Photo: Rick is in stitches
12-16-09, Thursday
Today Jean brought in a Power Point program on her laptop, getting down to the nitty-gritty on the subject of getting on a kidney transplant waiting list. Since it appears that, due to the issue of bladder cancer, I will have to wait a minimum of two years to become eligible, there's no time like the present to begin working my way through the details. Apparently the details will probably easily take that long to deal with.
So here I've been thinking about getting back to work once I get rolling on the peritoneal dialysis program, to what degree I don't know. I need to get together with my colleagues at D#19! Peritoneal dialysis I can do at home will make returning to work possible but somehow I don't believe I can ever reliably go on call again, at least without help from Armin and Keith. They've been on call every other week since Oct. 5th when I lost my kidney functions.
Without going back to the on-call list, I won't be of much use to WD #19. The kidney center pointed out that my miserable condition assures me of medical coverage forever but an income will be necessary too and social security will only be about $1,000 per month.
It's true I've been looking forward to some kind of retirement for almost 10 years now, but I'm no different than any other working stiff at this point – at least throughout the economic train wreck that the bankers and politicians have gifted us with I've been one of the lucky ones to keep my job. Trouble is, now I need to choose between that and my life which doesn't look very promising to me or my loved ones on a pauper's income.
Well, the Kidney Center certainly understood my concerns and bless their blood-cleansing souls, they're behind me all the way. It's just that I have to be the one to make the decision.
The sensible decision is to spend the rest of my life in the hands of the medical industry and the insurance that makes all that possible – to become dependent on retirement, disability, and welfare.
It's just hard for me to toss out 40 years of working for a living. The folksinger in me says, “It makes a long time man feel bad.”
I help people who are in need of a kidney transplant pursue living donation.
ReplyDeleteI offer live Workshops with transplant hospitals and organizations that support people with kidney disease. These are in the Chicago area and Midwest. I also offer virtual LKDN Get-Togethers. I would welcome scheduling a LKDN Get-Together with you….also, feel free to view the info on my website and blog.
Wishing you well!!!!
Harvey Mysel
Living Kidney Donors Network
a Not-for-Profit 501(c)3 Organization
Office 847-656-0408
Mobile 847-912-7059
www.lkdn.org
http://lkdnblog.blogspot.com
harvey@lkdn.org
Hey Rick
ReplyDeleteYour looking pretty good there. Do you know the story of Andie Mackie ? Don't know if a google search will tell much. Andie is a local PT character about 80ish, and he has devoted his life to teaching kids how to play music,he is a harmonica player , but he also makes little guitars that he gives to the kids. Andie has a heart condition that the Drs. said should have killed him long ago.Andie was on a lot of expensive drugs,and no Insurance to help out,he decided one day (years ago) that he did not want to live that way , so he took the money that was supposed to go to his meds and he bought a bunch of harmonicas and got the local school to allow him to teach a music class for free, any child who showed up got an instrument and free lessons.That was years ago and Andie is still out there , he said he made a pact with his God , that if he died for lack of medicine he was OK with that, But if he did not die he was going to spend the rest of his time teaching kids music, so far I think the community has had the better end of that deal. Anyway look up Andie's story.
If you do retire maybe you will get off that island and come visit PT, where once again I can offer you a berth.