Meerkat Update

[Jamie Hascall]

Hi all,

Today I stopped by at Harborview Hospital to check on David's progress as I hadn't heard from him for a few days. There were good reasons. A few days ago he aspirated some of the lovely dinner they were serving and the resulting coughing fit blew out the necklace of stitches that were holding everything together. He's since had a tracheotomy and has thus been unable to talk. The good news is that his calcium levels and other indicators are leveling out, but he'll be in the hospital for at least a few more days. During my visit, they changed out the tracheotomy tube to a smaller size which allowed him to speak with great effort. It's not a pretty picture but I think he's over the worst of it.

There are some good things coming out of all of this. The hospital food and the rest of this experience have convinced David to stop smoking and to start eating an organic and (possibly) vegetarian diet. I'm going to encourage him to put moderate exercise as a third leg of this regime of change. I think this will be a very positive change for his health.

The bad that goes with this all is that the costs both in time and money are leading him into even deeper doo doo. I'll be talking with his property manager shortly to make sure he's got someplace to go when he's discharged. The structure of the disability benefits leave him unable to look for any sort of legitimate work without loosing all benies and incurring the full cost of the hospitalization. Thus any possible work from other sources will be extremely important. Web projects are perfect and I'm sure will be a good value and well done. I'm probably going to work with him on some circuit design for a project I'm involved in.

I was glad to see the care he is receiving at Harborview. The nurses and docs are making his lousy situation as good as they can. Harborview is our trauma center as well as providing indigent and charity care, and is stretched to its' limits these days.I won't rant about the way the system works (or more aptly doesn't work), but I find I see a lot of this as my wife is one of the docs for a community clinic that cares for the ever increasing numbers of un- and under-insured. If we don't get some change in this soon, things are going to implode in a very quick and nasty fashion :( :mad: .

David wanted me to let everyone know how things were doing. I'll be seeing him again later today. I'll be taking him a copy of Wanderer. He like the idea of just sailing away when everything else has gone to shite. I'll pass on messages from this thread too.

I'll keep you posted,
Jamie

[TimH]

You can tell him Hello from me. At least he doesnt need to talk to program computers smile.gif

[Scott Rosen]

Please pass along my get well wishes.

Scott

[Bruce Hooke]

Thanks for the update.

Give David my best wishes for a speedy recover!

[Jack Heinlen]

Best wishes David. Enjoy Wanderer . I can't think of a better book to dream on when trussed up with hoses and stitches, and feeling less than sanguine about shoreside prospects.

Jack Heinlen

[Wiley Baggins]

Please pass on my regards. I got a chuckle (not entirely "Ha ha") out of the aspiration story as I once nearly pulled a Mama Cass after surgery(the urban legend version of her death) . Tell him grinning (about my "Mama Cass moment" or otherwise) is okay, but to go easy on the laughter for now.

[Jim H]

Best wishes Meerkat, get well soon.

[JimD]

A full and speedy recovery to you, Meer

[Ian McColgin]

Get well. Get out. And vote.

HehHehHeh

G'luck

[htom]

Best wishes, Meerkat.

[John B]

absolutely.
Best wishes Meerkat.

[Beowolf]

Take Care Meerkat.

Jeff

[paladin]

absolutely best wishes...............

[imported_Steven Bauer]

Best wishes and a speedy recovery and all that. smile.gif

Steven

[Ken Hutchins]

Praying for a quick recovery from Ken, Shirl and the Noragility board of directors.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid142/p5f9a041f408b3a02f95e8219161f75f5/f6ba94f0.jpg

[Mike Field]

.
Good luck, Meerkat old son, and best wishes from Downunder. I hope you have a full and speedy recovery. (And as far as the finances go, try and have faith that the universe will provide. Sounds crazy, but it happens.)

Ian's got the right idea -- get well, get out, and vote.

Cheers, Mike

(And many thanks, Jamie, for keeping us informed.)
.

[Hughman]

Good Luck, Meerkat. Have one of the nurses throw cold salt water at ya as you read the book.

[Domesticated_Mr. Know It All]

Glad to hear the worst is over. smile.gif
Healing thoughts and prayers will continue until we hear from you Meer. :cool:
Thanks Jamie. ;)

[Keith Wilson]

Hang in there friend; we miss you.

[mmd]

Indeed. May you have a speedy and uneventful recovery, Meer.

[NormMessinger]

Dang, Meer! Those stitiches are nothing to be sneezed at. Can't tell if I'm please it wasn't any worse or what. Anyway we've been wondering and hoping and wishing for the best. Sorry we were not more effective. Take care from here on, ya hear.

(Thanks for the report Jamie.)

--Norm

[Peter Malcolm Jardine]

smile.gif best wishes

[Wild Wassa]

Jamie, please pass on my best wishes to Meerkat.

Warren.

[Stiletto]

Best wishes.

[Joe ( Cold Spring on Hudson )]

Jamie, Thank you - I had tried calling a few times never got through. Please pass along my best wishes for a speedy recovery .
And keep us posted when you visit again.

Joe

[PeterSibley]

Thanks for the update Jamie.Please send my best wishes from the Other Side of the World smile.gif Looking forward to seeing his posts!

[cs]

Please pass on my good wishes and tell him I'm pulling for him.

Chad

[Steve Paskey]

Please give Meerkat my best wishes. I've been thinking about him and hoping for the best. And bless you for helping him and keeping us updated.

[ 10-15-2004, 07:39 AM: Message edited by: Steve Paskey ]

[Bill Dodson]

Meerkat, you're in my prayers.

Bill

[paladin]

well....I guess I won't be getting the kidney....and I promise not to visit the hospital with a syringe full of air...... ;)

[Venchka]

David,

I can not begin to imagine what you are going through. Get well soon, buddy. The Bilge needs you! :D

Wayne
In the Swamp. :D

[Dave Hadfield]

Get well, live better, and come for a sail next season on Drake!

You'll be quite welcome!

Dave and Robin

[nedL]

My thoughts will be you Meerkat & I hope things continue to improve.

[Jamie Hascall]

Hi all,

You should have seen the grin on Daves face when I handed him a printout of the thread. You're all helping in his recovery.

The docs have said that they hope to have him out this weekend. When I saw him yesterday late afternoon, he looked much better than he had in the morning. I think he's stabilizing well and his breathing is better. I'm not sure what being home will be like but I imagine it will be a whole new set of adjustments. We'll have to see what resources are available for assistance to help him further his recovery.

I wasn't able to find my copy of Wanderer to take him, so he's having to settle for "My Old Man And the Sea", "The Last Grain Race", and Jonathan Raban's "Coasting". It shouldn't be too long before he's puzzling the docs with symptoms of seasickness. ;)

More Later.
Jamie

(Dang, I wish the hospital had WiFi so I could take him a laptop and let him harangue you himself.)

[Kermit]

Whoa! Hey, Meer, I've just crawled out from under my rock and met with a hell of a surprise. Take care of yourself, friend. Our thoughts are with you!

[Peter Kalshoven]

Heal fast, Meer. Our prayers are with you.

[John A. Campbell]

Best wishes from Texas, Meer, keep your chin up and stay strong......John Campbell

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

I had missed this thread. Good luck, David.

Try writing; freelance journalism pays miserably but the odd cheque dropping through the door always brightens my day. Give it a go; you can do it almost anywhere - the best advice is something I was told by the old Editor who got me started - keep a pencil and paper by your bedside and jot down ideas. Particularly when you wake up. Then, when you can sit yourself in front of a keyboard, you can quickly work them up. If you don't jot them down they drift away.

And there is no better time to pack up smoking than after a spell in hospital; trust me, I have been there and done that thing, as the Downunders say. Your system is already de-toxed, which gives you a flying start, and you are highly motivated!

[Mrleft8]

Hospital food was so good he inhaled it?
Thanx for the update, and send my regards please!

[Hwyl]

Good luck David. Yes do please give up smoking--.

Gareth

[ 10-16-2004, 12:25 PM: Message edited by: Hwyl ]

[SC-Lion]

Best wishes David, get well soon.

-Gary

[capt jake]

Good luck David, and a speedy recovery! smile.gif

[imported_Daniel]

C'mon Meer, some positive thoughts from me that you'll soon be getting under the skin of the neo-cons again! I think they even miss you! :D Best Wishes

[ 10-16-2004, 12:57 PM: Message edited by: Daniel ]

[Concordia..41]

Jamie - thanks for the update.

David - hope you're through the worst and back up to speed soon!

- Margo

[Harry Miller]

Thanks Jamie. Please give him my best.

[imported_Dutch]

meer-

my best wishes and a bit of unsolicited advice.

if you are an honorable discharged veteran, seek assistance thrugh the va center nearest you.

you may think its a step down for you, but let me assure you. it wasnt for my past brother in law and he was finer a man than most of us will meet in this life.

you earned the right

[ken mcclure]

My best wishes come to you, also. Sorry - I missed this thread with all my happenings, but I wondered how everything was.

Concentrate on getting better. If you can regain your health, everything else is just details.

[Chris Coose]

Thanks Jamie, could somebody who knows send me Meer's name and mailing address.

ccoose@maine.rr.com

[ 10-17-2004, 05:00 PM: Message edited by: Chris Coose ]

[jlapratt]

Best wishes for a speedy recovery. Keep dreaming of the next boat build.

Jeff

[Bruce Hooke]

Originally posted by Chris Coose:
Thanks Jamie, could somebody who knows send me Meer's name and mailing address.

ccoose@maine.rr.comChris: it's on its way to you...

- Bruce

[Domesticated_Mr. Know It All]

Here we go page 2. :D
I asked the whole church to say a prayer for you today David. smile.gif
You should be feeling better soon. ;)

[Meerkat]

Oh Shoot! :``)

Thank you all so much for your good wishes and prayers!

I've only been home a few hours and am feeling quite rugged so I'm not going to say much else...

Hope to be posting more in the next few days.

Again, THANKS! smile.gif

[Domesticated_Mr. Know It All]

There's no place like home eh? smile.gif
Hang in there David. ;)

[Joe ( Cold Spring on Hudson )]

http://media5.hypernet.com/ubb/icons/icon14.gif

Whew Good to see that Screen Name on here http://media5.hypernet.com/ubb/icons/icon14.gif http://media5.hypernet.com/ubb/icons/icon14.gif http://media5.hypernet.com/ubb/icons/icon14.gif

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

Hope to be posting more in the next few days.

Again, THANKS! smile.gif [/QB]Now... is that a threat or a warning? Ha, ha! Welcome back - good to see your post. Joe must fill you in though. In your absence things are somewhat more civilized down in the Bilge.

The image of Meerkat in the role of Jimmy Stewart in A Wonderful Life comes to mind. He is gone and returns to an entirely different town than he left.

Sorry Meer, just don't you leave again or we are obligated to... ;)

[PeterSibley]

GOOD to see your name up again mate !! smile.gif smile.gif

[landlocked sailor]

Hang in there & keep the faith. Rick

[htom]

Good to hear from you, Dave.

[Alan D. Hyde]

Glad you're on the comeback trail.

It looks like you and G.W. may triumph over adversity together contemporaneously. :D

Well done on the cigs. It's a ill wind that blows no good.

Alan

[Bruce Hooke]

Welcome home and best wishes for a speedy recovery!

[Meerkat]

Gak.

Not too much pain - have not needed vicodin in the daytime at all, even before I got out of the hosipital.

I can't wait for the trach tube to come out - hopefully on Friday! As it is, I sound like 3 people breathing, one of which sounds like Darth Vader - which is also how I sound when I talk. Neck still very swollen in the area of the incision - Adam's Apple.

Drugs... 2 different nasty antibiotics. This is down from the 3 in the hosipital. One is a replacement for one that was so bad I was literally suicidal. One of the current one's gives me hyper taste and smell. Everything tastes like cr*p. Smells are beyond belief. I can go outside and smell the pollution in the air and coffee and chocolate both smell like deranged petroluem experiments, coffee especially! Extremely strong and acrid smells. Food is very hard to impossible to face, so there's an anti-nausea med in there too. Some of the food issues should change since we just did an adjustment on the offending antibiotic.

In addition to the diabetes meds (insulin) I was taking, it looks like I'll be taking at least 4 others for life too, including 4 tums per meal as a calcium supplement (GOT to find something else like a liquid!) Those drugs are for thyroid replacement, plus a water pill/hypertension drug being used to avoid calcium precipitation in my kidneys or bladder (stones).

Life truely, truely bites right now, but I'm sloooowly getting better.

[skuthorp]

Good to hear from you Meer, you gave us all a fright!!
Jeff and Anne

[Domesticated_Mr. Know It All]

Every morning you wake up is a good one. ;)
Of course some are better than others. :D
Healing thoughts from me. smile.gif
Peace----> Kevin in Ohio

[cs]

David, glad to hear your home. Heres to wishing you well on the road to recovry. Keep your chin up and a positive outlook and good things are bound to come your way.

Peace

Chad

[Kermit]

David, you'll be tap-dancing before the week's out. Glad to hear of your rapid progress. Side effects can be a roaring drag, but the alternative really sucks. And congrats on the smoking suspension. That was one of the best things my wife and I ever did.

Cheerio! :D

[Meerkat]

Hospital again today: wound check and an appointment with endrocrinology. Wound ok, endo - errr... scewed ;) December will probably be radio iodine time - turns out it's a test dose plus an actual dose and voila! the refugee thyroid cells should be gone!

Also learned that I went from 258 to 232 in the past 2 weeks. Nice amount of weight to lose for a start, but I can't recommend the method.

ALSO, had my first approximation of a decent meal since Oct 6th. Now, if I can just find a whole night's sleep...

[Meerkat]

And the BILL IS IN! $44,232.70 for 11 days of hell! All thankfully covered by WA state medicaid.

[Wild Wassa]

Mate, hospitals are not places that people go to get well, just fixed up. To the Doctors Meer, you were only a package for fixing and bleeding.

But to us Meer, ... ... may you bounce back quickly and continue to give the extreme right, heaps. Meer, you will live longer if you scare yourself once a day, so some say. It has been a good scare, take care.

Warren.

[ 10-20-2004, 10:28 PM: Message edited by: Wild Wassa ]

[Meerkat]

Trach tube out today - already feeling an order of magnitude better! Appitite came back on Wednesday and was ravenous on Thursday.

I should be able to sleep better now that I can pull the bed covers around without smothering myself. It would be awefully good to get 2 REM cycles in instead of the 1 I'm now managing. 4 hrs/night is just not enough!

Next hurdle is getting through the antibiotics so I can really start getting better.

[Russell Sova]

Meer, you might be smelling better because of not smoking. When my dad quit he said he smelled cutting grass for the first time in 25 years. And then gained a ton of weight because food tastes better, too.

[SC-Lion]

Hang in there Meer and keep your head up. Best wishes on a fast recovery.

-Gary

[Domesticated_Mr. Know It All]

My mother says you need some chicken soup Meer. :D
She's probably right too. ;)
Hang in there. smile.gif

[Meerkat]

Thanks guys. Still holding my own, but haven't gotten noticably better in the past couple of days, and even gone downhill a bit. I figure it's going to be like that for awhile. Still taking two strong antibiotics and those bad boys continue to kick butt on me.

Back to the doc's on Monday for a wound check and maybe the next step in closing the trach stoma, if there is one (next step). So far, it's closing OK on it's own, but there is still some air leakage, for instance when I tense my diaphram when standing up or sitting down.

Mostly stressed about where I may or may not be living in the next 2 weeks, not to mention the utility bill.

[Domesticated_Mr. Know It All]

Two steps forward and one step back is still forward progress David. Go with the flow. :D
Prayers and healing thoughts from me. :cool:
Peace---> Kevin in Ohio

P.S. I sometimes leak air when getting out of a chair but it ain't though my neck. Count your blessings. ;)

[paladin]

Meer...hang in there.....they say it gets darkest just before dawn........or the light at the end of the tunnel is the headlight of an oncoming train......or when my ship comes in I'll be at the airport.....or something....sometimes I just want to scream too and I'm tired of looking at four walls cause I can't go too far on my own...so just try to get better....please...

[Leon m]

Good luck to ya Meer ! hopefully you'll feel
better after Nov 2nd.

[Mrleft8]

Hoodathunk that Meer and the Chief justice of the USA would have something in common?! :D

[Meerkat]

He sure doesn't seem to know the constitution as well as I do! ;)

[Wild Dingo]

Well... shite! a fella buggars of outback for a few weeks... okay a couple of months then anyways... and come back to this? strike me roan Meer get outta the flamin hospital and get on yer shanks's pony's and live life mate!!! tracheys? 44000$$$ bills? strewth!!! :eek:

Get well ol mate... nothin good ever comes from bein crook an them quaks only make a fella broke :mad: :eek:

Thank Chips Rafferty's and ol Steve FlaminIrwins gonads I live downunder! :cool: :D

[TimH]

Originally posted by Wild Dingo:
Thank Chips Rafferty's and ol Steve FlaminIrwins gonads I live downunder! :cool: :D You live under Steve Erwins gonads ?!?!?! :eek:

[Wild Dingo]

Originally posted by TimH:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Wild Dingo:
Thank Chips Rafferty's and ol Steve FlaminIrwins gonads I live downunder! :cool: :D You live under Steve Erwins gonads ?!?!?! :eek: </font>[/QUOTE]Strewth sometimes I need me head red eh? I must slow me fingers down they are all excited about bein back on a computer they gets muddled an say the dumbest things!!! gonads? nah gronicles mate gronicles! :D but then Steve lost his awhile back {somethin to do with some bubby croc or other} an ol Chips croaked years ago so I reckon me fingers stuffed up whatever me ming was tryin to say :rolleyes:

[ 10-27-2004, 04:07 AM: Message edited by: Wild Dingo ]

[WindHawk]

Hey Meer, I'm sorry I missed all of this. You take care of yourself. If I get the chance at that Allegra next spring, you can sail with me, whenever.

Most everyone needs a dog; you can't have her, but she'd lick your nose, and you're welcome to that as well!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v290/WindHawk/Dusty6.jpg

[Meerkat]

What a sad and uncaring world I seem to find myself in (excepting a few people on the WBF and here in Seattle).

I have until the 24th of Nov. to either be kicked out onto the street, where I think I'm likely to die, or find some means of paying something substantial on my rent. If that means is structured as anything other than a loan, I lose my medicaid and cash and foodstamps. If I lose my medicaid, the UW Hospital will not give me the I-131 to treat the remnant of my cancer and I will die.

Funny isn't it - if I don't go back to work, I die and if I do go back to work I die. One maybe a little sooner than the other. No, this is in no way, shape or form a joke. It's the government at work.

If there's anybody out there who has any ideas about how I can borrow $4,000 with repayment to start 6 months from now, please contact me via pvt message. I have some collateral that may be of interest to secure the loan. Thank You.

[ 11-05-2004, 10:27 PM: Message edited by: Meerkat ]

[slacker]

MeerKat
PM for ya.

Darren

[BrianR]

Meerkat will be fine. I firmly believe there is Karma in the universe, and what goes around comes around. That means lots of good coming your way bud. Hang in there. Brighter days are ahead.

[Meerkat]

Originally posted by slacker:
MeerKat
PM for ya.

DarrenGot it - thanks! I'll keep you posted.

[Jack Heinlen]

David,

If the unfortunate happens and you lose your apartment, it doesn't mean you'll die in the gutter. You're smart and have computer skills. Surely, if you are willing, you can find a job and perhaps less gracious digs.

As to medical treatment, assuming the new job doesn't provide it, I'd be suprised if WA didn't have some sort of program for people in your situation. I think I'd get on the phone and call the local hospital E-room. The person administering that will know what is out there. Another resource, which might be better, private. There have to be organizations that can counsel you. I'm gonna laugh a belly laugh if the one that steers you right turns out to be "Faith Based". :D

I'm sorry. This must be terribly frightening. I wish I had something other than best wishes to offer. Buck up. You are old enough to know that life is totally unpredictable, and when the darkest hour comes, when we are forced back onto hidden resources, then is often when some strange fate takes a hand. Open to that fate. Don't lose heart.

[Pearl]

Get your butt back to a social worker, Meerkat. I have told you before, you can live in a nursing home on medicaid. Its hard for me to believe that it is much different in your area. Its not a permanent fix. But damn, you will be feed and kept warm. Medicaid will provide transportation to your treatments while you sort things out. You may not have internet, but the street will not have it either. If you have other information or other obstacles that you are not providing or care not to provide in open forum, send a PM and let me know.

[ 11-06-2004, 08:00 AM: Message edited by: Pearl ]

[Meerkat]

I talked to lots of social workers yesterday. They're not open on Saturday. This is what I found out:

WA state no longer has single event (annual) catestrophic medicaid at all (short term disability). If you break your leg in this state and can't work (need traction, whatever), you're SOL - a charity case.

The Disability program that I'm on goes to a managed care situation as of 12/1/2004 - in other words, triage. If you're too old and sick to fix - you get nothing from the state. It takes on the order of 2 years to get anything federal.

If I go to work, I lose all my disability, including my medical coverage, cash and foodstamps. UW Hospital has already told me that they will not treat my cancer if I don't have some sort of coverage or cash.

If I don't go to work or find a loan to pay my rent, I'll soon have no place to live.

[ 11-06-2004, 06:27 PM: Message edited by: Meerkat ]

[Domesticated_Mr. Know It All]

They say the Good Lord won't give you more than you can handle. He must have lots of faith in you. ;) Sounds like things can only get better.

[imported_Dutch]

veterans administration

[Larry P.]

David, if you fell up to it look for work. A palce to live is of primary importance. As for medical treatment, work out a "payment plan " with the medico's. They can't deny treatment and if they have to wait for their money so be it.

[Larry P.]

also check out Catholic Charities, they do good work and from past experiance can be helpful
web page (http://www.ccsww.org/)

[Pearl]

Originally posted by Dutch:
veterans administrationRefused earlier in the treatment.

Medicaid guildlines:
Question
How much money can you make and still get Medicaid?

Answer
It varies depending on the eligibility group you fall into. Each state sets an income limit for each Medicaid eligibility group and determines what income counts towards that limit. You will need to contact your local Medicaid office or your state to find out what the income limits are and how much of your income counts.

l, have you worked and made any money?

Question
What are the requirements for getting Medicaid?

Answer
To get Medicaid, you must usually be a pregnant woman, a child, a member of a low-income family, or must be aged, blind or disabled. A few states also cover single, healthy adults.

You also must meet state income and resource standards, and certain other requirements.

Finally, you must be a resident of the state, and be a United States citizen or a qualified immigrant.

you fit in any of these catagories?

Question
Is everyone who is poor and in need of health insurance able to receive Medicaid?

Answer
No. Medicaid eligibility in nearly every state is limited to children; pregnant women; families with dependent children; persons who are blind or disabled: and persons 65 or older. A few states cover single healthy adults within certain income guidelines.

you meet any of these guildlines?

Question
What is the Ticket to Work Program?

Answer
The Ticket to Work and Work Incentive Improvement Act (TWWIIA) has a section that covers employment and a section that covers health care. Title I of TWWIIA establishes the "Ticket to Work and Self Sufficiency Program." This voluntary program provides improved access to employment training and placement services for people with disabilities who want to work.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) administers the program. You can contact SSA on their toll-free number at 1-800-772-1213 or contact your local SSA office. SSA has contracted with Maximus, Inc. to serve as the program manager for the Ticket program.

Do you wish to work?

Are you truely on Medicaid? Again, send me any thoughts or questions about medicaid funding. Feel free to give me names and numbers of people in your area that have denied treatment to you. There are two sides to every coin. I feel for every person that needs catastrophic healthcare. But there are many avenues, yes some vary in different parts of the country, but is still avaliable to you.

[Lion]

Meer

Sorry I missed all this; best wishes with the recovery.

I can only imagine the difficulty of recovering your health with the incredible anixety of your residential and financial situation. I din't quite know what to say or do from so far away but if the thought helps !!

US$45K medical bill !....and the possability of the treatment not being continued ? I obviously don't understand the complexities of the US social welfare system, but I suggest you move to Australia (or Canada?) where it would be fully funded irregardless of income (no choice of doctor tho...but generaly pretty good).

Your dilemma raises a lot of questions about a lot of societal issues in 'the land of the free' not quite envisioned by Jefferson. But for another day, this is not a political thead.

All the best (and work on the wieght!).

Lion

[alteran]

Pearl sounds like a godsend. Let her help you if she can.

And thank you Pearl for being an angel for him.

Al.

[Meerkat]

Pearl; I know you're trying to help and I appreciate it.

I'm currently on Washington state disability. Under that program, if I'm disabled (the cancer) and thus unable to work, I am eligible to receive state medicaid, General Assistance for the Unemployable (GAU) and Foodstamps (this latter being a federally funded program).

Under this state program, if I can or do work at all, I lose all eligibility for the state medicaid and the GAU. If I make more than a certain amount, I would also lose the foodstamps (they taper off with income/exenses). THE treating hospital in Seattle has already made it bluntly clear that they will not treat me without some sort of medical coverage and, contrary to what I understood to be true, they do not have to treat me - they are obligated to use only a part of their budget to treat charity cases and that money runs out early in the year (I don't know yet if that's a fiscal or calendar year).

I have also applied for SSI and SSDI, both federal programs. I've been told that, on an emergency basis, I might get a determination in as little as 6 months (and they actually only have 120 days for SSI - 90-some days left on that clock, and, as I understand it, they usually always deny a claim the first time through). IF I get the SSI, then I'll get $579 in cash and more or less the same medicaid (no deductable, no premiums) and foodstamps I have now. I may then be eligible for Ticket To Work where I can supplement my disability payments by doing part time work up to a certain level. If I end up getting SSDI, then I am eligible for federal medicaid (and to make premium payments out of my SSDI, pay deductables/copays and prescriptions), but lose foodstamps since I would then, by a very scant (calculated?) amount, lose foodstamps.

I know about Ticket to Work. It's primarily designed for people on SSDI (and, as I read it, to a lesser extent on SSI) who have permanent disabilities and who want to work (no one is or can be forced to work from what I've read on the SocSec website, but that doesn't apply to me: if I can work, I will!). One can earn up to approximately $750/mo before one's SSDI payments begin to be reduced.

I currently don't have a good grasp of what my likely outcome is. I still have nodules in my lungs that may or may not be thyroid/benign/some other malignant, I have emphesemia and I have degenerative arthritis of the spine. This is in addition to the insulin dependent diabetes and asthema I already had (July was NOT a good news month! :( !). If it were just the thyroid cancer, I might be good to go in just a few more months, but there are other factors, so I don't know. I tend to discount the emphesemia, diabetes and asthema: I have stopped smoking and already live with the diabetes and asthema well enough. If the nodules in my lungs respond to the I-131 treatments, they will thus have shown themselves to be metastasized papillary thyroid cancer and they die and become a non-issue too. Otherwise, they may be benign. As for the arthritis, my doctor hasn't talked to me about that much, so, while longer term it sounds potentially ominous, I have no idea what it means in the short term. I asked and was told that he wanted to review my charts and consult with a radiologist before discussing things with me.

My immediate problem is that if I work, I lose my treatment and if I don't work, I lose my shelter. Either path seems to tend to be fatal.

From everything I've been told, my only course of action is to see if I can find someone who will loan me sufficient money to get past the I-131 treatments in January, which I think represent the largest remaining medical cost and which should leave me feeling pretty good and probably able to go out and get work. As I said previously, I do have some personal property to offer as colateral in the event I am unable to work and I will discuss that with anyone who might be willing to consider making me a loan via private message and/or email. I do have a specific plan to make this work and all I need is an angel to help me make it happen.

[Meerkat]

Rearranging the deck chairs and awaiting the final plunge. Shortest wait for emergency housing is 2-3 months and the rest 12-18 months. Disability still pending. I need $800 by next Monday and have only $200 in the pipeline.

I now have a first name relationship with virtually every social help agency in this city and even the state disability determination people are trying to help me make a case for disability, but it's not happening yet.

Crrrrrrrrrrrap.

[Ian McColgin]

The safety net is just shreds.

In his first administration, a quarter century ago now, Dukakis looked at the state's GR income and realized tha no one could actually live on that. Since thousands were getting GR and were living somehow, it was plain to the Duke that they were living with the help of under the table income. They were all welfare cheats. Since they were cheats they did not deserve the relief. He cut the program right out.

We got it back eventually with some more sane ways to look at supplimental income. I can't do it from this distance and in ignorance of Washington state law, but I when I was an advocate here I could usually help a person rearrange income in such a way that it was not countable. Much better if you can honestly report the non-countable than fail to report what will then be seen to be countable. See if you have advocates who know the term "benifits max."

The PRO (professional review organization) almost always denies SSI/SSDI first time around. Get the paper in and then appeal. One major part of my advocate job was funded by the state exactly to get people off the state GR and onto the federal SSI and our appeal success rate was above 90%. Regretably, a good number of likely cases slipped away because the clients got too depressed to struggle on and just slipped out of the system and onto the street. Gloomily enough, an attorney friend of mine working for a similar Legal Services project managed to win one appeal only posthumously.

Some hospitals are beginning to learn the value of having good patient advocates as that's the only way they will get paid.

If you do get SSI/SSDI, there are some very interesting ways you can develop a business. If you have the correctly drawn plan, you can essentially put all your earnings into the business, building it for a few years before you need to determine if it will fly for you without SSI/SSDI or not. If not, no penalty to dumping that business plan and no penalty to trying a different plan.

One attorney friend of mine who was wasted by MS used this feature to build a flourishing internet based legal research business that kept her reasonably housed, occupied and in good computers for years, even though it never made enough that she could have paid for her PCA (24/7) and she had to stay hitched to SSI/SSDI. At least it made her life's end game much more productive and meaningful for herself and all of us who loved her.

[imported_Dutch]

well ian you start off by saying the safety net is in shreds and then finish up by telling a story about how the safety net salvaged the final days of a friend of yours.

which is it?

[John Gearing]

I think Ian's point is that his late friend had to game the system to survive, but that's neither here nor there. This thread is about Meer and his predicament, not another ideological battleground (that's what Misc is for, right? :D )

So Meer, what's going on this week?