Donna's Medical and Recovery Fund
Donation protected
Duke, our Great Dane ran into her knee on 6.5.21 and it started to hurt on 6.8.21. She was taken to urgent care, then her MD the next day, then ER the day after that. At this point she has been bedridden. She saw Orthopedic Dr the next day and he ordered a MRI. On 6.20.21 she fell which is when I think she hurt her elbow internally. On 6.22.21, 911 was called and she was taken to hospital and was admitted. She had a hematoma in her knee, a very bad blood infection and was in Diabetic ketoacidosis. She was hours from death. Her entire system was failing. She had two surgery sites (knee and elbow) to remove infection. It is too risky to remove the hematoma and we hope it will dissolve on its own. Although the surgeries were completed,, she continues to have complications. She continues to fight effects of her illness (Anemia and Internal Bleeding, confusion and other things). Hopefully sometime the week of July 5th she will be strong enough to be moved to an Inpatient Physical Therapy Rehab Center for at least six weeks (the length of time she will be on IV Antibiotics). Once she gets home she will have PT three times per week. As of today she has been in ICU for a week and regular room on the surgery floor for a week. -Update as of 7.4.21
Update July 24, 2021, Donna was in physical therapy for just at a week when she began throwing up so much blood during a session. They rushed her back to the hospital where she stayed another week and a half for further testing and monitoring. Her esophagus was so inflamed it bleed at the touch. There was talk of stomach surgery if change in medication did not help. An endoscopy was preformed. As of the 22nd, she was finally approved to return to inpatient physical therapy. She is still very limited with any mobility but was able to wheel herself across the room yesterday. She is really struggling with mental health through this process. Her short term disability has not yet been approved. So her spouse is struggling with some financial aspects of daily life. She has been away from the house in between the ICU, ER, and inpatient care for 5 weeks. She is not expected to return home for at least another 4 weeks as she has to remain on IV antibiotics for that time.
Update 8/1/22: It’s so so very good to see Donna’s personality coming back!! She’s almost back to herself. She walked a little with the walker in PT yesterday. Big step to coming home. She got her discharge date. August 16th I took her Popeyes chicken for dinner Saturday night. I didn’t stay for too long. She will be here for one more week. What a blessing it’s been having her here. Not only the physical help but the emotional Heath too. I didn’t feel so alone in this journey.
Donna will have another sonogram on her leg to try to figure out why it’s still painful and the pins and needles feeling in her foot.
I brought home some of her laundry so I’ll do that this morning so I can take it back to rehab.
Please help us raise money to support her in her recovery. Every penny will go towards her medical expenses, daily living expenses, and recovery. Thank you for your consideration and help.
Organizer
Ashley Castleman
Organizer
Lockport, IL