Our Year From Hell....

[Fatty McFatster 888]

Hi,

Together we are "Bartina" (Bart and Katina), the celebrity name my wife came up with when we met 10.5 years ago. We have had our ups and downs like everyone, but we've never experienced anything like the last year...which we term "the year from hell".

I have been VERY hesitant to share our personal woes online. However, I've had a good number of kind souls reach out to me and try to talk us into starting a GoFundMe campaign. To be honest, I'm quite prideful and hate, Hate, HATE asking people for help. Right now I am in tears writing this. It's just not my forte asking others for help with my/our problems. It makes me feel terrible and inadequate... like I didn't do a good enough job taking care of us... but I know that these circumstances are beyond our control and we could definitely use a bit of sunshine in our lives.

With that said, I wanted to share what's been going on the last year (with a few other key dates). It's been overwhelming dealing with everything, but together we have endured...though not gracefully.

November 2004 - I became permanently disabled and unable to work. Yet somehow, I was still blessed beyond belief to find a woman that loved me unconditionally and accepted me wholeheartedly. We were married in 2006.

May 2014 - My wife was severely injured in a serious auto accident. She had to have surgery and almost a year of physical therapy. It also took a major emotional toll on her as she developed PTSD, Major Depression, Anxiety, Fibromyalgia as well as a fear of driving, being in a wreck, etc. The surgery, physical therapy, counseling, etc. costs us thousands of dollars.

November 2015 - I had to have surgery due to a serious medical condition. During the 2nd night of recovery in the hospital I had a very serious seizure (having never had a seizure before in my life) caused by an allergic reaction to pain medication. The surgery cost several thousand dollars after insurance.

December 2015 - My wife had to have surgery due to a serious medical condition, but her insurance wouldn't pay for it so we had to have the surgery in another country. It still cost us thousands of dollars, but cheaper than the US.

December 2015 - During my wife's recovery from surgery, I started having severe abdominal pains. They put me through a barrage of tests and admitted me into the international hospital alongside my wife. It turned out to be a kidney stone attack, but their pain medicines did not work on me so I had to be rushed back across the border into the US to find relief. Both the International Hospital and the US hospital cost us several thousand dollars.

March 2016 - My wife had an emotional breakdown at work for various reasons which I'm unable to speak about. I had to take her to the hospital for a mental health evaluation.

March 2016 - She was placed into a daily Intensive Outpatient Therapy program to help her deal with her PTSD, depression, and anxiety that stems from her serious auto accident in May 2014 and was worsened by her work environment. She was in the program for 5 days a week for 1 month. She received no income while she was off work and the Outpatient Therapy program was not covered by her insurance and cost almost $8,000.

March 2016 - The day after my wife left work due to an emotion breakdown and while she was at her first day of Intensive Outpatient Therapy, I had the most severe pain I've ever had in my life. I also couldn't stop vomiting for over an hour. Once I was able I called for an ambulance and they took me to the Emergency Room where my wife met me. They determined that I had an 8-9mm kidney stone (which is HUGE) and rushed me into surgery. During the surgery the laser accidentally punctured my ureter and I was forced to stay a few nights in the hospital for observation. A Ureteral Stent was also placed into my ureter so that the kidney stone fragments and urine could pass more easily due to swelling and so that healing could take place. The stent was to remain in place for 4-6 weeks. The surgery cost several thousand dollars after insurance.

March 2016 - Once I was released from the hospital with the stent in place, I noticed I was rapidly gaining weight. I gained 30 pounds in only 5 days!!!! My doctors were quite concerned so they brought me in for numerous tests including an EKG, ECG, MRI, CT Scan, Ultrasound, etc. It was determined that I had Acute Kidney Failure and they removed the ureteral stent. I was then prescribed numerous medications that were quite expensive and not covered by my insurance. The tests also cost us several thousand dollars after insurance.

April 2016 - My wife remained in therapy and was unable to return to work. She remained on FMLA and received no income from her work during this time.

May 2016 - My wife remained in therapy and was unable to return to work. She remained on FMLA and received no income from her work during this time.

June 2016 - I passed out and it was believed that I had a heat stroke while helping my dad work in his garden. I had slurred speech, confusion, nausea, head ache, etc for several hours. Due to having thousands in medical debt (and being stubborn) I refused to go to the hospital.

June 2016 - I was bitten 3 times by a spider which led to very large and red blisters. Due to having thousands in medical debt (and being stubborn) I refused to go to the hospital. Thankfully they weren't more severe.

June 2016 - I became very ill and ended up in the Emergency Room. They determined I had a serious intestinal/colon infection and prescribed me several medications. The trip cost us several thousand dollars after insurance.

June 2016 - I had an allergic reaction to the medications I was prescribed by the ER. The medications caused my throat and tongue to swell up so much that my airway started to close off....and hence another trip to the ER...and more medical debt.

June 2016 - My wife remained in therapy and was unable to return to work. She exhausted all of her 12 weeks of FMLA, but was granted an additional 30 days of personal leave by her work. She received no income from her work during this time.

July 2016 - I was still very ill from the intestinal/colon infection, so I made a visit to my Gastroenterologist. They determined that it was a potentially life threatening intestinal/colon infection and prescribed the proper medication that I had to take 4x daily for 2 weeks. It had to be specially made...and cost a fortune. The good news is that within 2-3 weeks I was feeling much better.

July 2016 - My wife remained in therapy and was unable to return to work. She exhausted her additional 30 days of personal leave granted by her work and they were unwilling to grant her any more personal leave so they fired her and she therefore lost her health insurance benefits. She received no income from her work during this time.

July 2016 - Our cat of 10 years, Rocky, suddenly got sick and stopped eating. We had to take him to the Animal Hospital where he stayed for several days. They determined he had developed liver issues and would have to be force fed his food and medicines. So, we force fed him for several weeks, but he never got any better and kept losing weight. He lost a total of 12 pounds in just a few short weeks. The Animal Hospital cost several hundred dollars.

August 4, 2016 - My Uncle Sonny (on my mom's side) died. However, we were unable to attend the funeral because we didn't receive enough notice and because he lives in Texas (about 12 hours away) and we didn't have the finances to make the trip.

August 9, 2016 - Our cat, Rocky, died.

He was my best friend aside from my wife. When we went to the animal shelter to pick him out, I remember saying that I didn't want a black and white cat (because I had an outdoor black cat growing up) and that I didn't want a cat with claws (because my old farm cats liked to scratch).

We came across a black and white cat with claws, so he was an immediate and easy no in my eyes. But shortly after seeing him, I felt the playful paws with claws (from the black and white cat above) trying to get my attention by "boxing" at my shirt as to say "please don't leave me here". It was that day that "Rocky" (named after Rocky Balboa) chose us and we became the very best of friends. He followed me around the house and always kept my feet warm by laying on them when I was sitting at this computer. He is sorely missed.

August 26, 2016 - Gastroenterologist called and said I had an abnormal CT Scan showing colon/intestinal wall thickening and need to have a Colonoscopy to check it out. Add it to the list. Sigh.

August 28, 2016 - I have been hurting the past several days and just passed 2 large 5mm kidney stones!!! Thank goodness they didn't hurt bad enough for another ER hospital visit! That's definitely a blessing!

August 2016 - My wife remains in therapy and unable to work. She has received no income during this time.

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So, due to all of these health and financial issues we have been forced to sell one of our vehicles and are left with an 18-year-old truck on it's last leg. We have also had to put our house up for sale...a house we built ourselves and have put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into over the years making it our HOME. The inside of our house is now currently bare bones with everything either in storage or previously sold at the Flea Market. We now have only the basic needs such as a bed, fridge, computer, tv, couch, etc. as well as some staging items to make the house show better.

We don't necessarily want to move, but we have to move to make ends meet. We have also been forced to sell many of our personal belongings (including some of our prized collections). It has been a very, VERY difficult year and we have spent many days and nights in tears asking God "WHY US?" We still don't know why we've had to go through all that we have, but we keep the faith that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. As long as we have God in our lives and each other then we will find a way to make it.

During this difficult time several people have reached out and I wanted to say THANK YOU. Your kind words, compassion, and prayers have helped us carry on.

And again, I HATE asking for help, but I hope you all know that your support (i.e. thoughts, prayers, encouragement, and donations) help us get through these dark and trying times.

I also want to say that even if you can't help with a donation...that's perfectly ok. We understand. Maybe you can help in other ways. We don't use social media (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, etc.), so if you could PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD that would be absolutely wonderful. And, of course, your thoughts and prayers go a long, LONG way as well!! UPDATE: We actually had to join Facebook in order to have our Gofundme Campaign show up in publish search results, but PLEASE SHARE and spread the word.

You can visit our Campaign at:
http://gofundme.com/29hfhfns

Any money donated will be used to pay medical debt, monthly utility bills, current mortgage, or any other unforeseen expenses, etc.

We also just hit 50% of our GOAL!!!

Thanks for listening and please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we continue this journey we call life.

Edited August 31, 2016 by Fatty McFatster

[Hiraeth 515]

I am so sorry to hear about this. You have been through so much. It makes me feel guilty for complaining about my bad day. I've had 3 kidney stones before, and I felt severe pain in the middle of my back. It was the worst pain I'd ever felt.

Unfortunately, I just had my gastric sleeve surgery August 4th, and I'm in debt with medical bills. I just got my pay stub today and it said $0, since I took leave without pay. So, I won't be able to donate for another 4 weeks. I will try my best to make a donation once I get a paycheck again. Until then, you will be in my prayers.

[Fatty McFatster 888]

I am so sorry to hear about this. You have been through so much. It makes me feel guilty for complaining about my bad day. I've had 3 kidney stones before, and I felt severe pain in the middle of my back. It was the worst pain I'd ever felt.

Unfortunately, I just had my gastric sleeve surgery August 4th, and I'm in debt with medical bills. I just got my pay stub today and it said $0, since I took leave without pay. So, I won't be able to donate for another 4 weeks. I will try my best to make a donation once I get a paycheck again. Until then, you will be in my prayers.

Congrats on your sleeve surgery. I wish you much success!!!

And thank you so much for the prayers!!! They mean the world to us!'

[Pescador 1,374]

I will pray hard for you both tonight. God bless and make your life easier.

[Fatty McFatster 888]

I will pray hard for you both tonight. God bless and make your life easier.

Thank you for your kindness and prayers!!!

[Dub 9,922]

I am so very sorry to hear about the extreme difficulties you and your wife have faced.

It must be overwhelming.

Prayers for you and hoping for the best.

[Fatty McFatster 888]

I am so very sorry to hear about the extreme difficulties you and your wife have faced.

It must be overwhelming.

Prayers for you and hoping for the best.

Thank you all so much for the kind words and prayers.

PLEASE spread the word and share our GoFundMe campaign on social media.

[MemphisWLS 58]

Hi sorry about all you troubles. Just a side note as I am in healthcare- have you not considered Medicaid? If you are disabled or both of you can't afford to pay they are a lot of options in the hospital. A lot of times your bills can be written off as charity. All the several thousand dollars you have been charged will not be billed to you. You also get a voucher to get your medicines for free. Please contact a case worker in the hospital. I have a lot of patients with similar stories like yours with multiple health conditions and most and very expensive iv medicines and they don't get charged:- cancer, kidney failure, stones, cellulitis to name a few. So look into options in your area. At least for your medical bills. Wish you luck and prayers.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Edited September 1, 2016 by MemphisWLS

[Fatty McFatster 888]

Hi sorry about all you troubles. Just a side note as I am in healthcare- have you not considered Medicaid? If you are disabled or both of you can't afford to pay they are a lot of options in the hospital. A lot of times your bills can be written off as charity. All the several thousand dollars you have been charged will not be billed to you. You also get a voucher to get your medicines for free. Please contact a case worker in the hospital. I have a lot of patients with similar stories like yours with multiple health conditions and most and very expensive iv medicines and they don't get charged:- cancer, kidney failure, stones, cellulitis to name a few. So look into options in your area. At least for your medical bills. Wish you luck and prayers.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

We have tried Medicaid and she was approved starting this month, but they will not pay any past medical bills.

[LisaMergs 2,854]

Hi sorry about all you troubles. Just a side note as I am in healthcare- have you not considered Medicaid? If you are disabled or both of you can't afford to pay they are a lot of options in the hospital. A lot of times your bills can be written off as charity. All the several thousand dollars you have been charged will not be billed to you. You also get a voucher to get your medicines for free. Please contact a case worker in the hospital. I have a lot of patients with similar stories like yours with multiple health conditions and most and very expensive iv medicines and they don't get charged:- cancer, kidney failure, stones, cellulitis to name a few. So look into options in your area. At least for your medical bills. Wish you luck and prayers.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

We have tried Medicaid and she was approved starting this month, but they will not pay any past medical bills.

So sorry for your difficulties. Praying for you.

As for the bills- file bankruptcy. See an attorney and get a fresh start. Too many others do it " just because". To me, it seems like it would make a world of difference in your lives and you are who it was designed for- a tool to help you make a new go at it.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

[Fatty McFatster 888]

Hi sorry about all you troubles. Just a side note as I am in healthcare- have you not considered Medicaid? If you are disabled or both of you can't afford to pay they are a lot of options in the hospital. A lot of times your bills can be written off as charity. All the several thousand dollars you have been charged will not be billed to you. You also get a voucher to get your medicines for free. Please contact a case worker in the hospital. I have a lot of patients with similar stories like yours with multiple health conditions and most and very expensive iv medicines and they don't get charged:- cancer, kidney failure, stones, cellulitis to name a few. So look into options in your area. At least for your medical bills. Wish you luck and prayers.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

We have tried Medicaid and she was approved starting this month, but they will not pay any past medical bills.

So sorry for your difficulties. Praying for you.

As for the bills- file bankruptcy. See an attorney and get a fresh start. Too many others do it " just because". To me, it seems like it would make a world of difference in your lives and you are who it was designed for- a tool to help you make a new go at it.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

REALLY hoping to avoid bankruptcy. That is our last resort. That's why some friends helped us start a GoFundMe campaign in the hopes that people can help us out in our time of need.

Everyone please help if you can.

[sc101071 398]

Bankruptcy is there for this exact reason. It's to give you a fresh start. It doesn't sound like you went on a credit card shopping spree. It would be smart to get a discharge and a fresh start.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

[Fatty McFatster 888]

BIG thanks to everyone that has donated. We are currently at 57% of our goal.

PLEASE spread the word and also donate if you can. THANKS!!!

https://www.gofundme.com/Ouryearfromhell

[sandy1010 15]

What state do you live in because where I'm from Medicaid does pay past bills. They ask you on the application if you have any past bills. Well maybe that's just in New York.

Sent from my N9132 using the BariatricPal App