Wow. You guys sent us an Amazon gift certificate. I never expected anything like that and that's incredibly nice. I'm just sort of shocked. Thank you. Between the medical expenses and needing to do a lot of securing of things in the house, that will come in handy, though you didn't need to do that. Again thanks.

Thanks again for the other gift certificate. You guys really didn't need to do that, but it is appreciated.

Sorry to mainly vent and run, but pressure of Mom being sick is just beyond what I can describe. Latest episode: The insurer wants to end Ruth's stay in the nursing home and return her home Monday morning. Because she is still so weak and progressing so fast from physical therapy six days a week, she wants to stay longer until she gets stronger and less liable to a relapse. BTW, premature discharge from hospitals and nursing homes is a major problem in medicine today; Ruth is not alone in facing this. I have filed an appeal, but have been told not be optimistic about results. (The person who told me this worked for the nursing home, so I'm not giving up hope, but I'm sure that patients winning appeals is not common.) So I hope we win the appeal, and if we don't I hope the progress Ruth has already made will be sufficient to see her through a full recovery at home. (Note: we even looked at borrowing the money to get her four extra days at the nursing home with private pay: but the home won't offer the same level of PT to private patients as to insured patients. So if she doesn't the win the appeal she is down to less frequent PT while still so weak she can't even stand to read or watch TV and an appetite so poor that she is mainly being kept alive via boost - this from a woman who was a hearty and adventurous eater before she got sick.)

I just adulted SO HARD, work-wise. I could use some unspecified ~ma that it pays off.

Would you please send whatever ~ma you can towards the emergency animal hospital tonight? Lucky, the most awesome cat in the world, had a stroke tonight. They're doing a blood panel now and we'll have a better idea in a few hours what the treatment plan will be. Needless to say they're keeping her overnight at the least. She was Rob's cat initially so there's lots of emotions tied into this. I'm not ready to lose her.

I could use some ~ma for my dad right now. He's just been taken in by 911 for the third time this week. His magnesium and calcium levels keep cratering and he's too weak to stand or walk safely. Today though, he was also being really incoherent, asking questions that made no sense and thinking there were other people here. It's not a stroke but outside of that we really don't know what's going on.

Hi everyone! Just a notice that I've altered my board name from SA to esse. Phonetics! And Latin. It's weird to make this change after fifteen years, I gotta tell ya.

In a one two blow - my becoming eligible for (very low) disability seems to have screwed up my health insurance. Me and my insurance company are trying to figure out whether I need to get new insurance under A) Medicare B) Another part of Medicaid than I'm currently getting C) both. The reason nothing has been done up till now is that I checked at the beginning of this month and was told that everything was copacetic. So now as of the 19th I'm trying to find out whether the hoops I've already jumped through will get me health insurance for November. Or do I need to jump through new hoops, and if so have any deadlines already passed? Oh and my "local" "community friendly" bank just informed me that my old account is being transitioned (their term) to a new better form of account. And the cost of this new account will only be $6 a month! Isn't that just super. So I now have to open a new account with a credit Union located an incovenient bus ride away. Get disability transferred to my new banks account. And close my old banks account. All by November 30. Plus take care of insurance mess. Just what I needed when my Mother still needs 24 hour care, and I can't leave the house without getting a Ruth sitter.

Quite honestly, don't know what kind ~ma to ask for.

Best of luck, TB.

I think I must have collected some wild, free range ~ma. I have four job interview lined up for this week, including two today! After being out of work for Reasons so long, it's really gratifying to get such a response.

So if you don't mond throwing whatever extra ~ma you may have lying about, I would appreciate it.

So. Out of the blue, I need some quick legal advice regarding an unhappy doggy lama client who has gone off the deep end. I can pay a little bit and would deeply appreciate some reassurance/advice.

My profile addy is good!

----- So, I talked with a lawyer this morning who says the client has no case, but could file a small claims suit...that would either send us to mediation, or be thrown out.

This evening, the client has called my home number 5 times in 5 minutes (at 9pm) with a voicemail threatening to call the city, the BBB and more. Thankfully, no threat of physical violence, but he sounds unhinged and everyone knows where I live.

Please. Safety ~ma and calm-the-hell-down ~ma for this guy.