Lisa's Brain Aneurysm, Heart, Lungs & Bones

Hello my name is Sandra.

I created this gofundme for my Best Friend of 45 yrs.

I hope you will see in her what I do, how special she is as a person, what a beautiful soul she has & that she deserves to be here.

Ever since we were young kids she displayed a nurturing side to her that not even many adults display. She just wanted everyone to feel loved & cared for the way she was.

She is a wife, a mom to 4 kids & has 3 grandchildren. Its a role she is definatley made for as she loves & enjoys having a family. 

She worked for 9 years & managed the garden dept at Home Depot when she broke her back the 1st time, she says this was the start of her never-ending health problems.

She was unloading a truck of Christmas trees when she felt a pop & a burning sensation in her back that took her to her knees.

That morning she went to the ER where they found two stress fractures in the lumbar region of her back.

Over the next 6 years she went through 4 Spinal Surgeries.

She was never able to return to work & her life changed in a way that she says "I no longer live, I just exsist day to day"

(This picture is of her back which is deformed after having 4 spinal surgeries)

She went from living a physically active, care free lifestyle with her husband & kids to now.....

Only going up & down stairs just twice a day, once in the morning to come down & once at night to go up. Grocery shopping has to be split up into several trips & sometimes 2 days because she can't stand for more than 30 mins.

She no longer walks the trails near her home which she loved doing as it made her feel one with nature. Now she walks to the end of her street & back, & struggles even with that.

She can only sleep on her sides & sleeps 1 hour here or 2 hours there.  

In order to help control her pain, she receives Caudal/Coccygeal Epidural Blocks 4 to 6 times a year. 

In 2017 she had a Heart Attack & Lisa being Lisa & already feeling as though she is a burden on her family, drove herself to the ER. When they told her she needed to be transfered to Fairfax Hospitals Heart Center she asked if she could drive herself because she didn't want to get a bill for the ambulance service, of course they politley told her no.

The Angiogram showed no blockage in any of the chambers & it was determined that stress caused her heart attack. 

She was told she had to control her levels of stress & placed on heart medications, which soon became a problem as you will see in the pictures below.

In 2016 she started coughing up blood. The Cat Scan showed she had multiple Lung Nodules in both lungs, all appeared benign however 25% of each lower lung lobe is collapsed, so she only has 75% capacity in each lung.

She also has severe Emphysema & a rare lung disease called "Bronchiectasis". The airways in her lungs are wider than normal so they fill up with large amounts of very thick, sticky phlegm, causing her to choke & restrict her breathing to where it's like she's suffocating. 

There is no cure & can turn fatal in some cases. A flare-ups lasts normally 2 to 3 months. She uses numerous medications, inhalers & breathing treatments to help break up the phlegm & ease her breathing.

(Picture is self explanatory)

In 2014 she was diagnosed with a 3mm Brain Aneurysm that is on the left carotid artery of her brain.

Her Neurologist explained that anything over 5mm was considered high risk for rupture & would require surgical repair.  

She is suppose to have an MRA scan every 2 years to check for growth & any new Aneurysms &/or Tumors.

However her last MRA scan was in 2016. Due to her having to get other scans & tests done, she couldn't afford to get the MRA's done, especially if they fell in the same year

ALL her scans are vital in keeping track of her health issues, she shouldn't have to pick which one to get & which ones she cant.

In November just past, she started having symptoms that scared her & after she spoke with her Neurologist, he expressed the concern that these symptoms could possibly be related to her Aneurysm growing in size & pushing against her brain or could be a new tumor they don't know about yet. They were stern about the importance of having an MRA done ASAP.

She has an appt March 15th.

Her constant Back problems, her Lung disease, Brain aneurysm and her Heart are the big 4 for her.

I wish I could tell you that's all she has to worry about, as if those aren't serious enough, however she also has Advanced Osteoporosis, her bone density test shows her bones are that of an 85 yr old woman, Lisa is only 55 yrs old.  

Her bones are so fragile & brittle in 2022 within 6 months she broke her back again at the Thoracic level, 1 of her ribs & 2 of her toes. She also suffers from short term Memory loss, Fibromyalgia, Essential Tremor & severe Arthritis.

(This was when she broke her back in 2022 just from lifting a case of water.)

(Her lungs which show severe Emphysema and Bronchiectasis)

(A side view of her lungs all streaked with white and the curvature of her spine)

(With her son after one of her surgeries where she developed a serious infection)

(After her 1st spine surgery)

(She was in so much pain after the 4th surgery they attached 18 tiny electrical leads to her spinal cord called a Spinal Cord Stimulator to help control her pain)

(Her 2nd spinal fusion they entered through her side instead of re-opening the scar on her back. The doctor had such large hands he had to break her last rib in order to fit his hands inside her body)

(blood thinners caused her to bleed out underneath and through her skin.)

(She bumped her knee & severe brusing occurred)

(Bruises she would sustain just from itching or rubbing her skin also caused by the blood thinners)

(# of scans shes had done)

As her best friend of 45 yrs & someone who I love & care for deeply, I felt this is how I can try to help. 

Her medical team depends on these scans to guide them in the direction that could lead to a successful treatment and/or that could prevent & stop something worse from occurring.

I dont want her to think or feel like a burden to her family or friends as we all love her so very much.

She has been told to remain stress free, to control her coughing, sneezing, limit her bending over, straining, yelling, no holding her breath so as to control the blood flow to her brain.

She has applied for Social Security Disability 3 times since her last spinal surgery and been denied all 3 times. You would think with all of her health problems and the seriousness of them that she would be approved. Especially with all her Doctors verification.

Donations will also help go towards securing an attorney should she be denied again this 4th time.

She has always cared for & given herself to everyone else, now its time for her to allow others to help care for her. 

She is such a beautiful human being & she still has so much to share with us.

Thank you for taking the time out to read this & for your consideration to help.

God Bless,

Sandra Harris