Pray for The Caribou Vacuum Man
Donation protected
Hi,
My name is John Kavin. I have owned and operated a small Vacuum Cleaner Repair & Sales Store in Caribou, Maine for the past 20+ years as a Sole-Proprietor.
I enjoy Helping people every day to solve their problems, and make them smile; all the while helping to keep my little City & surrounding County a bit cleaner :)
Now, it seems that I need some help myself toward some of those same things...
I have a Large Salivary Stone blocking the Right Submandibular Gland in my throat and it needs to be removed.
I am Blessed to be travelling with my Brother James to The World-Renowned OHNI/Cedar-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, CA. James has been gracious to accompany me for Companionship, Encouragement, & Prayer Support, as the Hospital requires me to have someone with me before, during, & after Surgery.
The $15,000.00 this will cost is about 1/2 of its alternative locally INCLUDING Travel & Lodging! :)
We've also found a way to reduce Airfare costs by about 1/2 (as shown below) by Delivering a vehicle from Maine to Texas (Fuel costs paid :) & then Flying out of Dallas to L.A. so we will be leaving Maine on October 21st to make our journey south...
My Surgery is Scheduled for October 31st, 2017 with Pre-Op & Post-Op on the days before & after, they suggest we stay in a nearby area in case of any issues/complications for 3-5 days after as well...
Surgical Costs are about $8000.00, Airfare for 2-about $1000.00, Our Lodgings, also for 2; although normally MUCH MORE Expensive in that area, are about $800.00,
Meals (also for 2) can vary from ALOT; especially when on-the-road although we are verry frugal & thrifty as well as will be keeping all reciepts.
Also,there are many necessary & required Pre-Op Tests that are Required to be done NO MORE than 3-weeks prior to surgery and the time lost from work to accomplish them. Expecting $1000.-$3000.00.
Then there is the parking at the airport $200.00 and all the expense incurred by closing my business for the time needed & having to Pre-Pay the regular bills for that time and Recovery time.
Of all the folks I've told of this since it's diagnosis, as much as maybe 1/2 of 1% of them have heard of it and KNOW what it is. The easiest way I have to explain it is that most folks have heard of a Kidney Stone; for some, the painful way :(
Although most Kidney Stones are miniscule in size (5-10mm) as compared to a Salivary Stone, they can still cause INCREDIBLE Pain to pass. Salivary Stones (as there are very often MORE THAN one) appear much the same, like little Asteroids with SHARP edgy Points & Bumps; are very seldom smooth so when they shift or move inside soft tissue the PAIN is often UNbearable.
Differently though from Kidney Stones, Salivary Stones SELDOM pass unless they are VERY small; at which point they can sometimes even be "massaged" out with less pain. More often, though they must be SURGICALLY REMOVED...
Which is where THIS story begins...
After I was diagnosed correctly; as having a rather Large Salivary Stone, I was also told that there was but ONLY ONE Treatment available. FULL SURGICAL REMOVAL of the Gland!! :(
Science has come a long way but this procedure still involved:
1. Cutting into my neck,
2. Cautiously holding the major line of NERVES that run along & under my jaw up & out of the way (so as NOT to risk damaging them-an EASY fail!!),
3. Then REMOVE the Gland and CARFULLY "LAY" the Nerves Back into place so as to prevent any "Facial Paralysis"; or any other nasty issues that can happen.
Although the Doctors did their best to "Reassure" me that "Those" things never really "Happen" anymore with new technologies; I STILL was Required to sign a pre-op Waiver acknowledging that I knew it was STILL a risk & that I WOULD NOT hold anyone responsible IF it DID!! :(
I asked if there was ANY other option, ANY alternate choice, EVEN Medication I could use... all to no avail. I was told this was it. I said I'd do some research myself to see for, myself if there wasn't NOW; in this New Generation, another choice.
I DID do some extensive research and found quite prominently and easily Dr. Ryan Osborne of The Osborne Head & Neck Institute in Los Angeles,CA. I was very surprised that the New Local Doctor who was supposed to do my Invasive Surgery said he'd never heard of him when I'd asked.
THIS guy, Dr. Osborne, is known around the world, and is THE ONE who created the surgery he does, which is Non-INVASIVE... NO INCISION! and ZERO RISK of Nerve Damage, AND 1/3-1/2 the total cost of doing it locally... INCLUDING Travel & Lodgings!! :) ...
HOW could this be true!? and For Real!? But also ALL the way across the Country! How could I Afford That?? Given the alternatives... l'd Have To try!!
I'll be back to continue shortly... Check back for more...
My name is John Kavin. I have owned and operated a small Vacuum Cleaner Repair & Sales Store in Caribou, Maine for the past 20+ years as a Sole-Proprietor.
I enjoy Helping people every day to solve their problems, and make them smile; all the while helping to keep my little City & surrounding County a bit cleaner :)
Now, it seems that I need some help myself toward some of those same things...
I have a Large Salivary Stone blocking the Right Submandibular Gland in my throat and it needs to be removed.
I am Blessed to be travelling with my Brother James to The World-Renowned OHNI/Cedar-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, CA. James has been gracious to accompany me for Companionship, Encouragement, & Prayer Support, as the Hospital requires me to have someone with me before, during, & after Surgery.
The $15,000.00 this will cost is about 1/2 of its alternative locally INCLUDING Travel & Lodging! :)
We've also found a way to reduce Airfare costs by about 1/2 (as shown below) by Delivering a vehicle from Maine to Texas (Fuel costs paid :) & then Flying out of Dallas to L.A. so we will be leaving Maine on October 21st to make our journey south...
My Surgery is Scheduled for October 31st, 2017 with Pre-Op & Post-Op on the days before & after, they suggest we stay in a nearby area in case of any issues/complications for 3-5 days after as well...
Surgical Costs are about $8000.00, Airfare for 2-about $1000.00, Our Lodgings, also for 2; although normally MUCH MORE Expensive in that area, are about $800.00,
Meals (also for 2) can vary from ALOT; especially when on-the-road although we are verry frugal & thrifty as well as will be keeping all reciepts.
Also,there are many necessary & required Pre-Op Tests that are Required to be done NO MORE than 3-weeks prior to surgery and the time lost from work to accomplish them. Expecting $1000.-$3000.00.
Then there is the parking at the airport $200.00 and all the expense incurred by closing my business for the time needed & having to Pre-Pay the regular bills for that time and Recovery time.
Of all the folks I've told of this since it's diagnosis, as much as maybe 1/2 of 1% of them have heard of it and KNOW what it is. The easiest way I have to explain it is that most folks have heard of a Kidney Stone; for some, the painful way :(
Although most Kidney Stones are miniscule in size (5-10mm) as compared to a Salivary Stone, they can still cause INCREDIBLE Pain to pass. Salivary Stones (as there are very often MORE THAN one) appear much the same, like little Asteroids with SHARP edgy Points & Bumps; are very seldom smooth so when they shift or move inside soft tissue the PAIN is often UNbearable.
Differently though from Kidney Stones, Salivary Stones SELDOM pass unless they are VERY small; at which point they can sometimes even be "massaged" out with less pain. More often, though they must be SURGICALLY REMOVED...
Which is where THIS story begins...
After I was diagnosed correctly; as having a rather Large Salivary Stone, I was also told that there was but ONLY ONE Treatment available. FULL SURGICAL REMOVAL of the Gland!! :(
Science has come a long way but this procedure still involved:
1. Cutting into my neck,
2. Cautiously holding the major line of NERVES that run along & under my jaw up & out of the way (so as NOT to risk damaging them-an EASY fail!!),
3. Then REMOVE the Gland and CARFULLY "LAY" the Nerves Back into place so as to prevent any "Facial Paralysis"; or any other nasty issues that can happen.
Although the Doctors did their best to "Reassure" me that "Those" things never really "Happen" anymore with new technologies; I STILL was Required to sign a pre-op Waiver acknowledging that I knew it was STILL a risk & that I WOULD NOT hold anyone responsible IF it DID!! :(
I asked if there was ANY other option, ANY alternate choice, EVEN Medication I could use... all to no avail. I was told this was it. I said I'd do some research myself to see for, myself if there wasn't NOW; in this New Generation, another choice.
I DID do some extensive research and found quite prominently and easily Dr. Ryan Osborne of The Osborne Head & Neck Institute in Los Angeles,CA. I was very surprised that the New Local Doctor who was supposed to do my Invasive Surgery said he'd never heard of him when I'd asked.
THIS guy, Dr. Osborne, is known around the world, and is THE ONE who created the surgery he does, which is Non-INVASIVE... NO INCISION! and ZERO RISK of Nerve Damage, AND 1/3-1/2 the total cost of doing it locally... INCLUDING Travel & Lodgings!! :) ...
HOW could this be true!? and For Real!? But also ALL the way across the Country! How could I Afford That?? Given the alternatives... l'd Have To try!!
I'll be back to continue shortly... Check back for more...
Organizer
John F. Kavin
Organizer
Caribou, ME