At this point, I really don’t give a crap who wins this election

[graywarrior]

As Hillary and Barack fight it out, my health deteriorates with no help in sight. The job I worked for the past five weeks ruined my eyes (staring at a computer monitor for 8 hours a day) to the point of possibly needing eye surgery which costs $3000 per eye. Did I mention I have no health insurance? I can’t get health insurance unless I work, but my job makes me sick.

I also got hit with a stomach flu that has lasted over two weeks and now I’m experiencing a gallbladder attack that will require medical attention very soon. Meanwhile, I am treating my pain with flax seed tea trying to keep things calm enough to go back to work. I had to stay out of work for the past four days due to illness. I don’t get sick pay. Did I mention I have no health insurance? The longer I stay out of work, the less chance I have of keeping my job and getting health insurance.

Hell, the way I feel I may not make it to Election Day and if I do, I’ll probably be blind by then. I’m lucky that I don’t have something terminal or chronic…right now anyway. There are millions of Americans with no health insurance or inadequate health insurance who are probably worrying like I do. Hell even if I do get covered who is to say that my eventual medical attention will be paid for because my illness is pre-existing? So I worry—deeply worry—about how I am going to pay for medical treatment and therefore keep putting it off because I cannot afford it.

Add stress to any medical condition and you end up staying awake all night hoping all your symptoms are stress related and you will magically be stress free in the morning so you can go to some crap ass job in order to earn health insurance. Meanwhile, you know that everyday your company is trying to get rid of you before your 90 days are up because it’s cheaper to hire new people than it is to cover your health insurance.

So suddenly this election seems like it’s about everything else but me and what I need. And I’m just like millions of other Americans. Screwed, blued and tattooed. Hoodwinked, lied to and used. Listeing to promises being made that you know damn well will never happen. Dying and without any hope of getting help before, and maybe even after Jan 20, 2009.

Bottom line--those murdering bastard republicans and bastards who voted them in are responsible for this mess and no one is making them accountable. This administration has made me sick and I'm so pissed about it I don't know what to do. I'm sick of looking a Cadillac and Hummer commercials, ads for diamonds, and tv shows about buying and remodeling expensive houses when I can't afford eye surgery and I can't sleep because I'm worrying about whether I should pay my bills or go to the doctor (who is not taking new patients or can't see me til the end of April !)

[BuelahWitch]

1. Gray

:hug: Hang in there friend.

[BeHereNow]

2. Indeed.

I expect no real change.
Not in my lifetime.

Hope it helps to know you are not alone and there are many here that care.
Can't tell you it's going to get better, but I can tell you
I care.

BHN:hug:

[babylonsister]

3. Wow. I can't tell you how to vote, and I don't know how to help you, but

if I can, PM me or let us know. You are a charm here, gray, and if there's something we can do, please let me know. :hug:

[graywarrior]

6. Thanks.

Just responding helps.

[BeHereNow]

K&R for the REALITY factor.

BHN

[JeanGrey]

4. I so hope you get better. Let me make you feel better.

I had a transplant five years ago because of a major organ failure. My immune suppression drugs caused me to get lung cancer. I lost half of my left lung, and part of my right, and went through chemo that almost killed me.

Now it is six months later and the cancer is back in both lungs AND my liver. I have few options left. I will continue to fight as long as I can but as you imagine, the odds aren't good.

As bad as things are they could be worse. I am in terrible pain most of the time.

I still feel blessed however - I had 30 years of wonderful marriage to a man who never broke my heart, and good friends, and got to live to be 53 (so far). Many don't get that by a long shot so I regret nothing. I am only waiting for God to lead me to whatever lies ahead. There is so much beauty in the world................

[graywarrior]

5. .

:hug:

[JeanGrey]

27. Thanks.

:-)

[BuelahWitch]

7. from me too

:hug:

[JeanGrey]

28. Such is life, right? I am thankful that I believe in a life

after this one. But this one has been pretty good. :-)

[Lorien]

8. I know how you feel, I've been there too. But I have help for your gallbladder

issues. I had a very severe attack several years ago. I was also without health insurance and was about to make an appointment for the surgery anyway when my mother asked me to try a Chinese home remedy that her roommmate had used successfully. She had found it on a Canadian site, but this is the closest I can find right now: http://www.just-for-you-homeremedies.com/signs.html

I drank 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil with 1/4 cup lemon juice every four hours for several days and followed the restricted diet, similar to the one on the link. Yep, it was VILE, but it rid me of the stones and I haven't had an attack since. My mom also said that a woman from her church had been without insurance and had gallbladder surgery-it cost her $25,000!! Every time I balked at drinking the awful olive oil concoction I just kept repeating "$25,000!! $25,000!!" and I was able to get through it.

I really hope that you feel better soon. I can sympathize with everything in your post. :hug:

[graywarrior]

10. Hey thanks. That is a macrobiotic remedy.

I passed on doing that because of the intestinal flu I just went through. But I may give it a try next week if the flax seeds don't work. They worked last time, so I'll wait another few days.

[bdamomma]

33. you know virgin olive oil on a daily basis is supposed to be very good for you.

just take a tablespoon hold your nose but just take it.

[DemBones DemBones]

37. Pour the olive oil in a dish and dip good bread in it. Eat bread with oil.

Yum!

[idovoodoo]

9. All your problems will vanish if you just

pray.

Or so I've been told...
:eyes:

[graywarrior]

13. Put God into the constitution and everyone will be cured.

[idovoodoo]

15. God isn't the problem, it's all the assholes who imagine they speak for Him.

(I'm agnostic but I'm not at all worried about what a possible deity thinks about my beliefs) :-)

[JeanGrey]

29. Don't discount the power of prayer. Without it I'd have been

dead a long time ago. Why God is keeping me living, I don't know. But I know I wouldn't have made it this far without prayer.

[dawniedarling]

11. Dominos upright

1. water
2. food
3. fuel
4. poverty
5. safety
6. health care
7. education

Say what one thing will 'domino' each of these things
in a good direction and
one that will 'domino'
each in a bad direction.
Describe the results.

[leftofthedial]

12. that's just stinking awful

so many of us in this country have been robbed blind, *made* blind, left wanting, made ill, disenfranchised and made miserable by this pack of thieves. For the "democrats" to just let them get away with it is more than one can stomach.

[Swamp Rat]

14. .

:hug:

[file83]

16. When our healthcare becomes a status symbol...

...it's no longer the land of the free. It's a fucking slave camp.

[Kitty Herder]

20. Amen to that! nt

[Adsos Letter]

17. ....

When I was a little kid and sick my mom used to tell me that she really wished she could make it go away; I read your post and feel the same thing.

I'm sorry graywarrior; if I could make it go away, I would.

:hug:

[Horse with no Name]

18. I am so sorry Gray.

I'm right there with you.:hug:

Every night I say a prayer in the hope that there's a heaven
And every day I'm more confused as the saints turn into sinners
All the heroes and legends I knew as a child have fallen to idols of clay
And I feel this empty place inside so afraid that I've lost my faith

Show me the way, show me the way
Take me tonight to the river
And wash my illusions away
Show me the way

And as I slowly drift to sleep, for a moment dreams are sacred
I close my eyes and know there's peace in a world so filled with hatred
That I wake up each morning and turn on the news to find we've so far to go
And I keep on hoping for a sign, so afraid that I just won't know

Show me the way, Show me the way
Take me tonight to the mountain
And wash my confusion away

And if I feel light, should I believe
Tell me how will I know

Show me the way, show me the way
Take me tonight to the river
And wash my illusions away
Show me the way, show me the way
Give me the strength and the courage
To believe that I'll get there someday
Show me the way

Every night I say a prayer
In the hope that there's a heaven...

[Emit]

19. graywarrior, you need one of these

:hug:

Hang in there.

I can sympathize.

For reasons I won't get into, our medical out of pocket over the past two years has exceeded $5,000, and will likely go well beyond that this year.

And at this moment because of our fucked up health care system, my best friend is suffering gravely.

She was diagnosed with MS last year after she fell and broke her knee cap. Just two weeks ago, she fell and broke her arm, ended up in the hospital, had surgery, ended up in the telemetry ward because her heart wigged out during surgery, and then proceeded to get lost in some deep, black hole in the system where the doctors and case managers left her sitting in the most expensive unit for 6 days without seeing her. Six days, no doc.

For a broken arm, and due to neglect and inefficiency in dealing with her holistic concerns, she remains sitting in the hospital as I type -- 15 days total tomorrow -- with no exit plan in sight. The out of pocket expenses will be outrageous -- and she has no sick time or annual at her job. We don't even know if she still has a job.

My SO and I have intervened and suggested to the ombudsman that they shave down the bill.

It just seems to be spiraling with many folks I know and meet.

[cboy4]

21. That sucks. You are a kick here, and I'm so sorry

you're dealing with this. :(

[Inchworm]

22. Graywarrior!

I love youuuuuu!

Sorry you are goin through the wringer. Hope it all turns around for you soon.

:hug::loveya:

[conspirator]

23. I almost gave up my IT career because of my eyes

Then I did a lot of research on how to protect myself.
It was a good thing that LCD technology came along. Those old CRT cannons where really screwing me up.
But the important discovery I made was that human eyes where not designed to work with direct artificial light for too long.
Our eyes where made to function with a strong light source that is everywhere and never hitting you directly from the source into your eye: sun light.
Some companies are already taking this into account by using posts with lamps facing upward, instead of lamps hanging in the ceeling.
This way they can have indirect light.
2 practical advices
1) If possible choose a desk near the window, so that most of the day you use natural light
1) Ask your office manager to remove any lamps close to you that are in your 180 degree field of vision, and you can look into directly. Lights should be on your back. Not in front, not sideways. It's better to have a bit of darkness than artificial light burning your eyes.
These days my eyes are fully recovered without surgery or the need for glasses.

[graywarrior]

24. Thanks for that info.

I work in a windowless room with flourescent lights on old Dells. One more month and I can be out of there hopefully.

[dysfunctional press]

25. if you feel that you're going blind due to 5 weeks of working at a computer...

what in the world are you doing sitting at a computer now, posting stuff??

shouldn't you be resting your...:eyes:?

[graywarrior]

30. Trust me, I've cut down from hours on DU to 10 minutes a day

And I wear sunglasses when I'm using my nice flatscreen.

[Pooka Fey]

26. Graywarrior

My thoughts are with you. Universal nationalized health care is the only answer. I have been seriously ill and injured in the past with no health insurance and it is a terrifying experience. You have my intentions and support, and a virtual :hug:

I know of 2 authors about health issues for the eyes that might be useful - you can check out the book excerpts on Amazon.com. They are mostly known for vision improvement, but the one writer (Bates) was well known for natural correction of many eye health issues.

Thomas Quackenbush - "Relearning to See", who teaches the Bate's method, and his edited collection of the magazine articles by William H. Bates, called "Better Eyesight - the complete magazines of William H. Bates" - Bates was the researcher and ophthalmologist who pioneered non-invasive techniques to improve eye health. This info is from memory, so it may not be as precise as some would wish - maybe it might help.

As with many natural healing methods, there is a much greater time commitment necessary to follow these programs than there are in the typical Western surgery and pills solutions. I often fall down on my commitment to natural healing methods (we're so programmed to take a pill and forget about it), but I usually get up and try again. :-)

Hang in there, Graywarrior, you're not alone.

[graywarrior]

34. Thanks so much!

[bdamomma]

31. as trivial it may sound to you we are here if you need us.

:group hug: :grouphug:

[graywarrior]

32. DU is better than my own family.

Seriously.

And thanks!

[blues90]

35. That's the problem with leaders

People as individuals don't matter when you need help that goes beyond words .

I wish there was something I had to offer but I have no medical back ground or a job .

I can tell you, you are not alone but this you already know .

I had insurance 3 years ago , they take your money and once you are gone I had 2 weeks to rush to the dentist to finish removing a few root canals that would not work and now I have had to pass up on the replacement bridges . You would think if like I you paid insurance to one company for 12 years they would at least pay for the work in progress but hell no .

I am not holding my breath that anything will change in what's left of my lifetime . People seem to think that a new president relates to instant change all rolled up in hope and promise in some neat little package .

There is almost a year of the bush/cheney just dying to bomb Iran so we still sit in a wait and time of wonder .

[FlyingSquirrel]

36. If I were you I'd take a little trip up to Canada right now

and not come back. Easier said than done I know, but hey if you're really doing that badly, what do you have to lose?

[graywarrior]

38. I could have my sister adopt me.

She lives in Nova Scotia.