I Need Help (Ashamed To Ask)...

RAGEatGAME

RAGER of GAMES!
Premium Supporter
Feb 27, 2014
169
Texas, USA
Hello HDN Members,

I come to you a humble person. I'm sorry that I'm even making this post, but me and my wife are now desperate. I've been a long time user here and Steelbook collector over the last 3 years. I've made friends here that I will cherish for my entire life, I've bought, traded and participated in group buys with lots of great people here.

The community here has been amazing! My Mom was hospital a few years back and I shared this story with everyone and the support I received was truly amazing. People whom I didn't know were there to be supportive and helped me immensely get through the process. I'm happy to say my Mom is healthy now and has been seizure and no more aneurysms since 2015!

Unfortunately, this is where my trouble comes in and where I need some help:

(a TL;DR is below story for those short on time).

I just spent 15 days in the hospital and received 2 surgeries to help with major infections caused by my incurable disease called: Crohn's Disease. I've had Crohn's Disease for 25 years, and I've been in the hospital before, but the complications caused from it was the worst I've ever had to deal with this time.

It started on January 2nd when I had a fever of 102.1 (Fahrenheit). I thought I had the Flu, but a trip to the doctor the following day showed this was not the case. I wa instructed to go to my Gastroenterologist (Crohn's Specialist) because it could be so,etching related to that. After bloodwork and a C.T. Scan, it was determined that I had an Abscess behind my pelvis caused by Fistula track caused by my Crohn's. There was nothing to do by have surgery. I continued to have constant fever ringing from 99 to 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit for a total of 24 days (January 2nd through January 26th).

I was working full-time for a company for almost 2 years (I've been a Manager in the same field for 15+ years), and I notified them on Thursday, January 19th I would need surgery and would be out for a little bit - not knowing how extensive the surgery or condition was. I was scheduled to meet with my surgeon at 3:30pm on Monday, January 23rd. On the morning on January 23rd, I was fired from my job for the reason of "production" of my location (not my production, just the entire office I managed). Note: an employee, direct report of mine, also had to have surgery due to a torn ACL/Meniscus in his leg and was terminated by my superiors the week prior, making this seem like a company that doesn't want to pay for insurance or have people out to recover.

I still went to my appointment with my surgeon, and during the examination it was determined I could not return home and was taken to the Emergency Room immediately. Another C.T. Scan was performed since it had been 5 days since the previous scan and the results showed the infection/Abscess had almost doubled in size making it a more serious matter.

I had my first of two surgeries the next day to drain fluid/bacteria from my Abscess which had a tube with a collector to empty over two weeks by hospital staff. A second surgery was planned for Monday, January 30th after a colonoscopy was performed on Friday, January 27th. The colonoscopy showed that not only did I have the initial infection, but my Crohn's Disease was severit active from the rectum through the colon for 12 inches. The surgery would be to give me a temporary colostomy bag (time still unknown) in order to allow the Crohn's to be healed without having the body use the area; this would keep it 'dry' and prevent further infections.

Day of 2nd surgery, the surgeon did his work. During the surgery, another Abscess (smaller than the prior) infection was found and drained and my top of my Colon was 'dead' from the Crohn's which was also removed and reconnected. To say this was painful after I awoke would be an understatement.

During my stay, my insurance was only good until January 31st due to my employer terminating me, but my wife's insurance took over on February 1st. I was released from the hospital on Monday, February 6th and I am told it would take 4-6 weeks minimum to recover.

So herein lies my problem and the reason I am asking you all for help. I was just informed today I have just over $6,000 USD in medical bills coming due starting end of this month between both insurances. This is because even though we met the maximum deductibles, the insurance won't pay 100% of any hospital bills unless $7,000 has been paid out of pocket for 2017; this is just for one person (me), not including my wife - yes, I know the insurance sucks but it was my best option.

Without being employed and just having my wife's income, this is impossible to pay even with a payment plan which some of the doctors do accept. My wife set up a donation site through 'We Care', and this is where I need your help.

I am asking if you can find it in your heart to please share this link with your friends and family. If you can help too, great! If not, I am begging that you please share because maybe someone will be able to help. We've raised just over $1,700 USD so far, but it's a lot more needed to help us.

I am sorry for asking, and I respect that some people cannot help. I know we all have problems and things happening, I just hope you can find it I your heart to help us through this time.

Donation Link:

https://www.youcaring.com/justinvasquez-749026

TL;DR - Have incurable disease, caused me to have 2 surgeries in hospital for 15 days, fired by employer same day I went to E.R., insurance won't cover $6,000+ in medical bills and I am humbly asking for assistance to share the link for donations for the medical bills.

Thank you all for your time in reading this.

God Bless you all.

- Justin Vasquez
RAGEatGAME
 
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Sorry to hear you're having such a tough time dude. I really hope things improve for you!

I've donated what I can and hope you reach your goal with the help of other Ninjas. :)

EDIT - The site won't accept my card details for some reason. Is there any other way I can send the money to you bud?
 
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Thank you for the support everyone, I appreciate you all taking the time to help my family.

Big thanks to Noodles for the help too.

I just completed my Antibiotics via an I.V. PICC line today which means that hopefully I can get these tubes or of my arm soon.

I'm still in a lot of pain, but I'm trying to manage it the best I can.

Thank you all again.

- Justin
 
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Hey everyone,

I have an update for you all that I got today after visiting with my surgeon for a follow-up.

Basically, I am healing well which is good. The plan now is that I will have to have two more surgeries starting in May and another sometime in summer this year. The goal would be to remove the rectal area completely from my digestive system and create a new path for my body to get rid of waste. Unfortunately, it's a two step process which requires two surgeries.

This will allow my Crohn's to heal and bypass the scar tissue which has built up over the years from my previous surgeries (to correct a previous abscess/infection in 2007/2008) which should in turn make me pain free for the first time in over 25 years!

I've been seeing a pain management doctor for the past 4 years, and I've been in extreme pain meds (fentanyl patches and Percocet daily) which means I should be able to completely remove those from the equation once the third surgery occurs.

Oh, yeah... There is a third surgery once the other two have been completed and (hopefully) successful. The time table for that is hopefully August/September of this year which would allow my temporary colostomy to be removed as well.

What this means for me is: for the first time in 25+ years, I may be pain free and not having symptoms of Crohn's Disease without the need for pain killers!

Of course, I also found out my wife's insurance that I am not on goes from July to June meaning, a new deductable starts in July. *Sigh*

Well, I just wanted to let everyone know the update. Thank you to all those that have shared their support and concerns. A big thank you to all those whom have donated to my families finances and shared through your friends and family as well.

I'm still trying to get at least half of the $6,000+ I need to pay to my previous Insurance from my hospital stay and surgeries, so if anyone would still be willing to share or help, please click the link below:

https://www.youcaring.com/justinvasquez-749026

Best Wishes,

Justin
 
Hey again everyone...

I'm sorry to message again and I didn't message more. Cause I didn't want to spam or bother everyone. But I'm now at the end of the line. I haven't raised enough for the bills needed, my health is not improving and I'm still out of work.

Also, we just received this bill for $19,014.14 last week and I'm pretty much screwed. My wife has been a great supporter, but I'm afraid that she's going to over stress herself out and I'm a little afraid of losing her. She's not the same as she once was, but I could just be paranoid and stressed myself.

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I'm begging all of you could to please share again or, if possible at all, donate yourself at the link:

https://www.youcaring.com/justinvasquez-749026

I'm basically out of options now.

Thank you,

Justin S. Vasquez
RAGEatGAME