Support Valerie's Recovery from Brain Surgery

Hello, my name is Valerie, and this is my true testimony. July 21-23,2024, I started to feel very tired and woke up with a migraine that I had never felt any thing like it. The very first day I woke up to seeing a grey spot in my right eye and black dots. My eyes were blurry and painful. I googled what to do when your eyes hurt. I started to ice down my eyes every day after I got off work. I began to hear humming and throbbing in both ears, especially at night. The next 3 days I kept blinking and everything looked smokey and blurry. The headaches were all over my head and especially in the back of my neck and head. It felt like my brain was going to explode and my eyes would pop out. I was walking to work and crossing the. street, when I got dizzy and could not move. It was like I was frozen. I was telling my brain to move my feet and hands, and nothing was happening. I thought I was just tired from working so much. Then the moment just passed, and I went to work, and everything looked hazy. The next day I went to see an ophthalmologist, Dr. Mostellar, and his nurse, Erin, and when he examined my eyes, he said both my optic nerves in my eyes were swollen and he saw fluid. He said it's coming from my brain. I shut down immediately because it was surprising. They made some phone calls, and I went from his office to the emergency room to start getting examined. First, they did a CT scan. The eye doctor called for them to do an MRI and a CT scan with contrast. The MRI showed a blood clot on my brain. I was admitted immediately and then after having a blood transfusion, and moving to Neurology ICU, the doctors started all kinds of cognitive tests, blood thinners, pain meds. My head by then was pounding. One doctor came on around 4 am and did a spinal tap and removed 4 vials of fluid off my spine, and when I looked at the nurse, I could see her a lot better. I thought all was fine until one of the surgeons came in and did an eye exam and my vision was getting worse. He said he was going to emergency brain surgery to remove the fluid of my brain and spine. He said my blood was flowing into my brain but was not flowing out properly and he had to put a shunt in the open up the blood vessels. I panicked and called the eye doctor, which of course he already knew. He spoke to both me and my husband and explained that if I did not, I would have a brain aneurysm or a stroke, and I would be blind, and it would be irreversible. There were 3 teams working on me during surgery and it was successful. I am in treatment right now and I have not gotten back my full vision, so I am resting my eyes and my brain so that they can heal properly.

I am asking for help because not only is this life changing, but very expensive. The doctors' appointments, medicines, and tests so far have been costly. This surgery was very expensive. Hopefully the shunt works, and I will not have any other further surgeries. I had to walk with a walker for balance. I now have 3 blood clots in my right legs that developed during surgery. I got up a few days later and could not walk. My foot hurt so bad, and it felt like I was having muscle spasms in my legs that could not move. I am on blood thinners now. I am thankful to God that He kept me, and I have work to do. I am a Chef by trade, but I manage restaurants. 

I had to cancel a request for a CT scan that would have cost almost $700, that I cannot afford right now due to all the copays. I am asking that you help me to cover the medical bills coming in and I will update as I pay them off and continue my treatment. I am not giving up on my dream. I am thankful that I am alive to help other people to listen to your body and know that there are doctors who care for their patients. You can also give to Zelle at [email redacted]. 

Thank you so much to everyone that donates, and I pray God blesses you a 100-fold.

Update.

I am in rehab and physical therapy right now. My vision is in recovery but I am well on my way. I give God all the glory and I am thankful to my husband, David, my best friend, and to all my family and friends who have been faithful.

Your donations are helping to cover medical expenses, medications, rehabilitation, lost wages, and mental health.