Support Lola's Knee Surgery and Recovery

Our names are Sumbo (Still Standing) and Oka, and we are raising funds for our friend and cousin who needs to undergo knee surgery as soon as possible as she is unable to stand without falling. Lola resides in Lagos, Nigeria, and has gone through a number of medical challenges. She is currently unemployed and is unable to come up with funds needed. The funds will be used towards her surgery and recovery.

Lola's Medical Journey and History

Summary of Medical History:

- In 2014 when I was in Law School, I underwent surgery to remove an ovarian cyst in Kano and this wasn’t properly done.

- In 2015, Another surgery followed for a different ovarian cyst and to address adhesion and intestinal obstruction from the surgery in Kano, this was done in Jos.

- Between 2016-2019, I faced multiple surgeries for intestinal obstruction and adhesion issues—these happened in 2016, 2017, and twice in 2018, with my last one in March 2019.

In the days and weeks leading to each surgery, the pain was often unbearable, and I would have to go on a liquid diet and sometimes use enemas. I frequently felt sick, would pass out from the pain and couldn’t eat, or use the loo which made everything so much harder.

After those surgeries, I decided to manage my pain more conservatively with medications and liquids. While this helped occasionally, it wasn’t a complete solution.

In 2019, I moved to Lagos, still struggling with intestinal obstructions but determined to avoid any more surgeries. In 2020, I met a doctor who was managing me conservatively and then introduced me to corticosteroids in the form of Kenalog 40 to help with inflammation.

Starting in March 2021, I took Kenalog 40 daily (later learned it was supposed to be every six weeks). This actually reduced my obstructions, but it also brought a host of other issues: I gained a lot of weight (from 72 kg to 130 kg), developed purple striae, bruised easily, dealt with insomnia and mood swings, my periods stopped completely, and my legs and ankles swelled up.

Eventually, I was diagnosed with Cushing syndrome, along with high blood sugar and blood pressure. After this, I decided to taper off the corticosteroids after consulting with other doctors and loads of research (the Doctor injecting me was not listening to my fears and wanted to just stop the injections when I complained which could have caused more harm), finally stopped them in August.

After this time, I experienced my first seizures in October 2021 along with memory loss, mood swings, and fatigue. A neurologist suggested medications that I couldn't tolerate. An EEG showed my brain waves were normal, and it was figured out that my seizures were pseudo seizures, triggered by pain and emotional stress as my cortisol levels were at an incredulous level. My body would simply shut down when anything stressful happened and I was constantly in a state of stress and pain.

By December 2021, I developed abscesses on both hips, likely due to the injections. They would swell and drain, bringing temporary relief.

In February 2022 the abscesses made it so painful that I could hardly walk. I underwent X-rays and a sinogram, and it was decided that I needed surgery to remove the abscesses, I needed clearance from an endocrinologist because of my Cushing syndrome. My cortisol levels were not favorable, so I was placed on hydrocortisone (a tablet form of corticosteroids) for about three weeks before the surgery.

On May 31, 2022 (Surgery No. 9), I had the abscesses removed. An epidural was used, but I faced complications during the surgery and needed oxygen and adrenaline. The incisions were left open to prevent pus buildup, which meant daily cleaning until they healed. More abscesses appeared later, and it seemed my immune system was affected by the corticosteroids.

When I started hydrocortisone, I experienced many of the same symptoms I had on Kenalog. I discussed this with my psychiatrist, who adjusted my antidepressants. Eventually, I tapered down from 15 mg to none.

After the surgery, I thought I would be able to walk without help since I believed the abscesses were the main issue. At first, I made progress, but soon the pain intensified, and my joints would lock up. After some evaluations, I was diagnosed with bilateral avascular necrosis (AVN).

I had to undergo two more surgeries to remove abscesses from my hips as they kept recurring.

Then I had to crowdfund as I needed Bilateral Hip Replacement Surgeries, the corticosteroids had ruined my bones and it wasn’t just the abscesses, at this time i couldn’t put weight on my legs and we started noticing a shortening, all the seizures and other Cushing related symptoms were still happening.

I was working all through this but had to stop work in February 2022 as I was unable to function even though I tried.

My first hip replacement was in December 2022 (Surgery No. 12), followed by the second in March 2023(Surgery No. 13). It’s been a tough fight, but I’ve been pushing through.

With physiotherapy and psychotherapy, my seizures have decreased, and I’m actively working on losing weight. However, I still deal with various unexplained symptoms.

Fast forward to November 2023, I started experiencing severe pain in my left shoulder, but i assumed might have been trauma from one one of the various falls. The pain even triggered seizures. Despite trying various treatments, I ultimately needed surgery.

In 2024, I had to run a second crowdfunding campaign to help with my shoulder surgery, as I had only just started work again and even with that could hardly afford my medication (God bless my friends and my cousins who took care and have been taking care of me) which I successfully had in August 2024 (Surgery No. 14). It was during the tests for this surgery that I diagnosed with clinical hypothyroidism with my cholesterol levels high which I am on levothyroxine and atorvastatin for.

In December 2024, I had MRIs and X-rays done for my knees and spine. They found that I have osteoarthritis and osteonecrosis in both knees with muscle spasms in my knees.

I commented intensive physiotherapy to help my knees with regular reviews with my surgical team to monitor the progress in my knees.

In April 2025 i noticed the pain had considerably increased with the knees buckling and several falls, I did new X-rays and MRIs which showed that both knees were worse with torn ligaments and space growing between the joints. As a result, i would need arthroscopic surgery to hopefully repair and reverse the osteonecrosis in hopes that it would not deteriorate further into my needing knee replacement surgery.

The hope is for the surgery and physiotherapy to help the knees improve.