Christopher Watkins Medical Fund

My name is Tonya Watkins. My son Christopher Watkins has been battling complications from surgical procedure that was preformed November of 2013. Chris went in to have a Gastric Bypass. The first 6 months after the surgery went great with no complications. Around the seventh month he started experiencing troubles with eating and drinking, every thing he tried came back up. From that point after, it has been a constant struggle. Chris has had many trips to the hospital most of which were for numerous days running tests to try to find the problem. Chris has had roughly 15 EGDs. An EGD is a procedure that allows the Doctor to go down the throat with a scope. If the throat has narrowed, the Doctor can stretch it back open at this time. After the many, many hospital visits, the decision was made to do a Gastric Bypass revision on June 15th 2015. After the June 15th surgery, Chris' bladder failed, so now he has to self-cath at least four times a day.  This second surgery also caused Chris to have troubles with his blood sugar dropping in the low 30s causing him to faint very often. After many tests, it was determined that the second surgery was causing the issues that were still going on. On September 14th 2015, Chris was admitted back into the hospital after passing out at work. It was quickly decided by Chris's team of Doctors that he needed to have a Gastric Bypass reversal and hook everything back up like it originally was. Chris did fair for a month after the third surgery. After that, he was running into the same problems as before with not being able to eat or drink.  On October 29th, there was a Dobhoff feeding tube installed. He was able to keep that feeding tube installed until December 4th. At that time, the feeding tube was switched out with another Dobhoff. The plan is to install a permanent feeding tube in the abdomen sometime in March. It was recommended that we seek out for additional treatment options and second opinions. Chris has been going to Baylor Scott & White in Temple, TX since October. We have made 5 trips, and have many more appointments scheduled in the near future. Our last visit, which was on December, 24th 2015 Chris was diagnosed with severe Delirium. Delirium causes severe confusion and hallucinations He was told he could not work, drive, or be left alone until he can pass a neuropsych test. Chris was also told her was severe anemic and needed to have IV Iron transfusions three times a week. We are still in the process of getting that setup here in Amarillo instead of traveling to Temple three times a week. Any money collected will be used for the trips back and forth to Temple, prescriptions, and any out of pocket medical expenses. Each trip usually keeps us down there 3 days, and usually runs around $600.00. We have also had to start paying for his prescriptions again, which run approximately $1350 monthly. The feeding tube and supplies cost $278 weekly. Anything collected will be greatly appreciated. I love my son so much and so proud of him for the strength he continues to have to get answers about his health, which we so badly need.

Thank You,
Tonya Watkins