Help Jay Rodriguez Get Back On His Foot
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Jay fractured a bone in his right foot and got an infection in the same foot at the same time in November, which led to a very hard and quick decision for the two of us. After much thought, we agreed with the doctor that the best decision was an amputation.
For those who know Jay, we joked about socks and shoes being half priced (since we only needed one of each) or wondering how long it would take for him to get back on his foot.
But this was far from all jokes and humor.
After deciding on the amputation, Jay spent the next day breaking the dreaded news to his father, his sister, his daughter and son, and the rest of his friends and family. Needless to say, there were plenty of tears.
The amputation of his lower right leg went as well as it could go. Jay and I spent 24 days and nights in Conway Medical Center. Jay's employer used vacation and holiday pay to cover his insurance payments, but there wasn't any left over for pay. Jay did not have short-term disability, so most of November, all of December and part of January left us without income. I work a seasonal job, which was cut short by Hurricane Florence. The hurricane not only stopped our income by September, but it depleted anything we saved from the summer.
Our friends kicked into gear and gathered money to cover our major bills in December.
When we got home from the stay in Conway hospital, Jay was repeatedly getting sick. It got so bad, that by the seventh day out of the hospital, he was throwing up every two hours. Through the night, he would sleep for about an hour and a half and then get sick. I knew we had to do something.
We took him back to Conway, but they didn't find anything wrong. We then took him to Grand Strand Medical Center -- a place known for its cardiac treatment -- and after a couple days of blood work (Jay loved getting pricked at 5 in the morning and fasting four nights in a row until they found out what was wrong with him) the doctors found something wrong in the arteries leading to his heart.
Through an EKG, the doctors noticed blockage leading to his heart. We were devastated. Not only was Jay laying there with part of his leg amputated, but now his heart was in serious trouble. We went over, time and time again with the doctors, that Jay's mom had heart trouble and had open heart surgery and died of a massive heart attack when she was 57.
We were just days before Christmas -- a time where Jay and I love to go to the local aquarium, check out the 50 trees they decorate for each state, and, of course, find the Indiana and Illinois trees -- we're in a hospital wondering what else his body could endure.
Not wasting any time, the doctors scheduled an emergency catheterization where they found 80 percent blockage in two arteries leading to his heart. They put three stints in those arteries, and discharged him from the hospital a few days later.
Luckily, we were able to spend Christmas together at home. Luckily, we have more Christmases to spend together. Luckily, we still have him here. My babe.
We're home now. We had to put a car for sale and was able to get an advance of money from a friend of ours on the sale of the car. I went and took out a new loan against my car. Jay is doing some work from home each week to afford insurance for him and the kids. We have a benefit scheduled for Jay at Danny Lee's Place in Myrtle Beach . We're making it, but barely.
We're hoping that those who have laughed with Jay, worked with him and have become friends with him in all the places he lived -- Chicago, the Illinois Valley, Aledo, Brunswick County, N.C., Logansport, Ind., and Myrtle Beach -- can give what they can afford. We're hoping to bridge the gap between these emergency surgeries and getting Jay back on the right foot... literally.
For those who know Jay, we joked about socks and shoes being half priced (since we only needed one of each) or wondering how long it would take for him to get back on his foot.
But this was far from all jokes and humor.
After deciding on the amputation, Jay spent the next day breaking the dreaded news to his father, his sister, his daughter and son, and the rest of his friends and family. Needless to say, there were plenty of tears.
The amputation of his lower right leg went as well as it could go. Jay and I spent 24 days and nights in Conway Medical Center. Jay's employer used vacation and holiday pay to cover his insurance payments, but there wasn't any left over for pay. Jay did not have short-term disability, so most of November, all of December and part of January left us without income. I work a seasonal job, which was cut short by Hurricane Florence. The hurricane not only stopped our income by September, but it depleted anything we saved from the summer.
Our friends kicked into gear and gathered money to cover our major bills in December.
When we got home from the stay in Conway hospital, Jay was repeatedly getting sick. It got so bad, that by the seventh day out of the hospital, he was throwing up every two hours. Through the night, he would sleep for about an hour and a half and then get sick. I knew we had to do something.
We took him back to Conway, but they didn't find anything wrong. We then took him to Grand Strand Medical Center -- a place known for its cardiac treatment -- and after a couple days of blood work (Jay loved getting pricked at 5 in the morning and fasting four nights in a row until they found out what was wrong with him) the doctors found something wrong in the arteries leading to his heart.
Through an EKG, the doctors noticed blockage leading to his heart. We were devastated. Not only was Jay laying there with part of his leg amputated, but now his heart was in serious trouble. We went over, time and time again with the doctors, that Jay's mom had heart trouble and had open heart surgery and died of a massive heart attack when she was 57.
We were just days before Christmas -- a time where Jay and I love to go to the local aquarium, check out the 50 trees they decorate for each state, and, of course, find the Indiana and Illinois trees -- we're in a hospital wondering what else his body could endure.
Not wasting any time, the doctors scheduled an emergency catheterization where they found 80 percent blockage in two arteries leading to his heart. They put three stints in those arteries, and discharged him from the hospital a few days later.
Luckily, we were able to spend Christmas together at home. Luckily, we have more Christmases to spend together. Luckily, we still have him here. My babe.
We're home now. We had to put a car for sale and was able to get an advance of money from a friend of ours on the sale of the car. I went and took out a new loan against my car. Jay is doing some work from home each week to afford insurance for him and the kids. We have a benefit scheduled for Jay at Danny Lee's Place in Myrtle Beach . We're making it, but barely.
We're hoping that those who have laughed with Jay, worked with him and have become friends with him in all the places he lived -- Chicago, the Illinois Valley, Aledo, Brunswick County, N.C., Logansport, Ind., and Myrtle Beach -- can give what they can afford. We're hoping to bridge the gap between these emergency surgeries and getting Jay back on the right foot... literally.
Organizer
Brandi Russell
Organizer
Myrtle Beach, SC
