Stand with Joe in His Battle for Health

Hi, my name is Joe and I'm raising funds because I am in a dire medical situation and my financial resources are extremely minimal.

I'm on SSDI which does not pay much unfortunately, I've had Hodgkin's lymphoma for the last 10 years stage 4 for the last seven, as far as I know it is intermission but I'm not sure as I have not been able to see my oncologist for almost 2 years and I have had some concerning issues over the past few months that make me worry it's coming back and I'm trying to get into seeing oncologist as soon as possible.

I have several other medical conditions including pressure ulcers on my feet that resulted from a combination of my being diabetic and having caught hand foot and mouth disease from my son who caught it at school last October.

This last April 2024 I became septic and went into the hospital here in St Augustine Florida where I live and was told if I hadn't come in within the next day or so I would likely have died.

I have spent over 6 weeks in the hospital and am now in a skilled nursing facility doing rehab, I have had five surgical procedures on my feet most importantly having a massive amount of tissue removed from my right foot along the three toes, due to all of the chemotherapy I received over the past 10 years My immune system is shot and while I am healing I am healing very slowly... Over these past 3 months I have lost over 40 lb in body weight and have become so terribly weak that even now after 3 weeks in the skilled nursing facility it is very difficult for me to stand I have to use a walker and I cannot put any weight on my right foot, my parents took out a very my parents took out a small personal loan to buy me an I walk 3.0 crutch that's basically like a strap-on pig leg.

I can walk with it some but I need the aid of a walker and someone to follow me with a wheelchair... I am currently unable to do the wound care myself and my parents are elderly and live in a different county than I do and are unable to help me with it should I be sent home, but my insurance company is trying to send me home as they feel that the minimum amount of progress I've made is enough for me to go home but it is not, none of the nurses at the facility where I'm at or the physical therapy attendance that have been working with me feel I'm safe to go home.

I have Medicare Medicaid through United healthcare and while it has been a lifesaver in some instances their desire to spend as little money as possible is going to cause me to fail.

If they send me home now I will surely fall or worse it the infection will come back I will likely get septic again and then I will lose my entire foot which is not something I can afford to do at this time... I'm at the end of my rope, I'm so damn stressed I can't begin to express it... My mortgage and my utilities take up over 80% of my monthly income and I have a 6-year-old son that I am responsible for 50% of the time I cannot afford to fail in my recovery process... So as much as I hate it, as much as it makes me physically ill I'm asking for help.

I wrestled a lot with setting a goal for the amount of money I need I settled on 25k, I don't know how far they'll get me but I know it'll get me a lot farther than where I'm at right now... If you can help and feel I'm worth it you have my sincerest gratitude and my word that I will repay you if ever I am able.

If all you can do is offer a good luck in a prayer I will happily accept that too because I desperately need it... My time is running out and I don't know what to do.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and I hope you are safe happy and healthy wherever you are in the world.

Goodbye.