We need your help

 

KATE'S GO FUND ME PAGE

It's been a tough month since my last post, with so much information that at times it has felt completely overwhelming.  My back has continued to worsen and surgeons here have been left scratching their heads as to what to do. 

 

What I really need is a three level disc replacement and a revision surgery of the SIJ operation that was done back in January that went horribly wrong.  However, surgeons here simply don't do it, it's not covered by health funds so it's not available.  Leaving me disabled with no fix and no hope of anything improving.  

The only thing surgeons here can do is a further fusion, but with the fusion in my SIJ already this is a very bad idea as I would lose too much movement in my spine and not be any better off than I am now. It was suggested to us that we look to Europe where disc replacements are commonplace and have been done for over 30 years.

We started looking abroad and managed to get an appointment with one of the worlds leading surgeons Dr Rischke in Switzerland.  After much back and forth he has confirmed I am a good candidate for the three level disc replacement plus he hopes to be able to reverse the SIJ fusion done in January.  The latter we won't know until we are in Switzerland.  He will need to do a CT to confirm there is still no union between the bones. If that is the case he will be able to remove the screws, at the very least he should be able to shorten the screw that is currently digging into a nerve, which hurts like hell. 

So, what does this all mean?  Well in early October Craig and I will head to Zurich for what will certainly be the scariest adventure to date.  We will be gone we hope no longer than five weeks barring no complications or other problems.  I will spend one week in hospital before moving into rehabilitation for the remaining weeks.  We will then travel back to Australia.

 

However, as you can imagine all this comes at a huge financial cost.  The cost of the two operations, plus travel, accommodation and everything else comes to around $140,000 which honestly makes me feel a bit sick.

My parents have offered to help us as much as they can, plus we have had very generous offers of help from other members of my family but we are still way off what we need to make the trip and operation possible.

My sister and my niece suggested we set up a 'Go Fund me page'.  I will be honest I wanted to crawl into a hole and hide rather than ask anyone for help.  But this isn't just about me anymore it's also about the girls having a Mum that isn't completely useless to them growing up. I have felt utterly useless to them for months now and it's the worst feeling in the world.  There is so many things I can't do with them anymore and this operation would give me my life back and give them their Mum back.

I am a proud person and asking for help of any kind is not something I have ever been very good at, let alone asking my friends, family and people I don't know to donate money. Especially when there are so many worthier causes than mine out there.  I am completely mortified by the idea but as the weeks have gone by and I have had a chance to think about my future I realise that without this operation I am completely stuffed.  A number of you suggested I set up a fund me page so I am taking your advice.  Because it's not just about me, it's about my family too.  This operation offers me the best possible outcome but without your help it won't be possible. 

Anything you are able to give whether it's one dollar or a million (I'm hoping!!) will be gratefully received.  I know you are all mostly in the same boat as us and live from one week to the next, so please don't feel obliged or pressured. If you are able to give something to help well that's just wonderful if not that's okay too.  

The other thing you can do to help is to share my page far and wide and hope that some insanely rich person with more money than sense will see our story and think 'I would like to help them'.  

Upon our return to Australia my poor Craig will also be facing back surgery.  It's going to be a long road ahead for my family but with a little help from our friends it may be just a little bit easier.

Thanks so much to you all for everything, whether that's an email checking up on me, a text, a phone call or a donation, everything you all do is so appreciated.  I feel very lucky to have so many people supporting us.

Kate x