I really hate my government.

Seriously.

I just got a letter telling me that they no longer consider me to be disabled.

Peachy.

I have had HIV and Hep C since '93 and a big-ass hole in my head since '90. I have a hand that still hardly works after I got bashed in the head with half a brick almost 20 years ago. I can't even flip people off with it. It's damned near useless. Although my HIV is much better than it once was, I still have headaches, fevers, chills, sweats, diarrhea, etc.

How do you keep a job when you never know when you will suddenly break out in a shirt-soaking sweat that could last for hours? How do you keep a job when you never know what day you will wake up sick as a dog and completely unable to cope with life? How do you keep a job when you never know if your next cough or sneeze will end up with you crapping your pants because you didn't realize you had diarrhea?

I'm ok - for now. I have a job where I can work from home on my own time. But, what the hell am I gonna do if that ever ends? Let's be honest. When it ends. Nothing lasts forever.

This whole thing happened because I took a job. They are telling me that, just because I got lucky and found a one-in-a-million job, I am now fit for light work and no longer need medical insurance, food stamps or disability payments.

My prescription meds are over $1000/mo.

I guess they won't argue with me any more after I'm off them for six months and right back at death's freaking doorstep!

I'm stunned - totally stunned.

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-Michael

Oh Michael I am so sorry,, Can you or do you have to go through the motions again to apply for disability,,, You know I would love to work part time if I was able to on my good days, but I also know that there is no way the government wants me to get ahead,, Like you my meds. each month are near a 1,000, there is no way I could deal with that and along with that comes doctors visits and so on. They just don't want us to improve ourselves,, it is either stay dirt poor in order to have medical and food or work and still stay dirt poor and not have medical. I hated to go on disability, it hurt my pride but I just couldn't work anymore and it was the only way I could get much needed proper medical care,, I had to sell my home last year at a time when I was seriously sick, while I was in the hospital they wanted to take my medical away from me because I got just a few thousand from the sale of all I owned. It was so scary and they didn't care. They did take it away from me untill all money was gone,, I could write a book on all the thousands this friggen government of our country has taken from me, I played by the rules, paid my bills, worked hard and payed taxes,,, and they stole form me... Don't figure,, I am sorry I went on like this,, What they are doing to you just struck a nerve,,, I wish you all the Best Michael,, Don't let them get away with anything if you can fight it.. If that is what is good for you of course,,,

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Sorry dude;

they suc, they have it bass akwards, It took me 3years of waiting, talk to judge for 10 mins for him to rule in my favor. Now Im scared to death theyll catch me baby sitting my grandkids or doing dishes and assume I'm fit for duty. they should encourage people to do what little they can not punish them. Just remember , keep going to doc, keep good records and when the job ends it s because of your health.
Good Luck, Be well

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IT"S OUT THERE SOMEWHERE...
Lou

I'm going to appeal. But, I'll probably lose, unless I get a lawyer.

The bottom line is simple. I either pay for my meds - by whatever means - or I get very, very sick. It takes no time, at all, for HIV to tear your immune system to pieces. I've been on meds since 2001. But, I took a work-at-home job. So, to them, that must mean I want to die of AIDS?

I remember when I spoke to a rep at social security. She told me that, unless I found a job making over $50k/yr, I would probably get screwed in the end. She wasn't lying. I really farked myself this time... it blows my mind.

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-Michael

MICHAEL......do you take hemp oil?

No, not exactly. I use a tincture and edibles. But, what is a tincture? It's just un-evaporated hemp oil made with Everclear. Six of one, half a dozen of the other.

I don't think it's possible get more cannabinoids into my bloodstream. But, I'm willing to try!

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-Michael

LOL!!! i hope this all works out for you michael......the system is very harsh.....equally so over here sometimes.....good luck!!

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tracey xxxxxx

NOW GROWIN WW FOR HEALING HEMP OIL!!
http://www.greenpassion.org/f92/hemp...-cancer-13307/
http://www.greenpassion.org/f24/trac...emp-oil-14431/
http://www.greenpassion.org/f92/new-...emp-oil-13367/
http://www.greenpassion.org/f53/gran...-2009-a-16443/

It will.

It always does.

I wrote the original post within a few minutes of reading the letter. I was a bit tense over it, ya might say. But, the Good Lord, or whoever is calling the shots, always looks out for my dumb ass. That's the only reason I've made it this far.

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-Michael

Hey Michael,

Welcome to CAPITALISM!!

When I met my wife, she was collecting AFDC. She also worked at a small electronics manufacturing factory. She gets promoted. The MAN takes away a dollar for every dollar she gets in a raise. Great way for a person to get ahead, eh?

My mother collected Social Security. $310 per month. She owned her house. Some of her friends talked her into applying for food stamps. (she was against any "welfare")
Over the years, she had managed to sock away over $3000 in a savings account. She was told that she would have to spend the $3000 before she could receive any food stamps. "Buy some new furniture," she was told. She said that the money was for "a rainy day." Didn't matter. Get rid of it or no help.

She didn't get food stamps.

Anyway, ingesting more cannabinoids my help. It certainly can't hurt.

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Charlie

Michael , might be better to give that job up before you get royaly screwed out of your medical treatments ? Best wishes and good luck with all .

Wow, what a hard story to wake up to this morning. Michael, I hope the best for you and wish I had some helpful suggestions, but I don't. Please try not to stress too much and lean on your GP pals as much as you need. Something may turn around for you!

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Old King Cole was a merry old soul
And a merry old soul was he!
He called for his pipe and he called for his bowl,
And that's how he stayed so merry!

That ship has sailed. There is a program that allows you to work if you are disabled and retain your insurance. I signed up for it. Then, they reviewed my case and decided I'm not disabled any more. So, I have no help from them, whatsoever. If I quit my job, I'm just another unemployed guy.

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-Michael

Hang in there Michael I know it is BS the way sick people get treated sometimes. Whenever I hear these stories I always think about the person making this decision. I wonder what they would do if they had my pain or yours and all I think of is I wouldn't want them to have that much pain. They would probably jump off the nearest building to escape it. It is truly sad for some to decide what others must endure and most times like you while helping others.

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I shall take your advice, my good sir, and follow it to the letter.

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-Michael

Gotta agree with Charlie on that one, Capitalism ain't all it's cracked up to be. We have far too many assholes in this country fatally judging anyone who doesn't live exactly like they do. I don't want to have to depend on the kindness of strangers if I become sick Michael, nobody should. I'm all for smaller government but people keep equating free health care with the end of America and I just don't get it. It's one thing to disagree with people and another to wish them ill.

-the Corsican.

P.S.,

Keep your chin up brother, you'll eventually be okay.

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My grow journal: http://www.greenpassion.org/f24/cors...st-grow-15533/

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke.

"If at first you don't succeed, it wont hurt to smoke a little weed!"

I'm already ok, amigo.

"If you're gonna be stupid, ya better be tough."

(I'm pretty freaking stupid. )

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-Michael

Haha!

Right there with you!

-the Corsican.

This is effed up :(

Appeal for sure. Hire a good lawyer if at all possible, even if you got to spend all your paycheck on one... sustaining that 1k per month in med payments will add up over the years so imho it'd make sense to spend money on the fight now.

Damn, do they have some special government manual titled "How to screw with people."

Honestly, Jack, you know what it did? It just made me more determined than ever to take care of myself, without relying on them, at all.

I'm so sick of it, Jack. I really am.

"...by the people, for the people."

MY ASS!

If we took a vote, right now, I'm pretty damned sure 95% of Americans would agree that I am one seriously damaged unit. Anyone with any sense, at all, would see it that way.

But, even then, I'm finally earning some money. So, I can understand why they don't think I need their money, any more. Hell! That was really the whole point for me, in the first place.

I was supposed to die ten years ago. But, it never happened. Then, I taught myself how to program and how to build web sites and all that just so I could take care of myself and stop being a 100% burden on society. But, had I known they would completely screw me and leave me to hang... well, I might have handled things differently, eh?

I gotta say, though, in a weird way, I feel very at peace with it all. I've been through seriously dark times in my life. This might be as bad as it seems. But, look at the other times things were bad for me. I was supposed to die ten years ago - and I don't have a terminal cancer diagnosis now. I dealt with that, once upon a time. I can deal with this.

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-Michael

Hey Michael, I got to say you are taking this really well, You sound like you took a hit off of something really nice with an at peace kind of affect,, If you can handle it in this way then all the better for your health physically and mentally. I tend to get so scared I end up getting physically sick..
In our aging times you would think things would settle down with you knowing you are secure now,, Well life just keeps on changing, and it doesn't matter what age or situation your in... My hats off to you and I wish you continued peace in all of this,,,

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