Support for Syd’s Pancreatic Transplant and Living Costs

Hi all! Some of you may know me and have heard of my health struggles. I was diagnosed with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency a few years ago after going undiagnosed for years. I was also diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis, a progressive, inflammatory disease that causes destruction of the pancreas. I am now in constant pain and have a reduced quality of life and low life expectancy.

Unfortunately, because my condition has significantly grown in severity over the past year, I have to receive a surgery called Total Pancreatectomy with Islet Autotransplantation (TPIAT)

where my pancreas, spleen, gallbladder, and part of my stomach will be removed, and my Islet cells will be transferred to my liver. This is only done when no other procedures will induce significant relief. Essentially I’m at the end stage of this disease where nothing else will help.

Luckily, this surgery will elongate life expectancy from 10-20 years to around the normal rate of the general population!! Woohoo!!!!

This surgery is incredibly intensive, and will be anywhere from 8-12 hours long. I will be in the hospital for around 2 weeks, and have to stay in Minneapolis for around 6 weeks after this. My mom plans on coming to Minnesota from Connecticut to stay with me as I recover from the surgery.

I am in the process of applying for social security, but this solution takes a significant amount of time to be approved. The full recovery time for this surgery is 1 year. I will not be able to work for a minimum of 2-3 months post-op, and getting long term disability is an even longer process than SSDI.

I feel as though I have no options to financially support myself during my recovery and without this surgery I am at risk of living a short life. I find it incredibly difficult to ask for help in any way, but I am at a point to where I have to use every avenue possible to get assistance.

I am asking for donations to cover costs of:

- Daily needs while I am out of work/working reduced hours post- surgery (groceries, transportation, etc.)

- Rent assistance for the 3+ months I will be out of work

- Any additional surgery costs that insurance will not cover

Thank you for taking the time to listen to my story and any contributions are much appreciated

Syd