FloridaSNMOM and her family, FloridaSNDad, Draco, Lil' Bit and Caedy have what, for them, is an insurmountable problem, and are about to lose both electricity and internet. If you are a friend of MOM's and would like to help, keep reading below.
MOM has been open about the challenges her family face month after month. She has both breathing issues and seizures, and the other members of her immediate family have disabilities that impact their ability to work as well. (well, the Lil' Bit is still in school). Caedy works long and hard at McDonalds, but her hours have been recently cut. The internet is a lifeline and a school resource and the electricity is vital to the breathing machine and air conditioning MOM needs.
The shut off notice for the electricity is already in hand, and the one for the internet service should arrive any day. I cannot stress enough how much potential damage this family will endure, and I am asking you to help them in whatever way you can.
The electric bill is $315.94. The Comcast bill is $572.20. There is just not enough cash coming in to pay these bills. The kids and critters, heck, even the adults must be fed. The rent must be paid. There is no car. This is Florida, and help is achingly hard to come by.
You can help this Florida Family by by sending something via PayPal to mldevnew(at)gmail(dot)com.
You can also help by republishing this small diary, and by reccing and tipping.
I thank you in advance for doing what you can, I hope we can pull together and help find $878.14 to bring the FloridaSN Family back from the financial edge tonight. {{{DK}}}
This is what she told us three days ago:
Caedy finally came home from lunch and found me on the couch. (It was almost 2pm at this point I was told, which means I was seizing for over an hour) I was still seizing and unresponsive. She thought I was asleep and having seizures while I slept. I wasn't. I could hear her.
A little later, the breathing issues started. My asthma has always had an exercise induced component, and the seizures had started stealing my air by this point. I wasn't able to catch my breath in between. Sophie became more frantic, scratching at me, nosing me and whining. Caedy and Dad couldn't figure out how to get me to take the inhaler while I was seizing and I finally got control of one hand. I managed to spell sign "call sos" and they got the message and called the ambulance.
By the time the Paramedics arrived I was starting to come around a little more. I could talk, very softly and with little air because I was still wheezing a lot, but I could respond more except during the seizures themselves which were spacing out a bit. They got here just before 3. We managed to get me into the ambulance, and they even got an IV in between seizures. They started a breathing treatment and we were off to the hospital.
Two more breathing treatments there, ativan to calm the seizures, solumedrol to kick the copd in the behind and get my lungs opened up, IV fluids, a CT scan, an EKG, and an Xray later... interspersed with several seizures that had nurses and doctors running into the room frequently... The ER doc was shocked that everyone had been passing the buck on putting me on a seizure med of some sort, despite the fact that I'd seized before in front of several other doctors from PCP's to ER docs to Pulmonologists. Granted I have an appointment with a Neuro... in November.. .that was set up last April. But still, she said they should have been trying something in the meantime. Especially as they've been getting worse and I've been losing the ability to speak and sometimes breathe during them.
So, at 4:30 I was home again. Diagnosis reads: COPD Exacerbation, Acute Bronchitis, Epilepsy. So we've got to go to the pharmacy today for antibiotics, more prednisone (to come down off the solumedrol), and an entirely new pill called Carbamazepine (Tegretol) XR. I called the medicaid hmo yesterday and they DO cover the seizure med in full. I didn't want to get there and be surprised by a bill I couldn't pay (though goodRX has it listed at $62 for the dose I'm on, still that's money we do not have right now). So if there's any trouble I have them call the insurance, because I have it pre-approved.
On the bright side this drug is also used to reduce nerve pain, which means it may help with the fibromyalgia as well. I can hope, right? The down side is the list of potential side effects are huge, with a couple of big warnings thrown in for other more serious (and rare) reactions. So I'll have to watch it, monitor for things and be prepared to deal with crap if it comes up. Hopefully it will work and do what it's supposed to do at least. I know finding the right med can be hit or miss. She also only gave me a 30 day supply and I can't just 'go off it' when I run out because that can make the seizures a LOT worse. SO... I'm going to have to find a way to get to the clinic, same day appointments or no. Caedy is off next on Tuesday after today, we'll hope for some cooler weather so we can walk up. I really don't want to pay for a cab up and back, much as I love our cab company.
I've still been up and down seizing all night, enough to keep me awake but not enough to bother going back to the ER about. Hopefully I can catch a nap later, since I only slept about 4 hours here and there. I'm writing this on Thursday morning in case I can't get back on the computer later. I'll update for you on Friday if I'm able.
FloridaSNMOM is optimistic by nature, and didn't want to ask for help. A few of us kind of nudged her behind the scenes until she said OK to this diary. Although it is in her name I am asking you to respond, be assured that it is really five people, three service dogs and a pootie that you will be helping to save from a financial crisis. A whole family.
mldevnew (at) gmail (dot) com