did not have cell phone for yrs. now land line -battery?- removed. so can't even call 911. just needed to have this heard by someone.
Posted by Dekrator48 (Member # 18239) on :
Caryn,
Sorry that you are in this situation.
I think that many cellphones are made to be able to call 911 from, even if you have no service plan.
I know you said you haven't had a cell phone for years, but you may want to check with your friends and family to see if one of them has a cell phone that they are no longer using that you can charge and have for calling 911 if necessary.
I'm confused about why you no longer have the land line phone. Was the battery removed? or does it need a new battery?
Perhaps you can get a new battery, or just a new cheap landline phone, which in some cases may be cheaper than a battery.
Posted by Dekrator48 (Member # 18239) on :
Don't forget about Skype too.
You can call your friends/family on a video call if they also have Skype downloaded on their computer.
Posted by Camp Other (Member # 29797) on :
Caryn,
What someone said here: Any basic cellphone should be able to call 911 without a calling plan. I think you have to make sure the GPS locator setting is set to 'on' but it should work.
One last thing: Outside of skype, if you get or have a gmail account, you can set up a gmail account with a Google Voice number so you can call out and receive calls through your computer. The voicemail is free and you can play it on your computer.
Posted by Caryn (Member # 366) on :
i don't have a cell phone. i did have a gmail account, but did not use it and someone scooped my name. does not stop me from taking out another account however. but not to sound too needy, i guess i am old now and do not understand - voicemail? what is that and how does it work?
as for real family and friends, this would not have happened to me if i actually did have those.
and darling hubby who finnally agreed to testing and tested pos by PCR in 2003, behind my back had our current dr do a lyme test and it was of course negative, so he believes himself negative. his skin cancer and now alopecia areata are "real" - my losing hair and having no hair on my body are not, and, me almost dying and seriously suffering are not because drs like the highly regarded UPENN drs say not much is wrong with me.
obviously, he also has big time neuro-psych lyme, but coming from a "perfect" family who never accepted me because i am not the same religion - was not accepted as someone they have to care for.
so i have been kept isolated and after some but not complete treatment from dr J, our children were taught i am a weirdo from "lyme-cult". so very alone. isolated.
** edited to remove Lyme doctor's name, please see terms of use **
[ 01-07-2011, 02:57 PM: Message edited by: sixgoofykids ]
Posted by sixgoofykids (Member # 11141) on :
Moving to general support
Posted by Remember to Smile (Member # 25481) on :
Dear Caryn, Thanks for reaching out! This isn't a trite reply, but genuine: You have a real family and hundreds of friends here on LymeNet and in the Lyme-Aware community!
The Lyme Wars and Lyme Crymes isolate thousands of LD patients suffering with devasting infectious disease(s). The lack of a working phone now just heaps on more stress...
Voicemail is the newer term for spoken messages people leave for each other. Instead of a physical answering machine, voicemail messages can be stored by an internet provider, saved and listened to again.
You're perceptive in understanding that your husband's neuroborreliosis damaged your homelife.
It's eye-opening to read scientific reports on the incidence of domestic violence (DV) correlating with LD. Chicken or the egg? Rephrase the query with the word Bartonella?
DV can manifest in a dozen ways, including the verbal abuse, spiritual abuse, isolation, coercion, and emotional withholding you've experienced and NEVER deserve.
Beverly Engel wrote good books you may appreciate, available thru your library system.
"Encouragements for the Emotionally Abused Woman: Wisdom and Hope" is excellent.
As snowy weather allows, maybe you can cultivate or renew a friendship with a neighbor or two?
Maybe there's a domestic violence support group meeting in your county where you can meet with other women who'll empathize with your rough road.
We are all connected.
I care, and am praying for you. Gentle hug, Smile
Posted by MADDOG (Member # 18) on :
Here in ohio if your income is limited you get free land line service.
It doesent pay for long distance but just local and that would include 911.
Call your local community action agency.
MADDOG
Posted by Camp Other (Member # 29797) on :
Caryn,
Thank you for explaining more about your situation. I'm sorry that the rest of your family is not treating you well due to your Lyme and their own issues. It's good you can reach out and ask for support here - "Remember to Smile" has some good advice for seeking out support and if there is a Lyme support group within your area you can make it to on your own, that could help a lot.
MADDOG's advice about a free landline is a good idea, too, if income is an issue - many states have such programs for subsidized phones.
I hear that you don't have a cellphone. If you know anyone who has an old one and you just want one to access 911, they can give you their own cellphone and charger solely to call 911 in an emergency. You don't have to pay for cellphone service just to do that.
Most cellphones are pretty easy to use if all you plan to do is call 911 - just press the buttons with the right numbers and hit the green 'call' button and you've made a call.
Making phone calls online can be done by first getting another Google email account and signing up for a Google Voice account afterward. If you decide to go this route, I'd be glad to help walk you through the set up. Please let me know.
![[group hug]](graemlins/grouphug.gif)