Nancy.
That’s the name of my longtime friend who was diagnosed with ALS just in August but the disease has already progressed to the point where she is hard to understand when speaking. Cannot stand. Her shoulders are locked into one position. Swallowing is difficult.
It goes on and on, with the nightmare progressing faster and faster.
Setting aside the fact that the ALS is so advanced and was undiagnosed for so long (don’t get me started with her “helpful” doctors)… Things are totally falling apart.
She worked at a prestigious locale but was put on disability. Her co-worker who shares housing costs was just layed-off directly due to her illness (It was the nail in the coffin for that position so everyone is out of a job. The main contract company is aggressively trying to save money to the detriment of the contract/client.)
So no income for anyone in the household to live on muchless pay the rent.
She is a Vietnam vet. (Yes, it’s possible to be a vet without being a nurse or USO dance girl. Look it up. You can count the number of women serving that war/conflict without taking off your shoes.) She’s a Gulf War vet which Surprise! is where she got ALS.
To read more about the disease and one person’s fight click here.
She still hasn’t gotten her benefits activated. She just spent a month in the hospital with two different doctors (the first condescending idiot had to be fired). The second talked her and her husband (when confronted with “we’re discharging you Now”) into a LTCH (long term care hospital) that seems to be horrific.
The medical field is broken.