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If the funds end up coming up short, consider medical tourism. Get the operation done in a foreign country. The savings are substantial.

Having had back surgery myself, I know the pain, but nowhere near your level. I am so sad to read this thread. Good luck on the campaign!
 
First off to those claiming its free money I disagree. Do you think the investors and creators of the site should just offer it for free? You don't like it create your own site and be altruistic and don't charge a penny beyond what ever costs you incur. I'm 100% in agreement with Jesse.

Now, Tony, here are my thoughts.

1) Start the appeal process with your insurance carrier. DO NOT rely on the go fund me site.

2) With all due respect you can use some assistance with your communications so I suggest you seek out an ombudsman to assist you. Go to your house of worship and see if they have a volunteer who can help you write your appeal. You can ask a friend family member or neighbor who is well versed. Perhaps someone who is knowledgeable in the ways of insurance companies. A local law school may also have a legal clinic that will assist free of charge.

3) Ask your doctor to write a letter to your insurance company as to why it is essential that you get the procedure. He should know how to write it in a compelling manner. Attach the report to your appeal. If appropriate you might suggest in your appeal that it is "Bad Faith" to deny the claim.

4) Talk to your doctor and ask him to negotiate his fees down. Many will. You can ask the hospital to do the same. Many hospitals need to show how much charitable care they give away every year. See if you can have your doctor put you in touch with a social worker at the hospital who can help you navigate this.

5) You must be pro-active

Now as for the gofundme campaign, why are you asking for $300,000 when you stated here that you needed $100,000?

Also since your request is for a specific amount for a specific purpose, what are you going to do if you don't raise the 100 or 300K? Are you going to refund the money if you only raise 50K?

I wish you much luck and to be as pain free as you can be. I encourage you to seek out the necessary help with your insurance appeal and perhaps a negotiation of the costs of the procedure.
 
I am not in a position to donate money, but I went through your story and fixed some of the spelling errors. I hope it helps. There are still some left I'm sure, correct as required.





My name is Harold Sweet I am 54. All my friends call me Tony, so please call me Tony.

In 1984 at 24 years of age I started having back problems. The problems were so bad I could not walk for months at a time. The doctors kept telling me I was pulling muscles and such.

Then in 1987 at 27 I was in an accident and crushed my T-4 vertebrae. I spent around 6 months in a body cast.

In my 30's my pain got worse. It was not only my back but all of my body that was in pain. I went to the doctor and told him this, but he again blew it off as nothing but muscle ache and pain.

Then in 2002 at the age of 42 everything took a bad turn. I woke up one morning and my neck was hurting. I blew it off as just sleeping wrong as we all do. After about 4 or so weeks I found that I could not hold onto things. I was at work using a ballpeen hammer and it kept flying off my hands. Then I found I could not hold onto my toothbrush. I went to see a doctor and he found out I have a broken neck. Dr. Peters told me after my operation on my neck that I had the worst neck he had ever seen. At the time, Dr. Peters was the Doctor for the Denver Broncos. He said for him to be telling me something like this, that was something.

It took about 4 months before I could walk again. About a week later I was helping my son and crushed my L-4 L-5.

This time, the doctors were telling me "hold on we have a problem here." I said "You think?". They did a bunch of tests and found I have a very bad case of Osteoporosis. I was 42 when they found all this.

From my mid 40's to date, I have been hospitalized more times than I can remember. This is not counting all the times I have ended up in the ER.

So here we are at present day. I have been in the ER for a few times over the past couple of months. I have fractured my lower back again and the doctors have started doing more tests.

They sent me in for a Discogram. For those who have never heard of a Discogram, first let me explain it has nothing to do with mirror balls and music..lol.

This operation is performed to find out how bad the discs in one's back are, and how to get them right.

The doctor wants to do a fusion but was concerned about the condition of the remaining discs. This test told him that.

So this operation was done with the patient wide awake, no pain medication. They take these long needles and insert them through my back into the discs, using x-ray to guide the needle. But they still push the needle into your spinal cord for they can not see soft tissue through an x-ray. They then put this dye through the needles and into the discs. How bad the pain is, along with how much dye seeps from the disc tells the doctor what is going on. The surgeon told me this would be the worse pain I will ever experience in my life. I believe he was right. After about 45 minutes of me screaming it was over. They had to stop 3 times because the doctor thought I was going to have a heart attack. My blood pressure went so high.

They found that I have too many bad discs to do any kind of fusion and that I need a disc replacement. My insurance will not pay for this disc replacement and I will have to live life in misery. There are no words to describe the amount of pain I have to endure, every day and night.

My doctor told me I could never afford this surgery out of pocket because just to replace one disc was over 100,000 dollars. I need multiple discs replaced.

I can not live like this. This is not right, I went out and purchased a new insurance policy like everyone was told, but now I can not get any help and am told I must live like this because the insurance will not help me.

I need help and did not know where to turn, so I came here. Please find it in your heart to donate to my cause. I would like to thank everyone for taking the time to read my story and thinking about those in need even if its not me.
 
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Henning, you are wrong again. Rather than derail this thread any further, start another if you want to discuss why you are so wrong concerning go fund me and money in general.
 
Again thanks for all the advice and comments. I will take them to heart and act upon them. As some have seen I do lack in communication skills.

I am asking for 300k because I need three disc's replaced, I am just dealing with one right now. There is another up mid back that gives me as much problems as my lower back. The only difference my lower back causes me not to walk and effects my legs and feet. My upper back causes me not to be able to support my upper body. I must always lean or my back kills me. In order to type this I must lean on my arms to support my upper body. I can not set in a chair without having something to lean on. But this is another issue I will deal with after my lower back gets repaired. I have been complaining about my mid back longer then my lower back. But I can deal with the mid back, I can not deal with this lower back. When I say mid back I crushed T-4 and have disc's that are in just as bad as shape as my lower back. My back is tore up.

I hate telling the world all this but I have nowhere else to turn. It was this or suffer. I am tired of suffering.

Tony
 
Two people have donated at a cost off 200 bucks. I am so so grateful. I can take this money out as I need it. When this fund gets to the amount to pay for one disc replacement I will remove that money and get this done. If insurance pays for this I will refund all money to everyone who donates. I am not doing this to make money for myself, this is to help with my medical surgery, nothing else.

Thanks from the bottom of my heart to those two people. I am humbled.

Tony
 
Disc replacement is not an accepted or established procedure. There are no guarantees of outcomes, either short term or long term. It would be a gamble at best, and the operation itself has substantial risk. Most reputable spine surgeons would consider it a fringe procedure.

Regardless, there is no way it could ever add up to 300k. The insurance companies would correctly not support it.

Find another surgeon.
 
I hope this goes to show the people who ask for money for flight training that we are not heartless. There is a difference between what is being asked for though. If people come to trust you and you have a legitimately reason to ask for help, you have friends you never knew about. Help comes in many ways on this forum.
 
Find a pain doc. Get evaluated for pain management. I've had two neurolysis procedures this year to turn off nerves that transmit lumbar back pain. We know I have an issue and I'm not in danger so there's no reason to feel the pain. Poof, gone. My docs have other techniques to manage other pain issues as well. Surgery is my last resort. I have lots of golf to play, snow machines to ride, and hills to climb before I'll let a cutter have a go at my back. My pain docs are on board with that, too. Look for a spinal pain management practice. I split time between two states and I have physicians in both places. It shouldn't be hard to find one where you are.
 
Stewartb said:
Find a pain doc. Get evaluated for pain management. I've had two neurolysis procedures this year to turn off nerves that transmit lumbar back pain. We know I have an issue and I'm not in danger so there's no reason to feel the pain. Poof, gone. My docs have other techniques to manage other pain issues as well. Surgery is my last resort. I have lots of golf to play, snow machines to ride, and hills to climb before I'll let a cutter have a go at my back. My pain docs are on board with that, too. Look for a spinal pain management practice. I split time between two states and I have physicians in both places. It shouldn't be hard to find one where you are.
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He's mentioned in previous threads that doctors push him pain meds and he refuses.

There's no shame in taking pain meds if one is truly experiencing pain.
 
I have been down the pain med route. While surgery should be the last option for some with a condition such as mine its the only option. Take my neck. They had to operate. I could no longer use my hands. Cutting nerves would have never helped that, same with my back.

I could go on about how much of this and that I took and for how long, by why. One needs pain meds for certain things.

But to tell someone in my shape that in order to live you must take pain meds the rest of your life. Then today will be the last day of my life. I am not living on pain meds. Some call it a good time taking pain meds. I am not one of them.

Maybe I should not have asked for 300k. But I am thinking of the all my back problems. I can change that to 100k but will leave it be for now. Also I am sure no one can say for sure how much this will cost until its done. I am not sure I even want this doctor doing this type of surgery on me. I might have to go see someone else. Like others have stated this is not something to take lightly.

I don't know what I am doing I just know I need to do something. Waking up everyday and just getting through the day is getting old. I just can not live another year like this. Something needs to be done.

I need help. First the doctor told me he wanted to go in a snip the bulging disc. I ask if this would help, he said no, it MIGHT relief some pain but will only be temp. for the disc is blown and will just get worse.

So he wanted to operate on me doing something that in my eyes did nothing but put money in his pocket.

I said I want a fusion like they did to my neck. Then he explained how my disc's are too bad to support this. To prove it he made me go through that darn discogram. Evil is what that was. But he said he found that indeed doing a fusion would make matters worse. He just a matter of fact said live with it.

So I asked about disc replacement. The doctor tells me this is what is needed but insurance will not pay for it. Talk about letting the wind out of ones sails. I go and get insurance like the doctors told me for medicare was not good enough. I had a doctor set my wife and I down and explain if I want her to look at me I better get different insurance. She is suppose to be the best General Practice doctors in the area. After I left I felt the visit with her was all about money and it was. We talked about my health but it kept coming back to money.

If I was wealthy we would not even be talking about this, I would have already been fixed or operated on. They fixed my neck why can't they fix my back. At the time of my neck I was working with good insurance that paid 100%. Today I have medicare. That is the difference. Plane and simple.

I found I can not refund this money once its given to me in this fund. If for some reason like insurance steps up and helps I will pay this forward and give this money to someone else who needs it. I will not use this money for my own purpose. Not happening. I believe in Karma.

Thanks again for all the comments.

Tony
 
Here is the thing I don't get. I have a problem that has sidelined me and kept me from working. Because of this I end up on Social Security.

With the proper care many years ago, maybe today I would still be a part of the working class and not a burden on society.

Eight or so years ago I go see the specialist that rebuilds vertebrae. Uses something like cement and a balloon to do this. I had a doctor recommend this or sent me to see this man. This doctor walks in the room reading my chart. Without even looking at me he says that my records have been mixed up with someone else for he only see's people in there 70's and 80's with these problems and walks out of the room. As he is walking out I am saying, but, but, he puts his hand up as to say shut up and opens the door, I yell at him denial is not just a river.

My point if someone would have done something maybe toady I might still be working. Would I still have issue's? I am sure I would but maybe I would be working. But ignore me all these years and let me become a burden on the tax payers.

Now here I am pleading my cause to anyone who will listen, and after all these years nothing has changed.

I believe this is all for not. Opening that go-fund account just took two hard working men's 100 bucks. After looking at how many thousands of these funds there are, its actually funny to think this fund will raise anywhere what is needed. I just don't have the net work of people it takes for something like this to be successful.

I should not have started that fund.
 
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Dennis McKim said:
+1. Even if it is just considered a second opinion. Check with another MD.
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The wife and I was talking about this yesterday. I just don't believe I want one from around here.

the doctor I am seeing now, get this. Twelve years ago when I move back here, I arrive here in Illinois with a broken back. It happened on the way here. Anyway I go see this back surgeon the best in the area, that is what I am told. He takes my MRI, I had it with me, it was just taken maybe 2 weeks before. He takes this MRI holds it up to the light and says, take that brace off there is nothing wrong with you. he says some other things like ask his nurse how a brace will hurt you or some crap. I am fuming by this point. I left.

So I go see this other back surgeon in the area. This happens to be the man I am seeing today. Anyway I walk into his office and he " the doctor " happens to be standing behind the counter as I walk in. He takes one look at me and ask, just what in the hell happened to me. I was in bad shape, just getting over a broken neck and many many other bad things, I about died.

I tell him it all started with a case of cellulits. He stops me right there and says, You never had cellulitis, people get a red rash and believe its cellulitis. I said really, I spent a month in the hospital and one week in coma and when I woke up my doctor was at the end of my bed. he said if I would not have woke up that day they where removing my leg, look we have already marked were it will be removed. Sure enough, it was all marked off. Right bellow the knee. It was then they found I also had aa broken neck. I got shingles in the mean time along with a few other things.

The doctor looks at me and said, Oh maybe you did have cellulits. I said you think and walked out. I was not seeing this man, I was not seeing the first guy either.

Now jump forward 12 years and here I am seeing this doctor who looked me in the eyes and thought he could read my medical history as they all do.

I have more of these. It gets worse. way worse. But the doctors on this board here will give me heck for saying anything like this. To bad. I have had my feel and I am full.

Its not what is in ones chart. It's how do you look and what insurance do you have. I look to good to be sick and my insurance sucks.

One wonders why I feel hopeless. I have more of those stories and they all are about this area. Once I moved away I started getting the treatment I needed. When I moved back I hit a brick wall again. I do not understand it.
 
I need more information and proof in your posting there otherwise to me it's just another potential scam. A sob story and a grainy picture of some dude sitting down ain't going to do it for me. Just being honest and up front. That is why you only have two donations. You need to convince me (and a few thousand others) that you really need this for what you say you need this for.
 
1600vw said:
I believe this is all for not. Opening that go-fund account just took two hard working men's 100 bucks. After looking at how many thousands of these funds there are, its actually funny to think this fund will raise anywhere what is needed. I just don't have the net work of people it takes for something like this to be successful.

I should not have started that fund.
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Tony, don't worry about my $100. Even if you don't collect any more, take that money and give it to your wife to splurge on herself. I am sure deserves it. (That is not advice on what to do with any other money you collect, just the amount I sent).

But you are right abut it taking a network of people to help your funding account to get noticed. Try contacting the local news papers to see if they will run a human interest story. Try news papers in surrounding communities also.

I also agree with Narchee. Get someone to help you improve your posting. You have cropped your wife's head out of the picture. I think she should be in the picture to give it more human impact. If you have a church, perhaps your pastor can help you find someone to improve the writing. Perhaps he also knows others that will contribute, or can mention your case to the congregation.

It doesn't bother me that your writing style leaves something to be desired, but if you want strangers to give it a second thought it needs to be spruced up. I am only trying to be helpful, not critical, but it sort of sounds like English is your second language. If so, you should state that. Are you by chance a veteran. If so, say so.

Neither does it bother me that you sound so bitter. I don't blame you. But people don't often want to contribute to bitter people. Tone down the bitterness and the blame. Stick to the facts. Negative attitudes are often a self fulfilling prophesy.

All that said, I am a little surprised that others on POA here haven't contributed at least $5 or more. But everyone has their own crosses to bear.
 
JOhnH said:
Tony, don't worry about my $100. Even if you don't collect any more, take that money and give it to your wife to splurge on herself. I am sure deserves it. (That is not advice on what to do with any other money you collect, just the amount I sent).

But you are right abut it taking a network of people to help your funding account to get noticed. Try contacting the local news papers to see if they will run a human interest story. Try news papers in surrounding communities also.

I also agree with Narchee. Get someone to help you improve your posting. You have cropped your wife's head out of the picture. I think she should be in the picture to give it more human impact. If you have a church, perhaps your pastor can help you find someone to improve the writing. Perhaps he also knows others that will contribute, or can mention your case to the congregation.

It doesn't bother me that your writing style leaves something to be desired, but if you want strangers to give it a second thought it needs to be spruced up. I am only trying to be helpful, not critical, but it sort of sounds like English is your second language. If so, you should state that. Are you by chance a veteran. If so, say so.

Neither does it bother me that you sound so bitter. I don't blame you. But people don't often want to contribute to bitter people. Tone down the bitterness and the blame. Stick to the facts. Negative attitudes are often a self fulfilling prophesy.

All that said, I am a little surprised that others on POA here haven't contributed at least $5 or more. But everyone has their own crosses to bear.
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I can not thank you enough for your help and comments. That is as much help as anything.

That is my Mom standing next to me. My wife took the pic during our last Christmas she zoomed in on me. Not very many pics of me.

English is my first language, but I have been hit in the head a few to many times. I kinda talk like a boxer. Sometimes I stutter.

When I crushed my T-6 that was from a wreck I was involved in. I was riding a motorcycle without a helmet and dropped that bike at 130 mph. I slid 400' down the road on my head and face. Broke my back and missed my arms up. I have pics laying in the hospital bed. They are kinda gross but I could scan them and post them. That was the worse head injury I had besides being hit in the head with a cement cinder block.

To many hits in the head, now you know why I only fly something like an Ultralight. Low and slow.

As to proving I am who I am and all. I could post pic's of MRI's and x-rays, or doctors reports. Not sure what else one does to prove something like this is indeed true and fact.

I must go lay down, sitting kills me after a short time.

Tony
 
We have doctors on this forum. I would be willing to sign a release forum and any doctor that wanted to look over my file from the doctor who just did my operation or any doctor that has helped me, I will sign that forum. You can contact me and I will give you my address if you must mail this forum to me. Then this doctor that everyone trust here can verify that I am indeed in need of the help I state that I need.

Just a thought.

I am not a rich man, but I am an honest man. All one has is one's word and name. If I say something I stick to it. My handshake is as good as gold. If you knew me you would know this.

Maybe someday I will meet some of you.

Tony
 
I don't mean to sound bitter. My point in telling the story about the doctors, do I now go and see these said doctors? I had to go see the one whom I am seeing today but I was not happy about it. I did keep an open mind about it though.

Put yourself in my position. Would you go see someone who has said these things to you and expect them to do a major operation on you? I doubt anyone here would.

I also understand the concerns one has today with people pulling scams on others, I understand this. But its not like I just came on this forum and started spouting all this. I joined a few years ago and have posted over a thousand times, I would think I am a little more then a stranger on this site.

I may not fly a Heavy or anything anyone here respects but I do enjoy airplanes on any level. Because of this I thought I would be welcome here and treated as part of the group and not just a visitor. This is why I posted this here.

I am not asking for anyone to give anything big. Just share this with friends and maybe I can find enough people to give enough pennies and then have something done to help me.

I guess it takes a PPL to play here.

I am out. This will be my last posting on this forum. I see someone like me really is not welcome.

Thanks to the two who helped. That money will stay right there and if I don't use it it will go to someone else in need.

Good Bye.

Tony
 
Surgery is my first option, I know a great neurosurgeon in Wichita Falls TX that did an excellent job on me and a lot of other people.
 
1600vw said:
I guess it takes a PPL to play here.

I am out. This will be my last posting on this forum. I see someone like me really is not welcome.
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:confused:

With all due respect, I don't think we're giving you what you desire, so perhaps you'll find somewhere more beneficial to spend you time. Not sure what the slam on holding a pilot certificate is about, but blowing out of a web forum isn't particularily original.

I hope you find the treatment you need.
 
1600vw said:
I may not fly a Heavy or anything anyone here respects but I do enjoy airplanes on any level. Because of this I thought I would be welcome here and treated as part of the group and not just a visitor. This is why I posted this here.

I am not asking for anyone to give anything big. Just share this with friends and maybe I can find enough people to give enough pennies and then have something done to help me.

I guess it takes a PPL to play here.

I am out. This will be my last posting on this forum. I see someone like me really is not welcome.

Thanks to the two who helped. That money will stay right there and if I don't use it it will go to someone else in need.

Good Bye.

Tony
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So what are you saying? Your leaving POA because you didn't get more people to donate money to your cause? With all due respect people have show a lot of compassion and tried to give you helpful advice, and now your leaving? Certainly your choice. I do wish you healing and to be as pain free as you can.
 
I do feel quite sad for the OP. Medical issues are no fun whether you are 15 or 80. I hope this is not taken the wrong way but I just find it interesting that the op says he is leaving the forum over a few questions of his intentions. If you truly do need assistance then one must expect some questioning...it's just the reality in this day and age.
 
I don't mind the questioning, but don't treat me as though this was my first post on this forum and I just signed in. I have been around here for a few years. I could understand if I just showed up saying I wanted help for this.

Its like someone insulting you to your face then saying, don't take it personal. I am not a stranger here but in my minds eye I am being treated as one.

The only thing I could related that to was me being a SP. I do not hear or see others being treated as such.

Like I said before, I never should have started that fund. I also never should have mentioned my problems. I should have kept it to myself. You see what it got me, being accused of trying to scam people on this forum.

Beat on me some more. But don't expect me to stand around and let you. Let the accusations start flying again.

I am having enough problems, then I have to defend myself here. I will leave and not put myself through this.

Sorry if I offended anyone. Like I said I am not a stranger on this forum but treated as such.

I am done.

Tony
 
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Someone made the comment. You post a pic of someone sitting in a chair and expect us to fall for this, or some crap like that. Just what pic should I have posted? One of my arms ripped off, or a hand missing, or leg. If you expected one like that you do not know anything about the disease I have.

I am having a hard enough time. I came here looking for advice and kinda a shoulder to lean on.

What I found, do not share your problems with others. Like some one else said, we all have our crosses. I should shut up and bare it.

This is the last you will here on this. Just forget all about this.

Now lets go fly.

Tony
 
Well again its a shame that you feel that way but since you have decided to leave the MC will lock the thread. Again best of luck to you and best wishes for healing and reduction in your pain.
 
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