Dear friends and family,

 

I hope this message finds everyone well. On April 10, 2021, an urgent care doctor sent me to

the ER due to a cough I had developed, and they thought my chest x-ray looked like

covid. After a cardiac workup, they found out my heart was functioning at 22%. A cardiac

angiogram showed I had 3 blockages at 99, 99, and 100%. On April 13th, 2021, I had to have

an emergency quadruple bypass with a mitral valve repair. Two days later, after they tried to wean me off the heart meds, I coded and had to be reintubated. After being back on the

meds and stabilized, I was extubated the next day, only to code again 3 days later and

reintubated. This time they noticed my abdomen had become distended. After a CT scan, I

was diagnosed with necrotic bowels. My heart functioned so low for so long that my bowels were dying. The 29 different medications I was on also did not help as they restrict blood flow to parts of the body. On April 19, 2021, I had to have 6 ft of my small intestines removed, with a feeding tube placed. When I look back on my health, all my health problems collectively

made sense. I attributed these issues to my diabetes, but it was my heart this whole time.

 

After 88 days in the hospital, bouncing in and out of ICU, with multiple complications ranging from gastrointestinal bleeds to extremely low blood pressure that I would pass out upon

standing, I was finally released on July 7, 2021. Unfortunately, shortly after my release, I had to be taken back to the ER because my bossy cousin didn’t like how I looked. Rude. Turns out

my gallbladder was no longer functioning, and I needed a gallbladder tube placed in order to drain out the fluid backing up. The aftercare of all this was a daunting task for my family and me, as I was on 24hr TPn for nutrition through a PICC line in my arm and antibiotics. I also

had a wound on back side due to the cardiac meds which required daily wound care. Not to mention my abdomen wound, ileostomy bag, and gallbladder wounds also all needed daily

changing.

 

The kicker to all this is the state insurance. Since I lost my job due to covid, I had no

insurance, and my only option was what the state offered. This insurance makes it impossible for anyone with all my complications to get help in a timely manner. So now we must pay for private insurance out of pocket. But this allowed me to get the necessary surgeries to

reconnect my bowels, remove my gallbladder and get a primary physician to oversee my

care. I have cleared out my 401K and have gone through all my savings. I doubt I will ever be able to pay off my medical bills.

 

Today I am asking for help so that I may continue to pay for insurance, purchase my

medications, pay for my doctor visit copays, and other basic needs. These past couple of

years have been horrible for everyone, but I would appreciate your help if you can. It pains

me to ask, but I don’t know what else to do. Currently, I’m still not able to work, but I’m

working on getting stronger and relearning to walk without the assistance of a walker. I am

trying to get temporary disability, if not permanent but have been informed that in California

it’s a 3-year process that may require me to hire a disability lawyer. My doctors say I’m

halfway through my recovery, so I still have a way to go. Thank you for listening, and most

importantly, thank you in advance for any help.

Sincerely,

Vince