Medical & Life Support for Myself- Please Help Me
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My son Billy lost his job at Charter after 15 years, a few months ago. This was devastating to him, as well as to me. Naturally, he paid the rent, utilities, cell phones for both of us, his car and insurance. Our landline phone, cable and internet were a work concession. I am on Social Security, I paid for groceries and household items, all my needs and medications etc. I have had asthma since birth, so I have lung issues. I was diagnosed in 2011 with diabetes which I monitor and have had under control.
I was on Metformin but no longer taking it. I was in a car accident in 1994 and have calcaneal heel fractures in both feet that left me with balance issues and pain.
I take pain medication and medication for neuropathy in my feet. I used a cane for years but I'm 72 yrs old now, because of my feet issues and a bad knee my balance is even more precarious because of arthritis. I use a rollator now. I fell in March of 2020 and broke my right humerus bone and it also affected my shoulder joint. I'm right-handed and have very bad carpal tunnel and can't use the cane anymore.
My son spoke with the apartment management and we are on a payment plan while he is looking for a job. He's lost his car, so looking for a remote job from home. He's applied for several jobs at Dish Network. Please pray that he can get one of the jobs soon. In the meantime, my entire SS check will be needed to make the reduced monthly payment of $1500.00 a month. Just last week he got his Snap/EBT card from CalFresh, which is a big help, however, I have to have our groceries delivered and there is a fee and tip involved. I don't have cash left over. I also don't have cash for copay charges for my Symbicort, Albuterol (asthma meds), and Dicyclomine tabs (IBS meds), the rest of my meds are covered by Medicare. Symbicort is $94, Albuterol $14, and Dicyclomine $14, monthly. Except for Albuterol, a rescue inhaler, I use the others daily.
I have been homebound since the pandemic. We both qualified to have healthcare come to the apartment to give us our Covid shots and boosters. I need to have bloodwork done, and a doctor's office visit, I haven't had a mammogram in 2 years. Without a car, I need to do Lyft and I need a working cell phone. To get our cell phones working it's $130. Also, we need to pay $180 for internet access which Billy will need for working remotely from home. I've paid on my credit card for much of the above and I am maxed out.
I can't begin to tell you how all this has affected both of us. I have trouble sleeping, and eating and my hair is falling out. I had a bout with Alopecia in the early 2000s because of stress, and well it's returned. I have bald patches on my scalp and lost my eyebrows. I hope to be able to get to a dermatologist and an eye doctor sometime soon. I need new glasses and have my cataract checked soon. I also think I have Sjogren's disease, another autoimmune disease likely brought on by stress.
I truly hate asking for help with some of this, I just know I need the help. I need the asthma medications, they keep me alive. I don't want to get pneumonia again. We need to buy food and milk soon. I need to get my bloodwork done and see the doctor. He's done phone visits with me since the pandemic. I need to see him soon, the stress is tremendous. I've been taking Ashwagandha at night or when I have a panic attack. I still have half a bottle. Ok, I'm rambling now. Any help you can give me will be so appreciated. I just never thought this would happen to us, it's true, so many are just a paycheck away from being homeless. I'll do whatever I have to, to avoid that. It's truly my biggest fear, losing a roof above our heads and being homeless. It's just the two of us. Every day Billy has been applying for jobs, 2 jobs turned out to be scams but he was suspicious from the start. I got my SS check this past week, 12/14, and it all went to rent, I haven't been able to buy groceries yet. Thank you for your prayers and consideration. God bless and Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Organizer
Deborah Gaebelein
Organizer
Garden Grove, CA