Please help me with expenses before after surgery

Hi, my name is Gail Leadenham. I live in Green Mountain, NC. I’m looking for donations to help me get through this hard time prior to, during and after surgery until I can get back on my feet.

I’ve had 11 back surgeries and hopefully this will be my 12th and final one. Over the last year I’ve been progressively getting worse. I am in pain 24/7. I am in need of a PSO, Pedicle Subtraction Osteotomy. This is where they remove vertebrae in my lumbar spine, L2 L3 & L4, then fuse L1 to L5. This is in order to achieve proper posture, and to help me be more steady on my feet. They also have to do a decompression of my thoracic spine at T2 to T9. They will go in and remove all the hardware I already have in place and replace it with four rods and screws which will keep my spine in place. This is where the majority of my pain is coming from. The severe spinal stenosis, and the compression of the spinal cord are causing radiating pain from the middle of my back around and under my ribs and into my abdomen. It is causing issues with the nerves that are running to my gut, which in turn is considerably slowing down my digestive tract as well as running down my legs and causing me to fall. It is imperative, I have this taken care of as soon as possible.

Dr Rocos at Duke University Hospital/spine clinic is doing the surgery. It will be an all day affair in the OR and he’s trying to get me in as soon as possible. It may be 3 to 4 weeks. Hopefully sooner!

I am unable and have been unable to do my Farm & Pet Sitting jobs. I am also a disabled veteran. The VA hospital will be taking care of all my medical bills, but I am in need of help with expenses, bills, my dogs, house cleaning etc.

Dr Rocos said that I will be in the hospital for at least three weeks following surgery and will need help for at least three months after. The good news is he also told me that after surgery I should be able to stand up and feel much better and by this time next year I should be almost back to normal.

Would you please help me by donating and/or sharing this gofundme? Thank you in advance.