Help Us Pay For My Brain Surgery Recovery

Update 2: I saw my neurosurgeon’s ARNP Friday the 13th and got my staples out! Everything is healing well. My treatment plan will consist of Speech, physical and occupational therapy, a healthy diet to control my diabetes and promote healing, scans every 4-6 weeks to ensure there’s no tumor growth, follow ups every 6 weeks with Dr Olivera and his team and lots of meds including anti seizure meds, 3 blood pressure meds because my Bp goes up for no reason, insulin and migraine meds to name just a few. I’m dedicated to the plan and so blessed to have my husband, Kenny, Gabe and my in laws, Linda and Walter, supporting me in this journey!

Update: Surgery was on Monday, August 19th. I’m almost 3 weeks post op. Everything is incredibly painful and I have migraines everyday, but it’s getting better. I’ll start Speech, Physical and Occupational therapy all next week. The follow up with Dr Olivera, who is amazing!, will be Friday the 13th and we will look at scans and take out a couple dozen staples. Dr Olivera wasn’t able to remove the entire tumor because it sat in the V of my optical nerve, above my olfactory nerves and where 2 major arteries feed into the brain. A “shell” of tumor was left where it adheres to these nerves and arteries. I might eventually need another surgery or radiation if the tumor starts to grow again.

I’ve been unemployed for a month now when I went into the hospital from the ER on August 12th. I won’t be able to work for 4-6 months as I recover and my brain/bdy relearns how to do things. For example, tying my shoes is incredibly painful because bending over makes my head feel like it will explode. One of my nurse practitioners who had a similar surgery said sometimes these symptoms never go away. My scalp is numb because all those nerves were cut. It’s itchy and numb now but I’ve been told it will feel like tiny spiders under the skin as the nerves regrow. I get nauseous and dizzy quite often and get sooooo tired throughout the day. I try to be up and about doing my list of PT and OT exercises but it takes me all day because I’m exhausted all the time and get constant headaches.

I will continue to update as I can and will post pics after the staples get removed Friday the 13th. Though with then I am Halloween ready!!

How the donations will be used:

It will cost about $10,000 per month for doctors visits, MRIs, CTs and Speech, OT and PT therapies(my part) AFTER insurance. Also, we have gone from a 2 income to a 1 income family. My husband works full time but that will only pay half of our rent, utilities, insurance and car payment.

Brain Tumor Overview

Just over a year ago, my mother, Shannon Stafford, started to lose her vision, followed by debilitating migraines and intense pain that would last for days at a time eventually leading to her being sent to the emergency room.

Soon after we were informed she has a brain tumor sitting on top of the optic nerves, which had been the source of her discomfort.

This was followed with a menagerie of tests, scans, injections, and follow ups from a vast array of specialists. Though they chose to leave the tumor, given it wasn’t growing at a rapid pace.

Though as the months passed her symptoms only got worse before she had to go in for emergency surgery to remove the tumor and the pressure it applied. Which has all led up to a hefty list of bills to pay.

Any help towards paying these bills is greatly appreciated.

The GoFundMe money will be used to pay monthly bills, doctors’ visits, MRI or CT imaging, Speech, OT and Physical Therapy, etc.