Help Carolyn pay off PG&E and get back on her feet

Hello all. My name is Carolyn Hornback. I am a registered nurse who normally works in the Emergency Department. I became a nurse in 1998 and worked as a nurse up until 2018 when my ex-husband and I opened a small business. Due to COVID, we closed our business as many others did in 2020. What I did not know was that over the next few years, I would get sick with an as-of-yet unknown neurological issue, along with some cardiac and musculoskeletal issues. I have seen Neurosurgery, Neurology, Musculoskeletal Neurology, and Cardiology, all along with my PCP. The specialists are all in San Francisco at UCSF, so it’s an overnight trip if I have to go in. They are good about working with me if I need testing done, but it’s still a hardship. They believe I have multiple illnesses, one being autonomic dysfunction. I “present like multiple sclerosis,” but the MRI does not show that. I also suffer from chronic cluster migraines as well. Due to the fact that they cannot rule out seizures, I am no longer allowed to drive. I pass out randomly, and I get very bad tremors which affect my vision. To top it all off, I am no longer able to work. I applied for disability in 2021, and we are still going through it. My family has been extremely supportive, and I cannot say enough positive things about Moses and my kids helping me to stay positive. Going from someone who was able to “slog” at least 5 miles 3 times a week, to someone who can barely muster the energy to take a shower and wash my hair, or even work on my Etsy stuff which I love so much, is not something I’d wish on my worst enemies. I see a psychiatrist and a therapist to help me deal with all that has changed in my life, and for that, I am grateful.

The reason I am starting this request is because, as some of you may know, we live on a property that used to be a farm. PG&E told us it was cheaper for us to stay a commercial account; the rates are lower. The downside of that is that being a commercial account does not allow me to qualify for any of the three programs that I qualify for as a residential account. I tried to get switched over, and they want me to pay all of the past due balance and what we owe now, all at once. Unfortunately, we fell several months behind while on a payment plan due to unforeseen circumstances, and they are going to turn our power off if I don’t pay the entire balance by the 28th. I am extremely frustrated that I am not in a situation where I can pull my weight on my end of the bills. I feel responsible for us being in the situation we are in, though I know it’s out of my control. I am 4 years into a disability case, and I am trying to stay hopeful. My whole life, from 17 on, has been caring for others. It’s very difficult now to have to ask for help. It seems like I just can’t catch a break. There are some other medical issues I’m not in a place where I want to talk about them since they aren’t “diagnosed,” but if I could lay down and just have someone wake me when this part is over, I would. I feel as if I am letting everyone down. When I say I, I should say we, because we are a family and I’m so grateful for that. So that’s basically my story. I didn’t want to bother anybody, but I literally have no one I can borrow from, and it is taking longer to sell my car than I thought. So if you could spare anything, it would be so greatly appreciated, if not I completely understand. It’s so hard for everyone right now. Trying to decide if I should do this again was very difficult. It’s been 5 years since we got help for the business. Even just sharing my GoFundMe should help. I would be so grateful.