As most of you know, over the last year, I have been experiencing medical issues, causing me to miss work and deal with extreme mental health issues due to having difficulty swallowing food. When I eat food, the food gets stuck and takes time to pass. It sounds simple, but it’s very scary and rare in people my age. They have put me on a temporary medication to help with this, but it is not a long-term solution. I am now scheduled for surgery on February 11th to hopefully resolve this issue. I have been seen by a specialist team at John’s Hopkins, and this is the route they believe is best. I used to talk about this issue frequently but have shut down about it from feeling defeated.

With that being said, my insurance is changing right before surgery, so I have a huge out-of-pocket expense. Meanwhile, I am out of work for two weeks after surgery. This has put a huge financial burden on myself while trying to work to get ahead on bills, still going to school, and doing my other daily life stuff. Medical bills, regular bills, gas, tolls, parking, everything has added up as each time I see the specialist team, I have to drive to Baltimore or Towson. I’m not one to ask for help, but unfortunately, this is a time where I need it, and it was suggested to make a GoFundMe page so friends and family are able to help if they can. Anything is appreciated: prayers, good vibes, anything. I’m working with my job and school to get stuff taken care of before I’m down for two weeks. This surgery is hopefully my golden ticket to getting better from something that came up out of nowhere. If you are able to help, thank you; if not, please share my post. This has been a long, hard journey that those close to me have seen my everyday struggle from it. I appreciate everyone who has been with me this far for appointments, the crying sessions, the terror, everything. And I appreciate those that in the future are helping me in this journey.