Simonson in Surgery

I’m incredibly fortunate in many ways, most of all my good health. I’m almost 70 and I’ve never had an overnight stay in a hospital. Until now, that is.

On Thursday night, September 27, I woke up about 1 a.m. with what felt like stomach cramps. I thought it was just gas and would go away, but by 6 a.m. I was starting to worry. And the pain in my stomach was getting worse. I finally made it to the hospital (fortunately there’s one pretty close by) and got checked in. They thought it might be a burst appendix, but after some CAT scans and some other tests I don’t know the names of, it was revealed that a section of my bowel was not getting any blood and was effectively dying—and it needed to be removed and the remaining parts connected in its place, as soon as possible. That was fine with me—even with the meds they gave me the pain was excruciating.

So just like that, at 8 that evening, I was being rolled in for surgery. Surprisingly, I wasn’t at all nervous. I felt like it was an adventure—and I was eager to get rid of the pain! I really don’t remember anything past the anesthesiologist saying hello…

I woke up the next morning very relieved to find the pain I’d been experiencing was mostly gone. However, there was new pain to take its place—they’d cut an incision from my navel about 3-4 inches down, then another incision in my abdominal wall—but with the meds they were IV-dripping into me it was minor, especially compared to what I’d been experiencing the previous night. The doctor told me everything had gone well, and there were no complications. Gracias a Dios!

I figured I’d be out in a couple of days, but I really didn’t understand how much recuperation is required after a surgery like this. I wound up staying in the hospital for 5 days. I also didn’t realize how much it would cost. 

After 5 days I was thrilled to be able to finally leave the hospital—but feeling weighted down by how much money I’d had to borrow from from friends and family. I have Medicare in the U.S. but no insurance in Mexico. So every day in the hospital was costing me more money I didn’t have—despite Mexico’s health care being cheaper than in the U.S., for something like this, it adds up fast. 

Which is why I’m having a Simonson in Surgery Fundraiser Sale. I need help with my medical bills, and you need a new Simonson! (I hope.)

Below is the link to get to the Simonson in Surgery Sale. There are a little over 100 works on sale–paintings, prints, and rough sketches. The sale will last about 5 days. I hope you find something you like, and thanks in advance for your help.

UPDATE: The Simonson in Surgery Fundraiser Sale was a big success and gave me much-needed financial and moral support. So did the GoFundMe fundraiser to which many of you contributed as well. My sincere thanks to everyone who took part–it’s made a huge difference not only in my ability to repay my medical debts, but my recovery and mood as well! THANK YOU ALL!