Saturday Evening Update

Things are pretty much the same here. Sandi is making continuous heavy use of the oxygen concentrator and we see her numbers drop rapidly when she is off of it to go to the bathroom. The little $35 oxygen sensor I bought at the store was proven to be very accurate in the doctor's office so we have been checking her  a lot to see where she is at. She has a little more energy today, thanks to the powerful steroids she is now on, so she has been sitting with her computer in her lap and doing e-mail.

Sad to say she discovered she has had zero sales again this month despite her "Christmas In July" sale announced on her blog before she went into the hospital. Since she is virtually giving away stuff she thought she would get a couple of sales and instead got nada. Even the daily drive by looks she gets at her store at iOffer have dropped considerably. Maybe it is because everybody is doing some sale somewhere, I don't know. But, it is pretty discouraging.

We still don't know what her status is regarding social security disability and the rest of it. Supposedly, having a stem cell transplant is an automatic qualifier as well as the cancer she had and her hideous prognosis. No word yet.


I mentioned last week how we just got the paperwork to renew our food stamps. We filled that out this morning and mailed it today and again asked for Medicaid assistance along with the food stamps. Hopefully, something is in the system we don't know about and her approval is in the pipeline. Considering the food stamp renewal letter was dated July 3, 2013 and we just got it last week, it seems to me like there could have been a decision one way or the other and we just don't know it yet.

In the meantime, things continue to be very grim from a money standpoint. So, if you can, please make a donation via the handy dandy widget over to the left. Any amount helps. The monies raised go to the rent, utilities, food, gas for the car, parking at the hospital, medical bill payments (despite an installment plan both TEXAS RADIOLOGY and MEDICAL CITY DALLAS HOSPITAL --among others-- have turned some of the mountain of debt over to collection agencies--as if that changes our situation at all), Sandi's biweekly insurance premium of $95, her drugs, etc. The monies are not wasted and are very much appreciated.

I hate asking and I wouldn't if things were not desperate.  Feel free to share the news of our situation through social media or other venues if you would care to do so as we truly do need the help.

Kevin

Thank you ......and an Update

The rent is paid as we barely made it. Thank you!

Hopefully we shall soon hear something about Texas Medicaid for Sandi and the discounts on the phone and electric bills from LITE-UP TEXAS that we should have been receiving the last five months if records and forms hadn't been repeatedly lost. I have written the governor's office to complain and attached documentation proving what has been happening.

Since handwritten notes were not getting the job done, I have created a standard form letter that all doctors, hospitals, and support services will  start getting when they bill us. I explain the reality of our situation and the fact that we are still waiting for Texas Medicaid to process her application. I suggest that since they know our financial situation and her medical status as well as mine that they may wish to contact Texas Medicaid directly and see what they can do to assist them with processing our case so they receive any monies they are actually owed. Ten such letters went out today so by next week those parties will know again what they need to do to help us and themselves.
 
We don't know where she stands on the Social Security Disability deal. We sent all the "expedited" paperwork back and signed numerous releases to allow both the SSA and the state to get her medical records. The entire process for cases like hers is supposed to take about 120 days from start to finish and we think we have crossed the 100 day point.

I also have filed complaints with the Depart of Education regarding Sandi's student loans with NELNET and GREAT LAKES. In both cases they have refused to work with us and have ignored documentation from last December to last week sent by us as well as other parties. Instead, both continue to harass us with dunning notices and robo calls. Why they think that does anything when they know our situation I have no idea, but, they stupidly keep beating their head against the walls. Whether complaining to the Department of Education, as we had to do in the past on both companies in order for them to get their customer service act together, will do any good this time, I don't know. But, having given the fools at both places plenty of opportunity to get things straightened out and suffering epic failure from both of them, it seemed time to start screaming blood murder about their stupidity.

And the beat goes on........

The ALJ Ruling---I’m Disabled

Back in late June I had my hearing before the Administrative Law Judge regarding my Social Security case. I answered a lot of questions as to the pain I am in daily, how my life has changed since March 25, 2010 when I was put on medical leave by the district, what I can and can’t do, and a host of other stuff. I explained in detail what I actually did for the school district when I was employed as the vocational rehab specialist that was there described me doing far different work than I actually did.

It was a very exhausting and extremely painful experience.  Not just in terms of the physical effort to attend the hearing, but in terms of the emotional. Very tough to hear your life and work history summed up by others in cold terms.  

The bottom line is that the ALJ judge found in my favor and issued a ruling of “fully favorable.” This means he did find me to be disabled.  Something that anyone around me knew to be true after a couple of minutes.

I am to get a small amount of back disability pay as well as a small monthly disability check. At this point I have no real idea when those payments will arrive. What I am told in one letter is not what I am told in another. The good news is at least something is coming at some point. I also now know that working for the school district also means that my payment will be far lower than it otherwise would be because the PISD didn’t pay into Social Security.

Sure, I knew that at the time when I went to work for them.

But, I only thought of that in terms of retirement. Retirement was way off in the future and a mythical thing I rarely thought about---if at all.  I never once thought of the impact of that decision should I become disabled.  While I now know full well the economic cost of that decision, I will never know if being thrown over a desk by a very angry special education student more than once at my last assignment, being slammed into the walls, or any of the other physical situations I found myself in the last assignment as well as over the years in the PISD caused or contributed to where I am at now.

All I do know is that finally I should be receiving a little monthly money to help us here. That will mean an end to the donation widget at left that has been a major savior to us and at the same time a huge humiliation. While I am very grateful for all the help we have received, I am also very embarrassed to be in a situation where I had to ask for help just to keep a roof over our heads and other basic necessities. As long as Sandi is still able to work and I receive my small monthly check, unless another disaster strikes, we won’t have to ask for help. Feel free to knock on wood--I AM!

The ruling also means that come Saturday I will be under Medicare. This will mean that I can start seeing my doctors again. First up is my cardiologist so that I can find out how bad my heart enlargement is these days.  Then it will be on to the back/leg deal to see if I can get any relief at all.

This also means I can go to a doctor to do the paperwork so that when I do drive somewhere I can park in a handicapped accessible spot once I have the plates/placard. Something that will help me tremendously due to my increasing lack of mobility and other issues.  Walking anywhere with my cane or walker is painful and exhausting.  An ability to park closer to the doors will be a huge relief.

With Sandi still in cancer remission based on the latest PET scan and this deal with me, hopefully we are turning a corner and things are going to start getting a little better.  Time will tell.

Kevin