Update: Bastet is gone. She crossed the rainbow bridge on Oct 9th. I have removed her picture because I didn't want to feel like I was using her image to beg for money.
Original Post:
Hello again!
It's that time of the month for me, meaning I have to ask for help again, this time in the month of October.
We've run two successful campaigns this year so far, and one last month on another site that flopped hard. Message received -- you prefer GFM. Also, instead of asking for a bunch at once, I'm now asking for just what I need for one month, so if you're donating with the intent to cover one specific expense, please consider the monthly donation option.
Updates from last month:
- Bastet has been put on Insulin. Vet visits are now monthly and she's on special prescription food. This has added $200 a month to my expenses. As dark as this sounds, that's also what I would need to euthanize her, so if it's ever determined that is the best option, it would be taken care of.
- My car is drivable! It still needs some stuff done to it, but I have a small line of credit usable only for parts and repairs. That's about $30 a month until it's paid off (hence the new "debt" category).
- Ideally my plan was to get caught up on rent, but as last month's campaign failed I'm on the hook for last month's rent and this month. If successful, next month's request will be almost half.
- I'm eligible for free phone service but I have no usable phone for it. It's either pay T-Mobile off and use their phone at $110 or pay off US Cellular at $350 and use their phone. I'm still trying to figure out what to do, hence phone bill is at $40/mo.
- If you're reading this, you're awesome.
- I've switched ISPs after they gave me a promo for three months free, so that's $40 I won't need for the next few months.
- My small shop is back online. I sell small, refurbished connectors and the rest of my game collection. It only brought in about $200 last month, but any funds I get from it are immediately deducted from the total needed. I will not ask for beyond what I need at the immediate moment.
- Regarding my disability, my sleep doctor published the article about me and my condition. It's been provided to the ADRC and Disability Determination Services, who unofficially (as in not my caseworker) called it "fascinating" and "a very useful piece of evidence for both them and the Dr who will be reviewing the case." That's good news, right? Unfortunately they did tell me that the govt shutdown is affecting them slightly so it's adding to the amount of time needed to be assigned a caseworker for my appeal, even though that's handled at the local level (which is still getting funding).
A summary of my overall situation, for those new here:
I used to be able to work, but then suddenly I couldn't. COVID came and limited the work I can do because I'm at risk for it. It wouldn't be good if I caught it, so I'm limited to staying at home and wearing a mask when I do go out for groceries. I can't visit friends or go out to restaurants.
Then came the sleep disorder. Last year, I was diagnosed with Non-24 Hour Sleep-Wake Disorder, a sleep disorder that is very rare in sighted people. So rare, that my doctor actually wrote a medical study about my case. It turns out that I've had it all my life; I'd just been able to tolerate it, despite being sleepy all the time with my days or nights being out of sync. As I got older, it became impossible to ignore. My sleep time gets pushed back every few days, resulting in eventually flipped days and nights every two weeks.
This is what my sleep looks like in a typical month, taken directly from my CPAP machine:
Between severe clinical depression, anxiety, fibromyalgia, migraines, and a rare sleep disorder, a logical person would believe I'd be able to easily get disability.
They'd be wrong. I've been trying for five years now. During the first year, I got by with the COVID stimulus checks. The second year, I got by selling some assets I'd acquired as a gift from a friend. The third year, I was forced to sell a game collection I'd accrued that was worth around $40k. Last year, I ran out of stuff to sell and I was forced to start begging for money. Then I found out my now-fired lawyer hadn't even sent in paperwork saying he was representing me (he didn't get a dime, don't worry). This is why I'm in my current situation.
I just need time. You can help me with that.
Thank you for reading this far. Any amount helps, even $1. Even if you can't give anything, please consider sharing.
Summary of monthly expenses:
- Rent: $1157
- Back rent (and late fees): $1256
- Electric/Gas: $180
- Bastet: $200 (final vet visit)
- Internet: $0 (for three months, then $40)
- Phone: $40
- Debt: $40
- Other (toiletries, cat food, smaller bills, gas, random stuff): $120
Organizer
John Wade
Organizer
La Crosse, WI