologist I was back in December of last year. I went back to work hurt, broke, but I was hungry. So I don't heal as fast anymore now that I'm 42 it was so apparent because by the end of the first week back at work I was injured worse than I'd ever been. I already felt like nobody really cared or believed me. So I decided to just work through the pain. March I couldn't do it anymore I couldn't get out of bed. This is after I have used all of my sick time, vacation time, personal days, every single point I can get at work I have exhausted it by March. So when I decided to not get out of bed or better yet when my body said you just not going to be able to do this hurting like you are I had to come to terms with the fact that I might not be able to do that anymore. Well I've put everything into my job in The last 5 years so I needed to transition into a different position. When in March I went back to see my cardiologist nurse practitioner same one who released me and December she said that it did not done like she thought it did not gotten better at all I got worse so that was when I got prescribed the compression machine that the majority of the rest of the aid and money I'm asking for I must go fund me is going towards this compression machine. I still owe them $1,400. Last month's payment and this month's payment bounced. Insurance covered 60% of the cost of the equipment and the company acute wound care actually covered another 20% and it still was 1600 that I needed to come up with. They were cool enough to put me on a payment plan that I knew I would not be able to pay. So that is really looking for right now isn't asking for help to pay for this medical equipment. This equipment will help me after I have the vein ablation procedure by helping my circulation in my legs process all the healing and make sure that the infection that's still there a year later doesn't overcome my legs. Now when I went to go see this new doctor that I was trying to change to to make my primary care physician he dumbfounded me with his logic and I just don't have the energy to talk about him anymore. I know that he's wrong. For a minute or two there I was like wow I'm just out of shape I guess and then I'm like wait I was in great shape before I got injured how can you injury be caused by being out of shape if the injury has caused me to be out of shape. It's a terrible mental game of Hulu hoop.

I gave up for a little while. The GoFundMe has helped me keep food on the table, gas in my car, it's helped me pay my car insurance 1 month, and a car payment as well. I'm weary of my position at work because I'm not in good shape. If I'm released to go to the same position I'm worried I may seriously injure myself or someone else. It's extremely easy for a doctor to say you're good enough for work but what if I'm expected to hit a goal that's completely dependent on my physical condition? How do I make a doctor understand that I have worked for 30 years of my life and making me stay injured by not taking care of my medical problems immediately has made everything worse. I'm worse off than I was before returning to work for 3 months already. It's not my opinion it's a fact. I'm not sure how this works out for me in the end. I expected to be taken seriously and listen to when I talk to a professional about my health. Problems I have are usually problems people have in their 60s and 70s so they would give me like I shouldn't have this problem but yet I do so fix it please. This cost a lot of money every time I go see this cardiologist it cost me $300 my insurance pays a lot of it but for three visits I still owe them $378 and that is before this visit next week. That's the money I'm asking for help with I might go fund me. I've listed out all of my expenses and everything. So there is no question where any help would be going. I appreciate anyone that has helped me I appreciate anyone that is shared this or even just sent you a message saying anything "how are you doing man?".

I'm so surprised at some of the donations I've been blessed with. Most have come from people who have gone through something similar I think. Very surprised as well at some of the " friends" that I've made over the years and their promises of "if you ever need anything, just ask". Ding ding that's what this is. This is me asking for that exact help. I know "life be lifing" and I know not every one's in a good position. I love all of my people regardless. I hope if anyone else is having major problems in their lives as God helps pick you up and put you where you need/want to be.

Thank you everyone for the donations!

God bless you ❤️ and I will never forget it.

Most of the latest donations I have personally emailed or spoken with and they wish to remain anonymous and that just makes my heart swell ( in a good way)

I've been down in the dumps a few times lately when someone that's off my radar left a donation. This makes me keep it going.