Brittany's Brain Bills
Donation protected
March 13th will be the third anniversary of the Brain Surgery that changed my life. I went into surgery as a normal human being; when I woke up I was no longer in the body I had known for 23 years. I was stuck in a body that could no longer function.
I had to relearn how to walk and talk. My eyes were twisted and I saw the world through the most horrible double-double vision (that's right, vertically and horizontally). I could no longer eat or drink because half my throat was paralyzed and I actually forgot how to swallow. I couldn't balance which made walking unbelievably difficult and running out of the question. I became deaf in one ear and lost the ability to blink. Those were just a few of the things that changed. I guess I can pretty much sum up that experience (and it's on-going effects) in two words "Life Sucked". At that point I didn't want to be alive but I worked hard, harder than I ever have in order to regain an iota of what I lost.
I went to physical, speech, and occupational therapy (not to mention a shrink to try and cope with this life change) and I worked my butt off. At the same time I decided I needed to finish my college degree. So I went back to college, got straight A's and a minor, and graduated Suma Cum Laude; the highest of honors.
I've had tons of surgeries since to try and fix some of the damage the Brain Surgery did. I still have quite a few to go.
It's embarrassing to tell you that I'm struggling paying the hospital back. My husband and I both have full time jobs but with these bills we can hardly afford to put food on the table. I would never ask if it wasn't necessary and I've prayed about what to do. If God has taught me one thing in this process it's "humility," sometimes you need help because you just can't do it all by yourself. That's why I'm asking for your help because I need it; we can't do it by ourselves anymore.
All I really want in life is to function like I used to but I know things will never be the same. These surgeries can never bring back the girl I used to know but they at least help me to speak, eat, and see again. You never know how much the little things in life matter till they're gone. It makes me cry but I can't change life, it keeps going on, no matter what.
I don't know if you could ever understand just how much your help would mean to us. You can give me the chance to live again and that is a gift that is priceless. Thank you and God bless!
I had to relearn how to walk and talk. My eyes were twisted and I saw the world through the most horrible double-double vision (that's right, vertically and horizontally). I could no longer eat or drink because half my throat was paralyzed and I actually forgot how to swallow. I couldn't balance which made walking unbelievably difficult and running out of the question. I became deaf in one ear and lost the ability to blink. Those were just a few of the things that changed. I guess I can pretty much sum up that experience (and it's on-going effects) in two words "Life Sucked". At that point I didn't want to be alive but I worked hard, harder than I ever have in order to regain an iota of what I lost.
I went to physical, speech, and occupational therapy (not to mention a shrink to try and cope with this life change) and I worked my butt off. At the same time I decided I needed to finish my college degree. So I went back to college, got straight A's and a minor, and graduated Suma Cum Laude; the highest of honors.
I've had tons of surgeries since to try and fix some of the damage the Brain Surgery did. I still have quite a few to go.
It's embarrassing to tell you that I'm struggling paying the hospital back. My husband and I both have full time jobs but with these bills we can hardly afford to put food on the table. I would never ask if it wasn't necessary and I've prayed about what to do. If God has taught me one thing in this process it's "humility," sometimes you need help because you just can't do it all by yourself. That's why I'm asking for your help because I need it; we can't do it by ourselves anymore.
All I really want in life is to function like I used to but I know things will never be the same. These surgeries can never bring back the girl I used to know but they at least help me to speak, eat, and see again. You never know how much the little things in life matter till they're gone. It makes me cry but I can't change life, it keeps going on, no matter what.
I don't know if you could ever understand just how much your help would mean to us. You can give me the chance to live again and that is a gift that is priceless. Thank you and God bless!
Organizer
Brittany Toliver
Organizer
Rochester, MN