My uncle passed away last night. He was the last family member of my parents’ generation to go. He faded quickly; as of a couple of nights ago he said he knew he had kids but didn’t know their names. He was a fire-and-brimstone Pentecostal preacher and couldn’t remember any Bible verses, which bothered him significantly more than not knowing his kids’ names.
He was at my youngest cousin’s home – the same cousin who lost his wife to cancer over the holidays. While I grieve my uncle’s death, I can’t fathom how my cousin is managing. The cousin is also a Pentecostal preacher, though, so I guess he’s leaning on his faith. My uncle wasn’t a young man – he was at the tail end of his 80s. He called my cousin a demon before he died. Oh yay – comforting, ain’t it?
Incidentally, I knew when he died before anyone told me. I woke up from a dead sleep last night, saying out loud, “He’s gone.” My cousin later posted the time and it was to the exact minute.
My younger daughter’s health has been a roller coaster, but at least we know a little more than we did a few weeks ago. She’s officially diagnosed with MS. I’d like to murder the doctors who blew her off for so long, meds can no longer do anything for her. We also know what’s behind the recurring bouts of pancreatitis. Her gall bladder has failed 100%, which does all sorts of nasty things, including the assault on her pancreas. She’s going to have it removed, if and when the insurance gets its head out of its ass and approves the surgery.
She’s pursuing Social Security disability. The lawyer who took her case all but yelled at her, asking, “Why did you wait so long??” He was flabbergasted at the extent and severity of her health issues.
There’s not a word for how physically and emotionally exhausted I am. The fiasco in Texas hit us hard at work. This is usually our “off” season. We might get a busy day or two after a big snowstorm up north, but generally it’s just this side of a party in February and March – enough work to keep us paid, not enough to keep us busy. With the mess in Texas, we’re all slamming overtime like keggers at a frat party. My heart breaks for the 90-odd-year-old folks we talk to who need heat and an ark. Ceilings are collapsed, walls and floors collapsed. The lack of heat (thanks to rolling blackouts) meant frozen pipes and frozen people. People with newborns have no potable water, even if they have heat. No water means no bathing, no functioning toilets. And because it involves so much of the state, some of our repair companies are booking more than a month out for repair estimates.
No water or working heat for some people potentially until April or later. I’d like to hold the Texas government criminally liable. Unfortunately that would still end up billing the victims via taxation. As it is, you can bet your sweet bippy this is going to crash a huge swath of the insurance industry, and those costs will be passed on to everyone, nationwide.
My regular job now doesn’t involve taking calls, and hasn’t for a while. Roughly 65% of my work time is spent on reports and reconciliations, and half the rest is acting fill-in supervisor – but it’s been all hands on deck for the past week and a half, and there’s not a light at the end of the tunnel yet. Everyone is taking calls, on top of our other work.
I hope to God I can retire, or at least go to part-time, when I’m old enough to collect a full Social Security check. Provided Social Security still exists that far out, anyway. I have less than four years to go.
There have been other personal and family issues, too, a whole lot more than ever hits this page.
My body is kicking my ass worse than usual this spring.
Arizona has allowed medical marijuana for a while. One good side effect of the Trumplestilskin fiasco: more people voted, including more younger people. I suspect that’s why recreational marijuana was approved in so many areas of the country, including Arizona. Recreational approval means no more jumping through hoops to get a medical card.
I have zero interest in getting high. I did, however, try edibles for pain relief, and am grateful to report they’re a big help. At least they help enough to let me sleep, and none of the woozy side effects or addiction issues of opioids. They’re also significantly cheaper, aren’t an NSAID, and don’t require a scrip. I’m not stupid enough to reject pain relief. They get used sparingly. Drugs aren’t my favorite thing in the world, no matter the circumstances.
Edibles are a weird thing; I do love how they work without all the other paraphernalia, but on the occasion when I’ve used them…I feel like a teenager getting away with something LOL.
Haha! I never did pot when I was a kid, but it does feel a bit weird!
The last time I had a really bad cold and had gone to the doctor, I was prescribed a bunch of meds, but the only way I could sleep was to take edibles. Thankfully, my friend took me to a dispensary and made me buy some so I would stop whining about how tired I was getting. I felt way better after a full night’s sleep!
Same. I usually wake several times every night – sleeping through is a Godsend.
I hope your daughter’s disability case is granted quickly. At least she will get retroactive compensation. She has a tough road ahead and having extra money will help. I’m sorry you are so exhausted too. If you have found a way to get some rest, I say Good! I’m sorry about your family losses as it’s never easy to lose another family member, no matter who they were.
Agreed. The lawyer told my daughter it usually takes a year and a half or so to get disability through. I hope he’s right in her case. Her only concern is if she has enough work history to qualify. We shall see.
This can be a real concern. My mother did not qualify even though she had worked when women did all the jobs during WWII. This was also at a time when MS was a pretty unknown and certainly not an understood neurological disease. I hope all goes smoothly quickly
Well even if she qualifies for SSI, it’s better than nothing. It will give her a fighting chance for survival.