Laura's medical bills and daily living expenses

Hi, this is Andrea Zieba and I am creating this page for my sister, Laura Zuleger, who has been off of work since July 6 due to medical needs. Here is her story:

July 1st, 2023: On call at work, feeling neck pain that was managed by Ibuprofen and heat

July 4th: made it to the lake to celebrate the 4th, however, pain was not as manageable (ironically, Andrew was also dealing with neck pain at this time).

July 5th: chiropractor visit to work on her SI joint, up to her neck and shoulders.

July 6th: Woke up feeling like her shoulder was being ripped off. Tylenol/Ibuprofen did not help for pain management. Very thankful for her work family to pick up the heavy lifting. First trip to Urgent Care. X-ray showed a couple of bone spurs in her neck, but her shoulders looked good.

Next 5 days: Pain managed by Prednisone.

July 14th: Numbness and tingling in hands and occasionally in left foot. First trip to ER. MRI showed 2 herniated discs, one that was pinching her spinal cord as well as several areas of arthritis. ER doctor said a referral from primary was necessary to see a neurosurgeon. Out of work until referral process was complete.

July 28th: First visit to neurosurgeon. Not sure what caused the herniated discs, but possibly residual effects from 2 car accidents and wear and tear from nursing work. Mentions surgery but need to try less intrusive procedures first. Schedules steroid neck injection (in 2 weeks…thankful to know people!), orders PT for 6 weeks and an EMG to make sure nerves were not being damaged by the herniated discs. No work for 4 weeks after the injection. Pain management=Prednisone (her best friend!)

Aug. 4th: Steroid neck injection. Did not change level of pain. Still waiting on EMG (even though it was ordered as STAT).

Aug 15th: First scheduled EMG canceled day of. Rescheduled to Aug. 30th. Prednisone prescription is done. Pain is excruciating. FMLA/STD is running out. Became the squeaky wheel to get the grease and was able to get in for EMG the next day.

Aug. 16th: EMG occurred. Doctor went on vacation. Wait for follow-up.

Aug. 26th: Pain so unbearable, off to ER visit #2. More steroids. Orders for another MRI. Prescriptions for Flexeril, Hydrocodone, and Gabapentin. Laura describes it as : “I was so loopy on pills. I couldn’t get out of bed. Most days I sat in Epson salt baths multiple times a day/night to just get the pain to ease a bit. I would be up crying in the middle of the night, so much so that my oldest son Caleb heard me and came out to the couch to hug and hold me for the longest time.”

Sept 8th: MRI before visit with neurosurgeon. MRI showed more herniation. Elected for surgery. Disc replacement with a fusion below. No work for 6 weeks post-surgery.

Sept 15th: Insurance denies the disc replacement. FMLA/STO dwindling. Doctor to do a peer to peer review and keep her posted.

Sept 29th:Doctor calls. Could continue to fight with insurance for up to 2 months and never win OR could just do a fusion at 2 levels. Surgery scheduled for Oct 24th.

Oct. 24th: Surgery went well. Off of work for minimum of 6 weeks. No bending or lifting. Wearing a neck brace as an accessory.

Laura struggled to write this story because she has never had to ask for financial help, even when putting herself through college as a single mom. When financial help is necessary, picking up extra shifts or getting a second job have always been options. Now her FMLA and Short Term Disability have ended. She has one paycheck left of PTO and once that is gone, she will be paying her (and her family's) full insurance premiums at a daily rate. Her paycheck this week barely covered the mortgage. They have a max out of pocket of $10,000 for medical costs and have already been contacted to get set up on payment plans. They were told, “You make too much money” to qualify for less than $250 a month. Excuse me, WHAT?!?!?

Andrew is working around the clock trying to make ends meet and keep them afloat, and their three children are doing all they can to help out around the house while trying to keep up with their schooling and their own jobs. This is more than anyone should ask of their young children. Laura has dedicated her life to her nursing, helping strangers in their own healing journey. She is now humbly asking for your financial support in her own journey as she and Andrew navigate this unexpected medical issue that has impacted their lives so drastically. If nothing else, please pray for her and her family to find the strength and faith to get through what is to come. Thank you for taking the time to read.