Wendy’s Surgical Relief from Pain
My name is Andrew Brennan, I am a Psychologist and I have experience with people suffering from chronic pain, I’m also a friend and carer of a lady named Wendy Eime who suffers from Chronic Pancreatitis. This is a particularly nasty condition which she’s had to suffer for over 30 yrs without cure, and which causes extreme and unremitting pain. While her many doctors have been so supportive they have had little ability to provide relief. Wendy suffers constant pain and associated vomiting with need to attend hospital four or five times a year for 10 days at a time. She has a limited diet, no capacity to earn a living or to enjoy physical recreation. To make matters so much worse there’s been a recent worldwide medical withdrawal from ‘Patient-use’ of opioid medication (Morphine) on which she has relied for relief but now, with little to replace it, as a result Wendy has the additional discomfort of withdrawing from morphine with increasing pain during the withdrawal. I know Wendy suffers such distress on a daily basis and I see how it stops her getting pleasure from life in general however, with the recent arrival of a wonderful new Surgical Procedure and technology at the Royal Adelaide Hospital which can really reduce her pain without reliance on medication …..
SHE JUST HAD TO JUMP AT IT !
Wendy is a special case because of her condition’s severity and has been offered this new treatment when funding becomes available. Wendy now has an opportunity to have her diseased Pancreas removed by very clever surgeons in the near future, at our local Royal Adelaide Hospital and be rewarded by a massive reduction in pain, and release from nausea and constant daily injections. The funding is not yet available for this new complex procedure that so many people suffering from Pancreatic and related organ failure would so welcome. Such funding from government sources is in short supply following Covert-19. Wendy’s operation and transplant is due to cost between $50,000 and $100.000. The Medical specialists capable of this remarkable procedure are ready to create a special supportive laboratory at the RAH when the funding becomes available, to the enormous benefit and relief of the many severe pancreatic and related organ dysfunction patients. Wendy has been lucky enough to be chosen because of the severity of her condition but she needs help to finance her operation and that’s where any support that you might provide would be so well received.
How the funding will help
Wendy understands that any money raised will go towards her operation called :-- a
Pancreatectomy with Islet Cell AutoTransplantation.
Quite a mouthful isn’t it, this procedure was originally developed in the United States. Our goal is that any money raised will be used to assist Wendy's operation as soon as possible The procedural practice will increase the experience of the surgeons plus the significance of the procedure with its apparent stunning results, to attract further funding and establish the local laboratory in support, and so increase this service to those in urgent need like Wendy. As it stands, the procedure requires the Pancreas to be extracted then transported during the surgery from Adelaide to Melbourne by air where insulin-creating Islet cells are extracted, subjected to laboratory procedure then flown back to Adelaide and re-inserted in the patient’s liver so to enable them to become pain free and avoid becoming a type I diabetic. The expense of transferring to and from Melbourne and the procedure in Melbourne is extreme and so in large part - the much needed financial support.
My understanding is that the results of this highly complex and 10 hour surgery are extraordinary with regard to patient recovery and, with quite low-risk for complication, so it seems to be of exceptional worth to attract financial support.
Why does Wendy need funding ?
In many situations pain is experienced for a set period and is passing.
I see Wendy experiencing a chronic level of pain that is ever present and so distressing particularly trying to sleep that she just wants to ‘pull her teeth out’ apart from the extreme difficulty in trying to let go of the pain and do something in life that is constructive. Medication that offers some assistance has been withdrawn because it has commonly been misused on the streets resulting in drug induced death. Wendy adheres to the rules of consumption but has been punished because of other people who basically misuse these medicines to alter their mood or for recreation. I think this is particularly unfair because the pain she suffers is equivalent to torture in my opinion. This surgical procedure offers an opportunity for her to rid herself of a poisonous organ that will not rejuvenate and, of the constant pain this diseased organ causes her. It seems to me that this procedure is an absolute ‘medical miracle’ as it can enable those who suffer so terribly from this and related disease, to begin living comfortably with ability to digest their food and manage their sugar. Among the many other contestants for funding from a limited financial pie, it seems to me that this surgical breakthrough is a 'Mount Everest' if ever there was one. As such any contributory monies you may be willing to offer, would be most graciously appreciated.
How did Wendy become attracted to Crowd Funding ?
Wendy’s interest came with many people enquiring about her aggravated discomfort and worsening condition related to the national opioid withdrawal. People have recognized Wendy very much as a worthy recipient and with their knowledge of ‘crowdfunding’ have encouraged her to enrol. This helped Wendy become more comfortable to reach-out and request assistance. Wendy’s had a internal morphine pain pump for over 10 years on which she has relied for a degree of pain-relief. The pump is awkward and sticks out to her clothing. She’s been coerced diplomatically by her Pain-Specialists to withdraw from the morphine over a period only offering ‘mindfulness’ and ‘relaxation techniques’ as a questionable replacement. People have recognized her growing distress and loss of quality of life, finding her more regularly bedridden and quite deeply depressed, all very difficult for a fun-loving outgoing individual to endure.
Let’s get Wendy back to a place where she can enjoy the comfort of a little dog walking on the beach with her and the joys of caravanning which she has quietly dreamed of resuming for many pain-filled years and which she hopes to resume in the near future after this Surgery with your help.
Wendy would like to thank you all for any contribution you are able to make for her to receive the pain-relief from this wonderfully advanced procedure.