Pushed beyond pain: All hope in German fix for agonising mix of illnesses
- Kelly Smith
- Mar 22, 2022
- 2 min read
Wills has developed additional vascular syndromes, May-Thurner syndrome, compression on the left iliac vein in the pelvis, and nutcracker syndrome, where arteries compress the left renal vein in the kidney.
Vascular compressions are still rare and widely misunderstood. Doctors in New Zealand do not have the expertise to help her. Getting help here has been impossible.
“I do appreciate a lot of the doctors I have seen, and I understand they cannot do the surgery I need, but every day I eat and drink less and less.
“I don’t know how much time I have.”
Wills needs to raise money to get to Germany, the home of renowned vascular surgeon Wilhelm Sandmann.
“This surgeon is successful in fixing the compressions, so they don’t come back. It would take away the pain while eating, the vomiting and nausea.
“It would fix the pain in my pelvis and all the urinary issues that come with it. It would give me back quality of life.”
Sandmann said Wills needed to be in Germany soon for further tests, including a specialised ultrasound to check for another conditions.
Wills believes she is running out of time; the window in which she is stable enough to have the surgery, and strong enough to recover from it, is shrinking.
“I feel more and more terrible every day, just trying to get out of bed.
“When I am in excruciating pain, and I can’t stop vomiting, there's no way I can take any pain relief because I just throw it straight back up.
“I can’t hold down any of my multivitamins, so that’s probably why things have gone down hill so quickly.”
Travel and accommodation costs for Wills and her mother Barbara, and hospital care, is estimated to pile up to more than $60,000.
She would need to stay in hospital for two weeks after the surgery and transfer to an apartment for another week before flying home.
“I have heard of other people in New Zealand who have said it cost up to $80,000. That is so much money. We have been trying to think of things to do to fundraise, but we are not really sure how to do it.”
Wills has set up a give-a-little page while she thinks of other ways to raise money.
“This is my chance to have some of my life back and look forward to the future like any other 20-year-old.”
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