Consider supporting Jill’s Heart Surgery and Recovery

Story

Hello friends!

I have been encouraged by a handful of people in my life to create a Go Fund Me.

I am asking if you would consider helping me weather this storm.

As Brandi Carlile says, “You can dance in a hurricane, but only if you’re standing in the eye..”

My cardiac bypass (CABG) surgery is now being moved up to May 22nd due to symptoms. Today they told me they would like me to be able to stay home until my sugery, but if anything chages at all they want to hospitalize me until my sugery.

I was hoping to be able to continue working, and I wanted to go to my senior’s graduation before my surgery – though plans clearly changed. He says I’ll just have to watch his college graduation

I have very humbly found myself continuing to tread water in the unprecedented storm of the past 6 months.

This time, I’m truly waving my white flag and directly asking for help myself. I’m so incredibly independent and want to do everything myself (oh and do everything for everyone else as well – obviously), and, well, for most of my life that has worked out for me. It is embarrassing for me to put this out there and ask for the help yet again, AND I also know I would give to others without the judgment I have for myself.

What I really need from my village is to share this far and wide.

I’m asking for positive thoughts, healing energy, love, strength, and prayers sent out into the universe to surround my family, friends, medical team, and myself during my surgery and recovery.

I’m also asking for any amount of donation people feel they can spare. Every little bit truly helps. Please note I have this fundraiser available, or it can be sent directly to me through one of the other popular money apps as they don’t take fees out. I’ll list one with this, or you can ask for it. I don’t know the rules if I can put it directly on here.

I have been off work a lot because of my current intermittent leave for my kiddo. I have already exhausted my paid leave Oregon and have no more pto at work. I don’t have short-term disability and it takes 90 days for my long-term disability to be available, which will then only pay 60% of my income.

Due to my surgery, I will be off work for around 2-6 months. I need money need to pay bills, and I have no idea how much this surgery and subsequently being in the ICU will cost me.

If you want to know my story, keep reading..

I work in the NICU as a nurse. I have been a single mom the good majority of my life. Between my partner and I, we have 7 kids ranging in ages from 3 – 33. Our kids come from all different ways, biological, adopted, co-parented, etc. Ya know, kinda like the Brady Bunch, but not.

This is how the past 6 months have gone…

In December, I flew to San Francisco to be with one of my kiddos in the ICU who almost accidentally died after a fentanyl laced overdose. My kid had strokes and a left arm compression injury, and tragically, my kiddos’ wife died. They were there on vacation.

My kid moved home to live with us to be supervised and work on rehabbing their arm, memory, and cognitive deficits.

Then, my partner’s father had 2 separate strokes, and during this time, a very close uncle also died.

In March, my 26 year old had bilateral total hip replacement surgery and woke up with his right leg having very little movement. He had to go to rehab for 3 weeks, and then I had to stay at his house to help him.

April came along, and it was MY turn. I shockingly found out I have Cornary Artery Disease (CAD) and need a double bypass.

Did I mention this whole time we have also been working on potty training the twins. The best way to make this happen is to let them run naked at home. So…. when I take them to the park, they really don’t understand why they just can’t take their clothes off. I’m pretty sure they think I’m crazy for not letting them strip there, despite me pointing out that all their friends also have their clothes on.

People ask what led me to find out I need heart surgery because if you have been around me, you wouldn’t have any idea. Up until recently, when my symptoms increased. It’s still very surreal to me.

I have genetically high cholesterol, familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). My cholesterol is typically in the 400s. I also have high lipoprotein a (Lpa). I was diagnosed when I was 18 and didn’t start meds until maybe my mid-20s since there were no studies of young people being on meds lifelong. I eventually hated my statins and stopped them.

Fast forward to a few years ago when I had a hypertensive crisis. I called 911 thinking I was having a heart attack – it turns out my blood pressure was 270/140. They kept me a couple of days and sent me home on BP meds.

Over the next 3 years, my question has been why… why did this happen? Why is my blood pressure higher when I am upright. I didn’t want to just treat the symptoms. I changed jobs, which changed my insurance and providers, and that certainly slowed things down. I was persistent and still kept asking why.

In the meantime, while waiting for tests and playing the medical hurry up and wait game, I have avoided being super active knowing my BP gets so high when I’m up and walking around. I also know my anxiety greatly impacts my blood pressure as well.

While doing all of these tests, I’ve only had shortness of breath on exertion, like going up the stairs or walking fast. I attributed the SOB to being out of shape.

Long story short, eventually, my tests led to a cardiac CT, then angiogram, and here I am now awaiting bypass surgery.

Also, today, I went in for a left arm ultrasound because it has continued to hurt since my angiogram and I haven’t had a palpable pulse. Turns out I have a thrombus, and they can’t treat it with anticoagulants until after my heart surgery… cool cool.

Interestingly, I have joined some groups with other people who have CAD and needed bypass surgery. What I see is there are a lot that have genetically high cholesterol like me, yet there is this other group of people that run marathons, eat healthy, don’t have high cholesterol, don’t smoke and yet still have CAD. Many of them find out because they have a heart attack, and that’s how they get there. This can be a silent disease.

Oh, how I wish our country focused on preventative care.

I’m so thankful I kept asking why and was able to get the tests I needed. As scared as I am, I also feel incredibly lucky that my heart is going to get fixed so I can come back even stronger.

“For a heart that is broken, makes a beautiful sound…” BCB

Speaking of BCB – if you didn’t know, I LOVE the band Brandi Carlile and I am a proud Bramily member with a multitude of concert memories. I’m REALLY hoping to be healed enough from my surgery to see them at Red Rocks in September. #GOALS #PRIORITIES…. this will be my focus!!

Thanks for reading.. so much love to all of you!!! Here we go!!

Jill

Organizers :

Jill Rhoden is organizing this fundraiser.