I just wanna say -- the random comments thread

[PintoBean]

Thanks @Matata for the recommendation. I'm not rushing into this. I'm still researching. I can't find any store to try one out with Lola. If she hates it, there won't be any returns from Canada. We're worried that it might scare her, and if she moves too suddenly she will definitely hurt her neck. She's very impulsive! It can't be tippy either. She is the loudest on the way to the vet btw. She sits with the other two in the back seat and yells "Ow, ow, ow!" all the way there.

I have one. I've put Bellerina in it for walks a few times. She enjoys it for up to 30 minutes before she cries to go home.

This is the one I have. Got this in 2012 as a wedding shower gift. There are probably newer models available.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006T8IVPI?colid=&coliid=I17XGN6PY3L742&ref_=hit_wr_dt_vr_md_pt_mobile

 

[PintoBean]

Got my cowboy boots!!!!

 

[Calliecake]

Pinto Bean, Next thing you know you will have a boot collection like @ceg

So happy you had a great time in Houston!

 

[Gussie]

Got my cowboy boots!!!!

LOVE!!!!!!!

 

[missy]

Got my cowboy boots!!!!

Sweet boots @PintoBean. What is your foot size again? I wouldn't mind trying those babies on. Yeehaw.

 

[Arcadian]

So an update for you guys;

The oncologist thats overseeing the bone marrow transplant is looking at the men of the family first to see who's the closest match. If none there, they will look at the females. I need someone to explain why that is (I've done internet searches its all over the place)

So the hope is for them to find a match by July. If they do, she will start on the meds. she will NOT be able to stay home during all of this because the house would need to be extremely clean and....well.... they live normal lives, have dogs, have grandkids, so on.

The bad; insurance will NOT cover a lot of this.it makes me sick to think what needs to be done but in some ways its a numbers game.

 

[Arcadian]

Also I'm hella pissy right now because I.CAINT.BREEVE. Stupid cold. And my nose hurts. and my throat hurts. and my hair hurts (does, its wierd....)

 

[PintoBean]

Sweet boots @PintoBean. What is your foot size again? I wouldn't mind trying those babies on. Yeehaw.

You just want to see my feet. I will not feed your fetish!

 

[mary poppins]

@Arcadian, I don't know anything about bone marrow transplants so can't answer your question, but I hope at least one of the men in the family is a match and they find out soon. Fingers crossed for your family!

 

[TooPatient]

@Arcadian I'm sorry. So much going on and then sinus crud on top. Yuck.

 

[missy]

You just want to see my feet. I will not feed your fetish!

 

[missy]

So an update for you guys;

The oncologist thats overseeing the bone marrow transplant is looking at the men of the family first to see who's the closest match. If none there, they will look at the females. I need someone to explain why that is (I've done internet searches its all over the place)

So the hope is for them to find a match by July. If they do, she will start on the meds. she will NOT be able to stay home during all of this because the house would need to be extremely clean and....well.... they live normal lives, have dogs, have grandkids, so on.

The bad; insurance will NOT cover a lot of this.it makes me sick to think what needs to be done but in some ways its a numbers game.

Ugh I'm sorry. I don't know why but if I can figure it out I will come back and share the reason.

I hope they find a match with one of the men in the family. Sending lots of good thoughts and wishes and keeping my fingers crossed it works out and that she makes a full recovery.

And yeah insurance can suck. So sorry your family is going through all this.

 

[dazzle66]

@Arcadian I'm so sorry to hear about your sister. My youngest sister had to have bone marrow transplant at 21 a few years ago and it was horrible. It was a long road to recovery, but she made it and is now happy and healthy. To answer your question, they prefer to use males as donors as they have higher bone marrow counts and you can harvest more cells per collection from males than females.

 

[lyra]

@Arcadian I hate that insurance can say no to anything, let alone any type of cancer treatment. I hope they find a match for your sister.

 

[Arcadian]

@Arcadian I'm so sorry to hear about your sister. My youngest sister had to have bone marrow transplant at 21 a few years ago and it was horrible. It was a long road to recovery, but she made it and is now happy and healthy. To answer your question, they prefer to use males as donors as they have higher bone marrow counts and you can harvest more cells per collection from males than females.

@dazzle I'm happy to hear your sister did well with it, and thank you for answering the question. The internet tells you all kinds of crazy stuff...lol. I knew the recovery if one makes it would be long (she said a year or more?) and the drug coctail they use to kill the immune system is pretty nasty.

If it helps understand some of the situation, she's got drug resistant CML which is leading us to where we are now. We had a pretty long discussion last night about the transplant. So far they're concentrating on 2 family members; her son and my middle brother. Ideally her son is going to be best possible right? I would have thought that with all of us having the same mother/father, that at least the boys they would equally be considered but I guess thats not always true. My parents were ruled out right away as being too old. They have their own health issues anyway.

@lyra I guess I was naive and figured she would easily qualify for financial help.. as of now from what I read she has to at least go through the transplant in order to qualify for disability. Last year she went back to work to get the health insurance because her husbands alone will not cover enough of the copays for Dr Visits and meds (about 1k a month) Thankfully the people she works with are very understanding if she shows up with knots and shit on her head. How long will she be able to be there is anyone's guess but they are doing what they can to support her. She is not yet old enough to qualify for SSI, she's a 2 years away. So they started to look at the possibility of getting disability and filed 2 years ago....she got denied..... the other reason why she went back to work.... and

Here's the kicker. the husband has short term disability for both of them. She can't use it for her cancer because it was prexisting. They will have to figure another way around it to use it..

We're hoping with the new diagnosis she will be able to take the time she needs for recovery and not stressing out about losing everything.

She said she wants to be at home as much as possible aftwards because it would be cheaper for them, but I don't know how its going to be possible as from what I have been reading she will need round the clock care. Her husband works (and has to in order to pay for the other part of the insurance!!) so that means nurses. And someone to really keep the house clean. And I don't know what they're going to do about the dogs (I heard they may not be able to stay there...my parents might take them if thats the case), And of course we siblings will do whatever we can too...but can only do so much....

At least for some of it, her oncologiests office is going to help her walk through the steps to get help for the meds and they think with the combined insurances it would just cover the operation...maybe. Thats if one of them dosen't balk!

But basically they will have to go broke to get help. Lord

 

[mary poppins]

@Arcadian, SSA often denies first application for disability and then grants on appeal. Your sister should consider hiring an attorney to appeal. SSDI attorneys usually work on a contingency basis which means the client pays costs which are minimal and the attorney gets paid a portion of the SS award. If SSDI is granted, it is done so retroactively therefore it is worth trying as she could get that back pay and benefits

It really sucks being so sick and then having to worry about money and deal with insurance companies and the government. Sorry your family is going through that.

 

[TooPatient]

@Arcadian I am so sorry. What a horrible situation! I have seen those denials too often. Such a messed up system. Keep appealing everything. Disability and coverage. I know it is exhausting.

One of the saddest things I heard was that a friend (recently met at the time I learned this) had divorced his wife of many years so that they would base assistance on her income only. (He stayed by her side until the end, but they weren't married legally). No one should ever have to make decisions like that!

 

[Mcgregor]

@Arcadian, my heart breaks for you. I second what mary poppies said. Social Security will almost always deny you the first time. You must then ask for a reconsideration, bearing in mind there is a time fame for this. Each time she is denied she must ask for a reconsideration. It will eventually work its way up to an administrative law judge review. In my experience of over thirty years in the social work and eligibility field, the majority of cases were granted by an administrative law judge. She must fight her way through the system, sad to say, but if she is eventually found eligible, all payments will be made retroactive to the original date of application. Sending all of you prayers and positive thoughts.

Incidentally, we would counsel husbands and wives to divorce each other so that income and assets from one would not be available to the sick partner.

 

[lyra]

It's crazy that people have to divorce to get disability, etc. It's crazy that a serious illness can bankrupt a person. It's so unfair. There could be a better system, and should be one.

 

[House Cat]

Got my cowboy boots!!!!

Oooooooohhhh! I love!

I have a thing for cowboys boots. I just started collecting and I only have three pair but it’s like this..
One pair for all of the time
One pair for camping
One pair for gardening... (they’re great for digging and i got them at the thrift store and their kind of ugly)

 

[House Cat]

@dazzle I'm happy to hear your sister did well with it, and thank you for answering the question. The internet tells you all kinds of crazy stuff...lol. I knew the recovery if one makes it would be long (she said a year or more?) and the drug coctail they use to kill the immune system is pretty nasty.

If it helps understand some of the situation, she's got drug resistant CML which is leading us to where we are now. We had a pretty long discussion last night about the transplant. So far they're concentrating on 2 family members; her son and my middle brother. Ideally her son is going to be best possible right? I would have thought that with all of us having the same mother/father, that at least the boys they would equally be considered but I guess thats not always true. My parents were ruled out right away as being too old. They have their own health issues anyway.

@lyra I guess I was naive and figured she would easily qualify for financial help.. as of now from what I read she has to at least go through the transplant in order to qualify for disability. Last year she went back to work to get the health insurance because her husbands alone will not cover enough of the copays for Dr Visits and meds (about 1k a month) Thankfully the people she works with are very understanding if she shows up with knots and shit on her head. How long will she be able to be there is anyone's guess but they are doing what they can to support her. She is not yet old enough to qualify for SSI, she's a 2 years away. So they started to look at the possibility of getting disability and filed 2 years ago....she got denied..... the other reason why she went back to work.... and

Here's the kicker. the husband has short term disability for both of them. She can't use it for her cancer because it was prexisting. They will have to figure another way around it to use it..

We're hoping with the new diagnosis she will be able to take the time she needs for recovery and not stressing out about losing everything.

She said she wants to be at home as much as possible aftwards because it would be cheaper for them, but I don't know how its going to be possible as from what I have been reading she will need round the clock care. Her husband works (and has to in order to pay for the other part of the insurance!!) so that means nurses. And someone to really keep the house clean. And I don't know what they're going to do about the dogs (I heard they may not be able to stay there...my parents might take them if thats the case), And of course we siblings will do whatever we can too...but can only do so much....

At least for some of it, her oncologiests office is going to help her walk through the steps to get help for the meds and they think with the combined insurances it would just cover the operation...maybe. Thats if one of them dosen't balk!

But basically they will have to go broke to get help. Lord

Her condition has worsened since she last applied for SSDI right? She should apply again. When was the last time she worked? Sometimes, they deny right off the bat just to make people go away. Sometimes, you have to appeal.

 

[AGBF]

Definitely apply again for SSD. It is rare to get SSI or SSD the first time. I hope your sister has already filled out an application, without a lawyer. Just get a second one in. She can do another one (or ten) with expert help later. A second one may be approved just because it's the second one, even if it's exactly the same as the first one but with a different date and a few more sick days. Good luck.

Hugs and prayers are with you,
(((Arcadian)))
Deb

 

[Calliecake]

@Arcadian. If the wording isn’t exactly as the SSD office wants to see it, disability will be declined. A lawyer with experience in this area will know exactly how to handle this.

It’s awful having a family member having a serious health issue. I hope a match is found quickly for your sister. Please know you have a lot of support here when you are feeling overwhelmed. I’m so sorry you are going thru this. Hugs

 

[AGBF]

@Arcadian. If the wording isn’t exactly as the SSD office wants to see it, disability will be declined. A lawyer with experience in this area will know exactly how to handle this.

Her sister should not wait to do a second application, however. She can do a second application immediately and still look for an attorney if she wishes. Doing the second app immediately will hurt no one and it may succeed.

 

[AGBF]

PS-My daughter's application for SSI (and later SSD) was approved the first time around because her history of psychiatric hospitalizations was so extensive. I was flabbergasted that it was approved on the first try because I am a social worker and had worked with the population of schizophrenic and bi-polar deinstitutionalized mental patients. I knew how hard getting these entitlements was. My own daughter's history, however, was unusually strong. Don't give up. Eventually people get it.

BTW-we didn't use a lawyer. I did the application myself. Naturally I had to gather medical records. However, I always recommended attorneys-good ones-to clients who had problems. Make sure you find someone who specializes in this.

 

[tyty333]

Kate Spade found dead at 55. Apparently, she took her life .

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2018/06/05/kate-spade-found-dead-in-apparent-suicide/

 

[Calliecake]

So sad about Kate Spade’s death and the grief her family is feeling now. I believe she had a young teen daughter. If only she had reached out to a doctor for help.

 

[AGBF]

Thanks for posting about Kate Spade, tyty and Calliecake. Her suicide seems unimaginable. Her daughter is 13. She had to have been desperate.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/officials-designer-kate-spade-found-dead-in-apartment-1528215984

 

[Calliecake]

Her pain must have been unbearable.

 

[House Cat]

I am so bewildered right now.

They lost my son’s pediatric medical records. These are the records that showed how he was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. These are the records that had the information of the seizure he had. These are also the records that had the information of him taking remicaide before it was approved for children...but who knows if that was a factor?

My son’s current doctor says he has to diagnose him again because every colonoscopy and endoscopy that is in the medical files he has is completely free of disease. As far as this doctor is concerned, my son doesn’t have IBD.

Except my son is very sick right now and always is after a semester because he pushes himself too hard.

Colonoscopy in 9 days. Hopefully it shows something because otherwise this guy is going to take my son off his meds and cause a firestorm of pain inside of my kid...and make him have ANOTHER colonoscopy.