Assistance Needed! (Non-Fictional)

Good evening everyone!  First I want to thank you all who have been following me and supporting me in my writing and blog posts.  I know I have posted numerous stories and some personal blogs on my experiences on duty and off duty, but this story is non-fictional and with hopefully a happy ending.  Posted below is the donation website link where people can donate for my wife’s surgery that she so desperately needs.  My wife was diagnosed with lupus back in July 2011 and have been dealing with numerous health problems since then.  In dealing with this lupus disease her jaw line/bone has been deteriorating at such a rapid rate that her oral surgeon is pushing for her to have surgery ASAP.  Our insurance company is only covering a portion of it, which at this point is helpful, but not nearly enough to ease our minds and pockets.

Also as you look below beyond the link a detailed description of what kind of surgery she is to have, how much, the post-surgery treatment, and how long the recovery process will take.  As I mentioned before the oral surgeon wants to operate so bad and so quickly that he is willing to have her surgery scheduled within the next few days to the next coupe of weeks.  My wife and I are going around to all organizations and charities to seek help in paying for this surgery so she can overcome this and become a normal person, that we all strive for and love being everyday.  Right now the only thing that keeps her going is numerous amounts of pain medicine, which is the only way she can eat somewhat comfortably.

Seeing her in pain like this 24/7 is very hard for me to deal with, but willing to do what I need to do to make sure she is stress free and able to live day by day the best she can.  She has been out of work for two weeks and her boss has been giving her a hard time in dealing with this.  It is even a great reality that she may go out on short term disability, which will be great for her, but the surgery is another part that we still have to deal with.  At this time I am asking for donations and assistance for this cause or at least share it with your friends and family members if you do not donate yourself.  We thank you, especially I thank you, for your patience and support in this matter.  If you have any questions or comments feel free to ask me and I will be happy to answer them the best way I can.  Thanks!!!

http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/Save-Natasha-s-Jaws-/36177

Your donation may be tax deductible. Please share this link with your friends, co-workers, and family. Your generosity is truly appreciated and we are humbled by the support we’ve received so far. Tasha and I thank you in advance.

Save Natasha’s Jaws!

YouCaring.com

Natasha (many know her as Tasha or Niki) was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) in July 2011. SLE is an incredibly painful autoimmune disease with no cure. SLE affects everyone differently but typically causes joint deterioration, extreme muscle and body fatigue, rashes, and can cause the shut down of ma

jor organ systems like the heart, lungs, and kidneys. Unfortunately for Natasha, SLE has had a horrible impact on her joints — most seriously her temporomandibular joint (TMJ) which is her jaw. Beginning about 1.5 years ago, Natasha began experiencing painful lockjaw. Since then the bones and cartilage that make up her jaw have begun disintegrating. Her jaws lock closed most every day, she is nearly always in excruciating pain, and due to the lockjaw and pain she can no longer eat solid food and must either drink liquid nutrients or puree meals. Her jaw problems have caused her to miss a significant amount of time at work and she has exhausted all of her leave days. Luckily Natasha has been cared for by a great oral surgeon. As a conservative treatment, she’s had four minor surgeries (arthrocentisis) and two nerve blocks to help the pain and slow the damage. Sadly the degeneration and pain have persisted. The oral surgeon has determined that major surgery is needed in order for Natasha to regain her quality of life. Second and third opinions have been obtained and all are in agreement. The oral surgeon wants to do the surgery as soon as possible because Natasha is losing function in the TMJ at an incredibly fast pace and is in increasing amounts of pain, leaving her essentially unable to function. The surgery is called arthroplasty and is one step below a total joint replacement. It involves shaving down and reshaping the degenerated bones on both jaws and replacement of the cartilage meniscus via a fat graft. In addition, Natasha’s trachea/airway will be enlarged as it is too small for her to breathe properly. The cost of the surgery is $25,400. Insurance only covers about $1800 of the surgery, leaving Natasha responsible for the rest out of pocket. The recovery, which involves her jaw being totally wired shut for three months, followed by having braces for another 17 or 18 months costs an additional $5000 to $6000, none of which is covered by insurance. Any donation amount is helpful, even as little as $1. You can donate through this site or if you’d prefer to pay with a check you can email Natasha directly for her address. Here is her email address: natashafranklin1@gmail.com Thank you for any donation that you are able to make, but above all thank you for your support and prayers..