Support Lindsay's Brain Surgery and Recovery

Hi! My name is Lindsay, I'm a nurse in the metro-Atlanta area and I'm having brain surgery and could use some help.

Earlier this year, I was at a friends house when I had a seizure and passed out. I was seated at the time, but still hit my head on the tile floor leaving a gash that needed stitches. The imaging done at the ER showed a 7.8 cm arachnoid cyst in the back of my skull compressing on my cerebellum, after following up with the neurosurgeon it was decided that given the size and new onset of symptoms surgery needs to happen.

The timing of this is really not ideal. I recently started grad school to become a nurse practitioner, and though I tried doing both work and school full-time, I learned that trying to learn and retain new information after working 10-hour shifts really wasn't do-able. To be able to prioritize school, I left hospital nursing and started a part-time position with a Homecare company that serves veterans as a Supervisory RN. This role is very fulfilling, but hospitals are generally where nurses make the most money. In addition to taking a pay cut, my car was totaled towards the end of last year as a result of a wreck for which I was not at fault, and getting a new ride depleted what savings I had.

Surgery will require a craniotomy (removal of a part of my skull and subsequent replacement with a titanium plate and screws) to access the cyst. I've been advised that the surgery is as low risk as brain surgery can be because it is thankfully just on the surface of my brain. I will be hospitalized for at least 3 days and then recovery is expected to take up to 6 weeks, which includes restrictions on driving.

I have insurance which is covering the majority of the $144k surgery, but I still have to pay a portion, as well as co-pays for the hospital, imaging, and doctors visits which is adding up fast. I also won't be able to work for some weeks after surgery, and bills do not care if you're having brain surgery. After the initial episode I was advised not to drive for 6 months, and after surgery there isn't a set timeframe, but I won't be allowed to drive until I follow up with the surgeon and am cleared.

I hate asking for help, but if you feel compelled, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for reading :)

-Lindsay