Hi Everyone!!
My name is Justin. I haven’t had the best year… I had a hernia for the past 7 years and was wearing a hernia belt for that entire time due to the fact that insurance is too expensive and I was unable to get it fixed.
Finally, in April of 2024, I was financially secure enough to bite the bullet, get some insurance, and hopefully get the thing that has been a “thorn in my side” repaired, my hernia.
I signed up for the insurance and got a surgery date. Finally, the hernia would be taken care of… Unfortunately, about a month before my surgery date, I was laid off from the company I had worked for for 17 years, with no real explanation why… I was completely shocked and devastated… How could this be happening? What was I going to do?
I had the surgery on July 24, 2024. I was excited because it was done laparoscopically, so maybe minimal scarring. I was unable to work and was collecting unemployment, which was close to nothing, so I was having to use the money I had in savings to pay bills. This was very disheartening since my wife and I had been saving to buy a house one day.
About a month after my surgery, I noticed something didn’t feel right with the repair. I went back to the doctor for a check-up, and he gave me a CT scan to assess the situation. Just my luck… The mesh patch that they had used didn’t stick, and I still had a hole that my intestines were still pushing through. I had to be scheduled for another surgery…
I had my second surgery on August 8, 2024. Since it was done laparoscopically the first time, they couldn’t go that route again, so this time I had to be cut open directly… Definitely a bigger scar and more downtime, unfortunately.
Throughout this time, I tried to work as much as I could, with very limited success. Maybe a few days one week but mostly once a week with very limited physical activity and movement, and since I am in the restaurant/bar business, that is very difficult to do. I was still living on unemployment and barely scraping by, still spending my savings.
I have a job now, for which I am very grateful, which I started the week of Christmas 2024. Even though I am working fairly steadily now, the amount of debt that I had accumulated over those 7 to 8 months and the amount of savings that I had to go through is heartbreaking and discouraging. I am still struggling to pay all of the bills and not dip into the savings again. I have several older dogs on medication, 2 cats, and a wife. I just want to get back financially so we can get back to a somewhat normal life without the stress of the “next paycheck” and to get back the savings, so I can eventually provide that house for my family… One day.
I had just learned from a coworker that I could have received disability for when I wasn’t working. I didn’t think this was possible since I had been laid off. Turns out, he was right, I could have received it. I tried to file for retroactive pay, which I also heard you can do. I just received the letter the other day and… Unfortunately, they are giving me nothing, zero… Because it has been longer than 41 days since my surgery. Just another blow to my situation.
This has all been pretty rough on me financially, emotionally, and physically, and I could really use some help. I would usually never try something like this, but I don’t know what else to do… I appreciate anyone and everyone who donates.
Thank you very much,
Justin
