Don: As someone said to me when I was really down about this, "You have to change your stinkin thinkin". You are still able to type, despite what you say, so try hard to focus on what you CAN do.

I know it is really hard to deal with the money issues, etc. You may need to get someone to help you think this through. I have asked friends and family to help me with getting through this disease. People will come through for you, you just have to ask. And if they don't, drop them from your list of friends.

There are ways to get financial assistance for meds and even help with daily living. Roche has a free meds program. Glaxo-Smith-Klein also has an assitance program. There is always Social Security Disability Income (not much $). Local churches can help.

I have a Lyme pen-pal who managed to get his community to raise enough funds for him to purchase an HBOT chamber. People want to help others.

Please, please don't lose hope. Make a project out of finding the help you need. It will keep your brain active so you won't feel so down. Get your kids to help - the ones who will inherit those nice investments. See if their is a support group around, even if it isn't for Lyme. I just learned that there is a yoga class in my town for people with MS. I don't have MS but, I am going to see if they can take me anyway, since my physical issues are similar.

Hang in there and keep posting so we know how you are doing. Your life is not over.

Areneli: Perish that thought! Think of the people who love you if you do something drastic. It will hurt them and they will not understand your motives. Yes, this life sucks at times but you still have a life. Never know what tomorrow will be like.

Think I need to see a therapist after this post.

i tried to avoid your post.bother's the hell outa me.i figure you and me are around the same age.give it a try.

maybe you should see a lawyer.try to keep everything you worked for in your life.maybe sign stuff over to family.(kid's).that way you might not lose anything.

then look into the county and state for help.never lose your pride.alway's hold your head up.

just don't let everything you own,end up in the garbage.

just try to get everything out of your name.that way,nobody can touch anything..talk to a lawyer.

from what i have read about you,you should be sittin back,being a county gentlemen.sippin bourbon and branch.

you can tell me to go to hell if you like,i will understand.....gary

p.s. areneli ?? eat me!!!

i was a tool and die maker for about 10 year's.after divorce(25yr)ago.i moved down south.my bother had a body shop business.worked with him about 10year's.

my dad's health started going bad.i moved here(pa.)to help out.had nothing holding me down.

got into the home repair,construction biz.worked for a guy ,who showed me the trade.

my dad past away 11 year's ago.i stayed on here.sorta country life.love it...

i figur i got lyme around the time my died.haven't worked in over 5 year's. as you can tell by the job's,i work with my hand's.then with my head.

lyme fog and lyme/fibro,are eating me up.i am lucky though.i live here with my mother,place has been in the family over 150 year's. just the family history here,keeps me going at time's..

think over what i said about a lawyer.try to cover your ass so you don't lose anything..

i am 50 years old....i gotta see another orthopedist this afternoon.hope this joker is not afraid of the word "lyme".

i get ssi.been 2 year's now.it is harder for me to get treated for lyme,then it was to get ssi...

gotta go...hang in there don.....gary

I am fortunate that I am not as sick as I could be and that I don't 'need' to work - and we have decent healthcare (doesn't pay for LLMD visits or Igenex but does pay for meds).

What about contacting local newspapers to run your story? I know I wrote 2 local newspapers here about my Lyme and the Lyme bill and they both were very interested and picked it up.

We just had a neighboorhood parent come by collecting $ for a little girl who has Cystic Fibrosis. And our local pizza company has a fish bowl out to collect funds for a little boy who has cancer (they have raised alot of money supposedly). So, fundraisers are a constant thing in my area. Don't know why anyone would be turned off about collecting money or giving money for someone with Lyme disease...

We also have a non-profit group here called Fish of Greater (the cities they are in). Not sure if there would be one in your area but I'm sure there are non-profit organizations like them in your area that you probably don't know about. They help with food, clothes, money, rides to and from places you need to go, etc...

When I could'nt run I walked; when I could'nt walk anymore I got a bicycle...

I used to like golf and will still play...but enjoy the day more than my painful golf swing or results....

I have had to make a life change because of the limitations lyme has put on my life...it is difficult and I've been where a lot of folks get to with this disease and "not wanting to go on"....but I do go on.

I'm gonna beat this thing...and I'm going to enjoy as much life as it let's me while I can.......

If I die before a cure is found I have left instructions to have my organs donated to Columbia or any lab that wants to look for the spirochetes in an attempt to unlock the mysteries.....

But I am not going to hurry the process...

I refuse to let it win without a fight.....

zman

After reading your post, and it sounds like you want to work, if you could find something that would be accomodating.

Well, my thought was to check with the state vocational rehabilitation program.

If your LLMD or your doctor would write a letter to the effect that you are disabled due to...well, doctors know what to write ...this would be enough have the vocational rehab help you focus on what you CAN do!

The DVR may also be able to direct you to other resources, they are there to help!

Hang in there...and keep reaching out..there are options and resources that are out there.

Keep your head up..cause you be -just don-

-laserred-

Hang in there. You need to get mad! Fight!

Believe me everyone is pulling, praying for you.

Maybe you could hook up with other lymies and split housing bills etc.

If a group of people went in together on an oxygen chamber then many could be using it and functioning well enough to work still..

Like a lymie commune......what a minute...
....on to some thing here?

Anyway don don't give up......remember to stay positive, that's half the battle...

I don't hve any great suggestions but wanted to let you know I'm thinking about you and praying for you!

Please Please don't give up. I'm very fortuante that I have a home based business that has been okay so far. I am making a lot less then what I used to but am greatful to have some money coming in.

I know what you mean about no one believing lyme exists in NE. I live in nearby CO and believe me when I asked the docs about lyme they said thats an east coast thing!

I've said it before and I'll say it again...ticks do cross the boarder folks!

Email me anytime if you need to vent.

We all care about you!

One more thing...can your children help you out?

You raised them so the least they could do is help right? I'd help my dad if he were in a money situation.

This is a stretch but, I'll toss it out there anyway.

Most of my work is with the disabled. I am considered "abled" in comparison to the people I work with. I help to provide housing and educational facilities for these people, and we are talking about people with severe mental and physical disabilities. Many of these people have jobs. Their employment is provided by large corporations who want to spend money in helpful ways (not to mention it is a great tax benefit for them).

Two of the companies that come to mind are Walmart and McDonalds. I am not necessarily suggesting that you sweep the floors or flip the burgers. I am suggesting that you contact companies that have a non-profit sector and offer your services to help out in any capacity, perhaps doing office work such as scheduling or payroll for the workers. Explain your situation. If nothing else, they may be able to steer you in the right direction.

I moved my office to my home and am able to do 70% of my work via the computer, the internet and the telephone. And, I do it during the hours that work best for me. I am required to be onsite a few hours a week. I hired an aide from a senior home health care agancy to drive me. I am able to make enough money to pay for those services. I am not a senior but, called the agency anyway. I was desperate and they were happy to oblige, once I explained my limitations.

It never hurts to ask.

Thank goodness I did take out policy on myself about 12-15 years ago. I thought the $ 120. per month premium was too much but it turned out the ONLY right thing I have done in last 15 years. BUT Now it is costing $650 a month and rising fast. Soon will be $1,000 plus in a couple years , who can afford that on depressed economics.

I dont make that much all year. Some guys make alot, I dont, guess I have to work smarter but margins are just too low and unpredictable. The risk is enormous.

But the first and formost need is the walking and talking daily drugs I need to do "anything". Both are long term necessary for survival, period!!!

Dont get me started on my present insurance 'curing' me. Because it wont be pretty. About the only thing that can make me really mad. other than that I just cant be angry anymore, I have just moved on to acceptance and thats the way it is.

But where do I turn? Will look into suggestions and see if there is anything to work with. IF I needed a one time shot of dough it might be possible but the ongoing every day every month drain, leaves out any family or charity.

For one thing I think everybody just thinks I take too many drugs and dont really need all that stuff anyway. You know the story 'You look too good to be that sick!' So just dont take them and get used to it. OR 'well you work too much, this way you will HAVE to retire. Then you will feel better.' NOT!!!!

Don't give up! You mean too much to all of us!

I was getting low on cash due to the expense of the abx treatments, and finally turned to rife. Aside from the initial investment, (equivalent to 1-2 months of abx) the rife treatments are essentially free except for the cost of a little electricity.

I have been off abx of over 20 months and doing good....My son & I climbed Mt. Rainier last summer, so the rife must be working!

Which Rife equipment do you use?

contact your closest Lyme Support Group.
They know what you are going thru and can help tremendously.

They know the ins and outs of how to get money, drugs and suppliments, help, support and dealing with the government too.

Please check it out for us.

And where did you get it? Aprox. cost?

Thanks, been thinking about that, but wondered since nothing else has worked!!!

Maybe you could check in your surrounding communities to see if they have community health centers, and if so, they would have a similar service. The man's title is "pharmacy coordinator".

This may not help you or may sound far fetched, but have you thought about an internet business. We have several people in our area that are making really good money on ebay. They sell anything and everything on there.

Someone sold their dad's ghost a few months ago for around $64,000 dollars. There is even someone selling real tumble weed. Another guy is using old tires to make swings. There are buyers for it all.

Find yourself a gimmic or things around the house you don't want anymore. Put out a plea to the community and take donations. This way you can set you own hours and not be pressured by a 9-5 job.

Just stay strong and use that anger to fight back. Remember to much stress is bad for us.

I dont think I can function without them. I have tried different forms and there MAY be cheaper forms that would work okay. I did have bad reactions to changing some as I said, so they didnt work. More research needed here.

Would also like to add Cats claw and artemesin which I have never tried.

jmardis,
Your suggestion of a home based business, like selling on ebay is wonderful. been thinking about that for a while. Never heard of the tumbleweed thing tho. Have a great crop of those here. That and ditch weed. NOT going to sell that or I would have a new address with free room and board. But dont think they would agree with lyme meds there. SOOOOOOO, no thanks right there.

Hmm, anything else I could sell on internet , suggests would be great!!!!!!!

How about the ole "cow pie". Not very tasty but makes very good entertainment for young half drunk kids to throw like frisbies and see who can throw the fartherest( alot like discus throwing)

Tell me I am crazy if you want to but I saw a guy making homemade soap like the pioneers made, all natural. The most "wonderful" soap you ever saw.

We used to make it also at home when young but obviously didnt follow same recipe because ours was quite inferior to this guys. Difference I find out is patience in cooking it. Was thinking of trying it, cooking some.

Soap you buy at the store has all the natural good collagens removed because it is more valuable than the soap. IF I left them in and made it really high quality would people buy it???

Looked on net someplace once and their was 'alot' of competition in this area. need some ideas to make it unique, like a name for instance. Remember once they made some soap and called it 'soap on a rope' and then made 'Pope on a rope' (no disrespect intended)( He is a tremendous individual), they actually did that and got yanked off the market I think.

So what name would be real catchy? Like "Hope's soap on a rope" or " High Collagen soap" or " Skins best friend soap"
"Slippery soap" Or is this too dumb an idea???

Look at what you have and do the best you can with it. Have an extra room, rent it out etc. If you are lucky enough 2 have 2 income houses dont give them to your kids, sell them and use the money till its gone.

If and when you have to go on public assistance you want to know you did the best for yourself that you could.

By giving your assets to your kids it just means you will be making someone elses kids have to pay for your upkeep, thru taxes, sooner. Thats not right.

I plan on spending every penny my frugal life allowed me to save before going on the dole but when I do I will be grateful its there and do the best I can.

I sent you an e-mail with a link to check out.

They may even be able to assist you to set up a 'Home Based Business'.

It's worth a try!

Please do look into it.

But as someone who has bought the "it will take forever" line for over four years, and has been improving rapidly on stronger abx--especially for the co-infections--I'd like to encourage you to do tons of research, and explore every avenue of treatment.

By the way, if I could tolerate minocycline, I think it would eradicate Lyme within weeks. I just tried it for a week, and it was way too strong, but there was no question it was beating the Lyme into the ground. It's a pretty cheap abx.