A year ago I had rabbits and chickens, and yes, rats, as a protein source of food.
A year ago, I had enough food in my house to last 3 months easy, and with my garden and animals, probably enough to last until ???
I had a pet Savannah monitor (which helped keep my rat population in check!) a chinchilla, a ferret, a cat, two small dogs,
I had a job.
A year ago September 20th, I got careless with a gun. I asked my wife to hand me the .12Ga, grabbed it by the barrel as she passed it to me, and when she let go, the stock landed on a box of toys from my grandkids. I swear to this day, Barbie reached out and pulled the trigger!
Flash forward to today: I have no garden. Sold rabbits and chickens when I couldn't afford to feed them. Used up my food. Monitor, ferret, chinchilla sold. No job. (My wife still works, but what used to be a fair wage is now MINIMUM wage, and she never got a raise to compensate. Thanks, Obama, you fucking piece of equine defecation.)
I realize I caused all my misfortune. My fault. I did it. OK? I'm not whining about that. BUT, I gave 12 years of my life to the United States in my service in the Navy. I have paid taxes on money earned since I was 8 years old working in fruit orchards and learned the hard way that money I earned didn't all go to me. Uncle Sam will have his share! I have never been out of work for more than a week and jobs I have had lasted. I have always had a good work ethic, (thanks to my Dad) and always believed that if you take a man's money, you do a man's work. You go in sick. You go in tired. You go when you're called and you stay until you're done.
Now I am disabled. I have had 5 major surgeries to reconstruct what they can, and have a metal rod in place of a shoulder joint. It is designed to allow movement, but you need tendons and muscle tissue to make that happen, and I just don't have any of the above. I'm in constant pain, and yes, I have applied for disability. I had to humble myself to apply. I had to admit that I am no longer able to provide for my family. Depression set in, yada yada yada... we've all heard the sob stories and I don't need to add mine.
But here's where it gets interesting: I am not eligible for disability. On my first applying for disability, they said I don't meet the criteria; Although I would not be able to return to my previous job, I would still be physically capable of doing meaningful and gainful work at other types of employment. And my injury was not expected to affect my life for more than a 12 month period.
I appealed.
On the second denial, they stated the reason I didn't meet the criteria was that although they realize I would not be able to do other work, I still should be capable of doing my last job of controlling teenagers in a drug rehab facility. This is the exact opposite of what the first denial says! And also, my injury was not expected to affect my life for more than a 12 month period.
Well, here we are 10 months and five surgeries later. I have virtually no use of my shoulder, although thanks to a great surgeon, I can use my hand and bend my elbow. And I am in constant pain. Being able to use the lower half of my arm is a blessing, but it causes amazing pain in my shoulder. Did I mention this is my right shoulder, and I'm right handed. Typing this one handed takes forever, but at least I get my thoughts in order....
My whole point in this rant is I know folks who are more physically capable than I used to be, who are on disability. I see people showing up at the welfare department, where I have to go to beg food stamps so we have enough to eat, driving fucking Mercedes! Most months I have to decide on if I pay the gas bill or the electric. Which one can I do without this time? I have a busted radiator in my fucking old POS that I have to put fluid in every morning. I can't afford the hundred bucks to buy a new radiator even though I know someone who can and will install it!
I am still not scheduled for the court case I have to go to in order to plead my case before a judge, and the earliest it will be is October, more than a year after my injury that should not affect my life for more than 12 months! There is a reason every third commercial on cable is for some lawyer saying "I can help you get your disability if you have been denied". Its because its easy fucking money for them! I am disabled. Period. They show up in court, say "See? he's disabled." I get my disability, and they get at LEAST 25% of what I am due in back payments. Even the clerk who told me when my court date MIGHT be scheduled for has told me to get a lawyer. WHY????? I have statements from my surgeon that I'll never use the shoulder again. He states that I will definitely be in chronic pain for the rest of my life. Medical evidence provided in pictures of the wound, surgery, and subsequent X-rays show the past and current damage. But I need a fucking lawyer to get money that apparently should have been going to me, just to satiate the greed of the fucking corrupt system?
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| Original wound, just rinsed. |
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| What I have in me now. "I am Borg" |
Fuck Obama. Wants to make America a nanny state, but doesn't take care of those who really do need assistance.
And did I mention? Fuck Obama.
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| What a NORMAL rotator cuff and shoulder look like. |
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| What MY rotator cuff and shoulder look like.... |
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