Help me get my 4th & hopefully LAST endo surgery

Hi, my name is Emily and I have stage 4 deep infiltrating endometriosis. So far, this disease has been found on my bladder, ureter, fallopian tube, both ovaries, bowels, various ligaments, and other areas within my abdominal cavity. I have already had surgery at one of the most renowned hospitals in California (twice), including the removal of my appendix and part of my large intestine. My last surgery there resulted in major blood loss, several transfusions, and an emergency D&C.

I will be having my 4th surgery (within 8 years) for endometriosis on August 8th, 2023 after a massive ovarian cyst (endometrioma) ruptured earlier this year spreading the disease yet again throughout my abdomen. The difference this time is that I will be flying to Atlanta, GA to The Center for Endometriosis Care to have my first surgery with a true endometriosis expert, Dr. Ken Sinervo. The goal of this surgery is to find and remove ALL endometriosis, preserve/save my fertility, and hopefully prevent me from needing another surgery again.

Sadly, this disease which affects 1 in 10 people with a uterus and is considered one of the 20 most painful conditions receives very little attention or money. Because of this, finding quality care with someone who is actually trained to identify and safely & effectively remove endometriosis through complete excision (the gold standard of care) is seemingly impossible.

This is why I am flying to Georgia and spending upwards of $20,000 to receive medically necessary treatment by a true expert and a trained multi-disciplinary team. I am incredibly privileged to have a parent willing to use her retirement funds to pay for this surgery that will not be covered by insurance, however, the fact that she needs to do this in order to help me live a normal life is truly awful.

As uncomfortable as it is for me to ask for help in any regard, I feel compelled to ask for all the support I and my family can receive during this time. As some of you may know I have been a full-time grad student for the last two years and don’t have a single cent to my name. Due to the progressive nature of this disease and my current symptoms, I don’t have the option to push my surgery back and save even a little money for travel expenses.

Please consider donating even a few dollars and/or sharing with your community to help us out with travel expenses. This disease is awful. The price of quality surgery is seriously unfair. The fact that I need to fly to Georgia for proper treatment is wild. The lack of care from our medical system is disgusting. And I need your help. It really does take a village.

Humbly and with immense gratitude & love,

Emily

All funds will be used to book travel and accommodations for my surgery. Any additional funds will be given to my mama to help alleviate the financial burden of paying out of pocket for my surgery and hospital bills.