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Victoria's Spine Injury Recovery

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Victoria's Spine Injury Recovery


Hello my beautiful human family <3 I am calling all angels for love and support during this time. I am raising funds to help assist in the recovery of a spine and spinal cord injury. My L5 vertebra broke into two pieces in an accident and I am in desperate need of support to heal this in the most optimal way. The medical term for my injury is L5 Isthmic Spondylolisthesis with Bilateral Pars Defect.


I have seen a few surgeons and unfortunately my injury has already worsened significantly and is very likely to continue to cause more issues with time, due to gravity and the weight of my body causing the two pieces of broken bone to continue to drift further and further apart until the nerve damage and spinal cord compression are so severe that I could suffer irreversible neuropathy, spinal stenosis and in the worst case scenario, paralysis.



I will most likely undergo a surgery to correct this, a spinal fusion that would fuse my L4-S1 to stabilize the broken one. I am still not surrendering the sliver of hope that I won’t need surgery, however that is not looking very promising at the moment. A few surgeons have told me my injury is “progressive” and “unstable” and that a spinal fusion is inevitable.


I am terrified of the operation and there are many risks involved, however it’s currently looking like my best option at healing this so if I choose to have it done, I have to believe with every fiber of my being that it is the right choice and never look back. I am tuning in deeper to my inner guidance and intuition and I trust the right choice will come to me in perfect timing. In the meantime, I feel called to pursue gentle and holistic healing modalities.


I haven’t been able to work for a while because of pain with this injury, and I have also been dealing with active Crohn’s Disease as well. Due to lack of income, I haven’t been able to afford health insurance or undertake all the methods of healing that my body and soul yearn for.


Whether or not I have the spinal fusion surgery soon, I have been strongly advised to engage in lots of physical therapy, visits to the pain clinic, epidural steroid injections and regular X-rays to track the progress. And because I am a natural medicine advocate at heart, I would also love to be able to regularly receive acupuncture, massage and network chiropractic (gentler approach to alignment) as well as be able to afford rent and bills so I can stay in my current home in the Appalachian mountains that I have transformed into a tranquil oasis during this time of hardship, adversity and immense healing.


The abundance I am blessed with in this fundraiser will help support:
~ Physical therapy
~ Pain clinic sessions
~ Spinal injections
~ Acupuncture
~ Herbal medicine
~ Massage
~ Network chiropractic
~ Health insurance monthly premiums
~ Health insurance deductible for any medical procedures
~ Pay off medical debt


I have also applied for governmental disability assistance but it is a long process and I have not yet been approved or denied. I am currently in what they call the "Medicaid Gap" and in order to have insurance, I have to pay full price because I'm unemployed and therefore don't qualify for a tax subsidy. The plan that fits my needs and is in network with Carolina Neurosurgery and Spine is $384 a month with a $8,550 deductible.


I’ve never done a GoFundMe and I’ve always had a hard time admitting when I need help, but I am making some breakthroughs because I’ve learned it’s ok to ask for help and it’s not selfish or greedy, and in my heart I know that I can’t be as helpful and of service to humanity in a meaningful and productive way until I heal this. I have been living in 10/10 pain everyday for so long now and it’s really devastated my entire world and made me severely depressed and hopeless, and that is no way to live. I am ready to make some big strides into healing this and take a huge leap of faith into the unknown.


I am finally feeling such blessings and medicine in this experience, because it has helped humble me in such profound ways and be deeply grateful for the little things and all the moments that are pain-free, joyful, and peaceful ~ even if now they are very few and far between. Another huge gift from this experience is learning how to find solace in releasing shame and being fully vulnerable about my situation. Also it has helped me not get lost in my own suffering, it's helped deepen my connections with loved ones and learn how to ask and receive help in a time of tremendous need.


I hope to hold space for others and be there for them as much as some people have been for me through this hardship. We are truly one human family and cannot do it alone. We need community love and support. If you’ve read all this, I am simply incredibly grateful for that. Thank you for taking the time to listen to a piece of my story. And I am indescribably grateful for simple things like sending love, kind words and healing vibes my way. 


And if you do feel called to make a donation, I honestly don’t even know how I can properly express how thankful I would be, I can just promise to send you the biggest juiciest virtual hug ever and hold the dearest place in my heart for you always and forever.


I love you eternally and infinitely,
Victoria Zoeller


Organizer

Victoria Zoeller
Organizer
Swannanoa, NC

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