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Jenn's Medical Fund

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My name is Jenn Shepard. I'm 40 years old and live in Mission Viejo, CA. In 2005, I fell down a tile staircase. The fall left me with a bulging disk in my lower back, a hyper-mobile hip that creates instability in my lower back, and sacroiliac joint dysfunction. I go long stints of time where I'm functional, but for the second time in 13 years, I've found myself in a setback that has made it very hard to walk. For months, I've been in pain, housebound and needing a walker. And I'm unemployed due to my disability.

My goal is to reduce pain and increase mobility with in-home acupuncture sessions so that I can get to a doctor for new testing, assessments, and whatever treatments are necessary. It's been difficult to get the treatments I need because it's too painful to leave the house right now. I did go to the emergency room when things suddenly destabilized. My leg muscles had suddenly weakened when the pain hit and my doctor was concerned about nerve damage. The MRI showed a minor disk bulge in a new area, so the main issue is most likely mechanical and caused by a sacroiliac joint that moves more than it's supposed to. 

A similar setback happened 8 years ago and after trying every treatment recommended to me (physical therapy, chiropractic, decompression therapy, massages, etc.), acupuncture was the miracle. In two months, I was walking again. It calmed the pain and inflammation enough to give my body a fighting chance at stabilizing itself again.

The financial help I'm hoping to receive will help me to pay off the emergency room bill, as well as in-home acupuncture sessions 3 times a week, future doctor appointments and tests. I've spoken to my doctor over the phone and he's recommending a new MRI (most likely more than one) and x-rays to make sure nothing has changed since my last round of tests.

I'm humbly asking for your help in getting my life back. Thank you and I hope to be able to return the favor someday. Love to you all.

Organizer

Jenn Shepard
Organizer
Mission Viejo, CA

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