Two Girls Want to Play with Dad Again
Donation protected
This situation gets more complicated with every passing day. So much so that I felt that the story needed to be completely redone.
As many of you may have heard, the planned bilateral double disk replacement was aborted mid-procedure. There was some sort of problem with equipment, potentially due to a misunderstanding of the damage. This also changes the nature of the surgery as well. The double disk replacement is now more likely to be a first spinal fusion into a single disk replacement. Not the result I wanted. In fact, this result is only above death and paralysis as far as potential surgical outcomes.
When it rains it pours, of course. I now find myself in limbo with work and medical. I am waiting on a phone call to get a new surgery date and a different facility and to figure out if I'm going back to work. Of course, I leave messages, but no one from either calls back.
I'll take this opportunity to simplify this page as much as possible. With the above complications, however, some questions I may not have perfect answers to. But alas...
WHO? I am Brandon Harris. 34 years old. Married to Jacqueline "Franz" Harris for 12 years. Two children, Hope and Celeste, the latter bestowed upon us back in September. I work at Treasure Island Resort and Casino in table games. I deal and supervise all table games.
WHAT? The diagnosis is spinal stenosis secondary to a disc herniation with cervical myelopathy. I have had this since February. I hesitate to call it an injury, as there is no incident to refer to.
Feb 2019: I woke up and had severe pain in my shoulders. Thought maybe I had slept wrong. The next day, the pain was still there, but worse (to the point of vomiting). It took a long time to get to this diagnosis, because the pain I was experiencing was so particularly localized in the shoulders.
May 2019: Other symptoms started to occur. The cortisone shots administered had little to no effect on the pain. I was referred out to Summit Orthopedics to a shoulder specialist. The first MRI's are done. On the shoulders.
Oct 2019: After four months on continued cortisone and physical therapy, my conditions continues to deteriorate. There has been no success in pain management or symptom reduction. All continue to worsen. Looking at the MRI's on the shoulders, it isn't immediately evident that surgical intersession in that area will be a salve to anything. I am referred out for one more MRI.
Nov 2019: The cervical spinal MRI shows dramatic damage to the spine. The "oh, there's your problem" moment is given swift response and I was immediately put under the care of a spinal surgeon, who scheduled the surgery immediately.
WHEN? My current understanding is that surgery will be delayed until potentially January. My spine is an emergency, but it can wait til next decade. (I was so excited to host a Gatsby style welcome to he roaring 20's party, but alas).
WHY? The reasons for needing your help are varied, but it all stems from the same problem. We just never get caught up all the way. Rebuilding our basement from the flooding last winter was just completed (on credit). Welcome home, Celeste. Allow me redo our office into Hope's new bedroom to clear out the nursery for you. Insurance is the biggest problem. Medical bills are crazy high and the short term disability is going to be atrociously inadequate (60% of $7 an hour). As hard as we work to get caught up, this problem is going to take all of our legs out.
HOW? The money you contribute to this fundraiser has 2 goals: 1) keep the family fed, clothed, and sheltered and 2) MEDICAL BILLS. Right now, our goal is set to offset income loss and potential cost of care based on an assumption of 6 weeks out of work and $2000 cost of the procedure according to figures from the Mayo Clinic.
I have yet to be able to hold Celeste properly. The pain in my shoulders does not prevent me from holding her. I could work through that. But the neurological side effects of not having control of my hands and arms completely do prevent that. I wouldn't put my child in danger. And that's the part that kills me. I hope to be healed fast enough that she can still be held by me before she's took big for that sort of snuggling that you can only do when they are still small. Celeste came out large and keeps getting bigger. The melancholy in watching my child grow and being taken with that joy, tempered by the despair of missing moments I can't have back...
Thank you for reading this. Thank you for sharing this story. Thank you for the assistance you can give. We will be grateful.
As many of you may have heard, the planned bilateral double disk replacement was aborted mid-procedure. There was some sort of problem with equipment, potentially due to a misunderstanding of the damage. This also changes the nature of the surgery as well. The double disk replacement is now more likely to be a first spinal fusion into a single disk replacement. Not the result I wanted. In fact, this result is only above death and paralysis as far as potential surgical outcomes.
When it rains it pours, of course. I now find myself in limbo with work and medical. I am waiting on a phone call to get a new surgery date and a different facility and to figure out if I'm going back to work. Of course, I leave messages, but no one from either calls back.
I'll take this opportunity to simplify this page as much as possible. With the above complications, however, some questions I may not have perfect answers to. But alas...
WHO? I am Brandon Harris. 34 years old. Married to Jacqueline "Franz" Harris for 12 years. Two children, Hope and Celeste, the latter bestowed upon us back in September. I work at Treasure Island Resort and Casino in table games. I deal and supervise all table games.
WHAT? The diagnosis is spinal stenosis secondary to a disc herniation with cervical myelopathy. I have had this since February. I hesitate to call it an injury, as there is no incident to refer to.
Feb 2019: I woke up and had severe pain in my shoulders. Thought maybe I had slept wrong. The next day, the pain was still there, but worse (to the point of vomiting). It took a long time to get to this diagnosis, because the pain I was experiencing was so particularly localized in the shoulders.
May 2019: Other symptoms started to occur. The cortisone shots administered had little to no effect on the pain. I was referred out to Summit Orthopedics to a shoulder specialist. The first MRI's are done. On the shoulders.
Oct 2019: After four months on continued cortisone and physical therapy, my conditions continues to deteriorate. There has been no success in pain management or symptom reduction. All continue to worsen. Looking at the MRI's on the shoulders, it isn't immediately evident that surgical intersession in that area will be a salve to anything. I am referred out for one more MRI.
Nov 2019: The cervical spinal MRI shows dramatic damage to the spine. The "oh, there's your problem" moment is given swift response and I was immediately put under the care of a spinal surgeon, who scheduled the surgery immediately.
WHEN? My current understanding is that surgery will be delayed until potentially January. My spine is an emergency, but it can wait til next decade. (I was so excited to host a Gatsby style welcome to he roaring 20's party, but alas).
WHY? The reasons for needing your help are varied, but it all stems from the same problem. We just never get caught up all the way. Rebuilding our basement from the flooding last winter was just completed (on credit). Welcome home, Celeste. Allow me redo our office into Hope's new bedroom to clear out the nursery for you. Insurance is the biggest problem. Medical bills are crazy high and the short term disability is going to be atrociously inadequate (60% of $7 an hour). As hard as we work to get caught up, this problem is going to take all of our legs out.
HOW? The money you contribute to this fundraiser has 2 goals: 1) keep the family fed, clothed, and sheltered and 2) MEDICAL BILLS. Right now, our goal is set to offset income loss and potential cost of care based on an assumption of 6 weeks out of work and $2000 cost of the procedure according to figures from the Mayo Clinic.
I have yet to be able to hold Celeste properly. The pain in my shoulders does not prevent me from holding her. I could work through that. But the neurological side effects of not having control of my hands and arms completely do prevent that. I wouldn't put my child in danger. And that's the part that kills me. I hope to be healed fast enough that she can still be held by me before she's took big for that sort of snuggling that you can only do when they are still small. Celeste came out large and keeps getting bigger. The melancholy in watching my child grow and being taken with that joy, tempered by the despair of missing moments I can't have back...
Thank you for reading this. Thank you for sharing this story. Thank you for the assistance you can give. We will be grateful.
Co-organisers (3)
Brandon Harris
Organiser
Hastings, MN
Jacquie 'Franz' Harris
Co-organiser
Mary Franz
Co-organiser