STRAIGHT-UP-DATE 11/30

Hi it's Char, I wanted to update you all on the latest in my Fight for Upright.

First, I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has reached out and is giving support in every and anyway you can! The response has been so overwhelming and relieving! I can’t say thank you enough and I’m so grateful to have such generous people surrounding me. The money has been helpful! It has allowed me the freedom to research and visit different doctors and patients to make sure I’m am taking the best path I possibly can. I have been getting my nutrition and immunity system on point to up the odds of success with Arbonne. I purchased an adjustable bed frame to help with sitting up again and circulation after surgery. And I will no longer be able to twist to put my chair in my car so I will be swapping out the car for a van with a ramp which will be a sizable expense to come.

I ended up doing more research on severe deformity spine surgeons and found a different surgeon at UCSF that has more experience with Spinal Cord Injury and Charcot spines. His approach to the surgery is a bit different and riskier but overall I felt more at ease with him at the wheel. So I have rescheduled the surgery with Dr. Berven on December 29th. I also visited my SCI doctor in San Jose that has followed me the last 16 years. She believes that my spine doesn’t have a chance of sitting straight because of bone growth in my hips that occurred after my initial injury in 2000. The growth makes my pelvis sit unsquare so anything put on top of a crooked foundation will naturally be leaning to one side. She thinks a hip surgery is necessary in addition to the spine surgery so I will be meeting with Dr. Berven on Dec. 5th to discuss what that means and will look like. So for the time being things are a bit up in the air but they are moving forward. I feel the path to success is lighting it’s way for me, even though it might be longer and more complicated than first thought. Trying to keep the faith that it will work out this time and I will end up STRAIGHT UP! I will keep everyone posted as things progress.

Much love and hugs to you all!

If you want to donate to my cause:
http://www.gofundme.com/charvine
or https://paypal.me/charvine
If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation:
http://www.helphopelive.org/campaign/12154
If you shop Arbonne’s sustainably sourced, vegan, GMO-free, gluten-free, clean products, Char will get a % of sale:
http://www.charvine.arbonne.com
If you want to donate direct or product email:
mailto:char@charvine.com

Can You Help?

Asking for help is not something that comes easy for me, but I am facing one of the largest challenges of my life and there is no way I'm getting through this one alone. My spine is no longer stable so I am in need of emergency spine surgery to reconstruct it from the bottom up. It's going to be a very long slow process of recovery that will hopefully leave me more stable but with less mobility. So if you have any extra to give and feel compelled to help it would be greatly appreciated. Love and gratitude!

https://www.gofundme.com/charvine

If you want to donate to my cause:
http://www.gofundme.com/charvine
or https://paypal.me/charvine
If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation:
http://www.helphopelive.org/campaign/12154
If you shop Arbonne’s sustainably sourced, vegan, GMO-free, gluten-free, clean products, Char will get a % of sale:
http://www.charvine.arbonne.com
If you want to donate direct or product email:
mailto:char@charvine.com

I'm Drained!

After a week in the hospital and a lot of poking, the fluid pockets have finally been aspirated as much as they can! They just found blood mixed with fluid. No infection. Great news, I feel so much better! Started this quest for relief a month ago so it's good to finally cross it off my list. Now onto preparing for the surgery in Dec. UCSF has been taking good care of me. The staff is kind, and their food is bomb! The Drs are not bad to look at either. Can't thank everyone enough for all the love and support! It means so much. #ucsf #straightup #charsfightforupright