Keep-Me-Going-One-More-Month Fund

Asking for help has never been one of my strengths. However, in the last two years, I have had a crash course in asking for help, culminating in this GoFundMe effort. I have been diagnosed with diabetes and IBS-D. Before that I have been treated for high blood pressure, hypothyroidism, sleep apnea, obesity, anxiety and depression.  The last straw was losing my job because of frequent absenteeism due to uncontrollable IBS-D episodes.  For the first year and a half after losing my job I was able to hold it together by taking odd jobs with friends as my health would allow.  As my health got progressively worse I have not been able to work as much.  The doctors have been prescribing different medications to help control the problems.  Before I lost my job, I thought we had pretty much gotten control of my symptoms, but when I lost my insurance I was not able to keep those prescriptions going.  I have been able to get help with the Medical Access Program (MAP) here in Travis county but they don't cover the medications that were doing the most good.  So, I have been through a long list of medications that the MAP will pay for.  In the meantime, I haven't been able to get another job. The reason for the absences is still there and I don't want to accept a job knowing that I will have excessive absences because of health.  

I am so grateful for the assistance that my friends and family have been able to provide.  They have gone out of their way to help me with medical, rent and other living expenses. I don't want to put them in a bind anymore that I already have.  They have been helpful and supportive beyond what I feel I have a right to ask of them.  They have helped me avoid eviction and homelessness twice now.  I truly appreciate their efforts on my behalf. 

I am facing eviction again. The Travis County Integral Care has done what they can do. I am in the increasingly complicated procedure for applying for disability benefits and have been turned down as par for this course.  Additional application is in the works.  I am doing all that I can think of to do and my friends and case workers are giving me new and more complicated hoops to jump through.  I will continue to do what I can to improve my health and look for jobs that I am able to complete. 

The eviction process will not wait for me to get better.  I have been given a list of shelters to apply to.  The cold weather has clearly pointed out to me that I don't want to depend on  that as a living option. I am looking into getting into affordable housing, but there are long waiting lists for getting into one of them.

So I turn reluctantly but ernestly to my extended family and friends through this GoFundMe effort to avoid eviction and keep me going one more month. The deadline to come up with the funds is January 23rd and the following week for the February rent and expenses. 

I truly appreciate ANY help you may be able to give.  Thank you many times over!