Katherine's surgeries
Donation protected
I have known for years that the bone in my jaw was slowly disappearing. But "slowly" was the word that stuck in my mind. Until a recent consultation with a surgeon and a set of 3D CT scans reavealed that the bone in the front of my jaw is now paper thin.
The bone in the front. You know, the part that holds your teeth, lets you smile and eat, and generally have a mouth? I could now fracture that piece of bone eating a granola bar. Worse, if I don't get a bone graft soon, I won't need the granola bar; I will lose the bone to degeneration.
An initial bone graft is scheduled for August 17, in the hopes that I can come up with the funds in time. It can't wait. "Slowly" caught up to me. The copay for the bone graft is $1,500.
Once the graft heals (four to six months down the line), a second surgery will be performed to place an implant in the site of the degeneration. The cost for that surgery will be between $1,000 and $3,000. I am hopeful that it will be uncomplicated and on the low end of that spectrum.
If this could wait, I would postpone and save up. But it can't. It has to happen right away. The funds will be used to cover my out-of-pocket costs for the surgery. If anything is raised beyond that, it will be used to allow me to take a week off work to recover. (At present, I plan to go straight back to work without the recommended week of recovery time.) I cannot express how much it would mean to me to have this issue dealt with, to have the slow degeneration of my bone stopped, to not worry about permanently damaging my jaw. I am so thankful that I have the kind of community that would band together and help me with this. You all are amazing and I am so grateful for you.
The bone in the front. You know, the part that holds your teeth, lets you smile and eat, and generally have a mouth? I could now fracture that piece of bone eating a granola bar. Worse, if I don't get a bone graft soon, I won't need the granola bar; I will lose the bone to degeneration.
An initial bone graft is scheduled for August 17, in the hopes that I can come up with the funds in time. It can't wait. "Slowly" caught up to me. The copay for the bone graft is $1,500.
Once the graft heals (four to six months down the line), a second surgery will be performed to place an implant in the site of the degeneration. The cost for that surgery will be between $1,000 and $3,000. I am hopeful that it will be uncomplicated and on the low end of that spectrum.
If this could wait, I would postpone and save up. But it can't. It has to happen right away. The funds will be used to cover my out-of-pocket costs for the surgery. If anything is raised beyond that, it will be used to allow me to take a week off work to recover. (At present, I plan to go straight back to work without the recommended week of recovery time.) I cannot express how much it would mean to me to have this issue dealt with, to have the slow degeneration of my bone stopped, to not worry about permanently damaging my jaw. I am so thankful that I have the kind of community that would band together and help me with this. You all are amazing and I am so grateful for you.
Organizer
Katherine Hunt
Organizer
Astoria, NY