Donate here for Karen's New Hip

Karen Sgambati, a beloved Ithacan and employee of Moosewood Restaurant is having her hip (her lovely hip!) replaced and wouldn't it be nice if she didn't starve to death while she recovered! But seriously. We love Karen so dearly, and are rallying friends and family to come together to support her while she undergoes surgery and recovery.

From Karen:

For the past several years I have been suffering from severe right hip osteoarthropathy. My hip joint has become degraded to the point I have no cartilage left to cushion the joint, it is now just bone on bone. At this point my quality of life is quite poor. I'm in a great deal of pain and have difficulty just moving around. Even though I'm a bit terrified to take the surgery plunge, it is necessary and I can't put it off any longer.

I've recently spent six weeks recovering from a broken back where I fractured my L1 and L2 transverse processes. That was a real nightmare, but I have successfully healed to the degree I have been okayed by my spinal clinic to take the next step, hip replacement surgery. It is scheduled for December 14. For those who know, Dr. Deidre Blake will be performing my surgery, so I am i very good hands.

After my surgery I will have two weeks of in-home physical therapy followed by out-patient physical therapy, and post-op doctor visits. Although I do have insurance I have a large out-of-pocket maximum, and there are additional things it does not help pay for. Any donation you can make will be used to pay for medical bills, physical therapy, orthopedic appointments, travel to and from appointments (I have to use Uber), and general aftercare costs. Funds will also help me pay for living expenses and help replace lost wages until I can get back to work, literally on my feet.

Thank you all so much for taking the time to read my story. Any donations, including encouragement and love will be greatly appreciated.