My Full Disclosure

 

                Hello, my name is Richard Ford. For the past 8 years I have been living with several medical problems and dealing with procedures and surgeries, both good and bad. For example:

 

Minor day surgery to remove staph infection, which turned from a 30 minute operation to two hours.
Part one of a two stage surgery for hemorrhoids, for which I am still at pain when I sit down.
I had surgery to remove a mole and the surgeon broke my eye socket. I have had a brittle bone disease since adolescence, and it has only gotten worse with age.
A botched dental surgery to remove all of my teeth. Unfortunately, the dentist broke my jaw in 10 different places and left broken roots from the teeth in the jaw bone. After 2 years being on basically a liquid diet I was forced to seek reconstructive surgery, in order to rebuild my upper and lower jaws.
 

                For over 7 years I have had no teeth or dentures, have not been able to eat anything hard or crunchy, and can only process soft or very tender food. No nuts, chips, fried food, etc. (I dream of fried chicken sometimes.)

                Adding to this, I am allergic to most fruits. This past decade has been a living nightmare, but compared to this year, it has been a breeze. If these, and the rest of my issues, were the only things plaguing my life, I would not be writing to you. It takes the greatest humility to share my situation, and I hope that you will at least listen.  

                This is my situation now. About 10 months ago my health started to go downhill at an exorbitant rate. Slowly at first, but steadily worse to the point of alarm. I have been to several doctors, and things are still getting worse on a daily basis, but here is what I know at this current moment.

 

I have an enlarged heart
Irregular heartbeat
Heart palpitations
Tachycardia (heart racing)  
Possible blockage in arteries
Constant chest pain
Constant migraines
Tinnitus (ringing in ears)
Tendinitis
Bursitis
Arthritis
Vertigo lasting up to 3-4 days (unable to eat or hold down any food or water, and cannot move with vertigo)
Past due for 2nd stage surgery for hemorrhoids (daily bleeding internally and externally)
Chronic muscle pain
Headaches
Insomnia
Depression (Both clinical, and from my situation)
Nausea
Severe fatigue
Muscle cramps and/or spasms, etc.
Loss of lung capacity
Decreased mobility (can only walk slowly for short distances [less than 10 mins.] before I have to sit down and rest, or lay down from one to four hours.)
I use a cane to help me stand, walk and balance
I have lost most strength and function of the right side of my body.
Suffering extreme chronic pain
Sharp knife-like pain in every single joint and most of the muscles on the right side of body ( hand, arm shoulder, neck, entire spine, hip and knee, ect)
Unable to lift more than 2 lbs. with right arm
Unable to lift more than 20 lbs. with left arm
Unable to stand using right knee and hip (That is why I must have a cane)
EXTREME continuous pain
Stress
Fatigue
Loud noises, (IE: Knock on door) bring on full body muscle spasms that repeatedly shake my entire body. These can last from a few hours to a couple of days
Bright lights can cause the same reaction, making driving at night impossible
Severe neck and back pain (grinding bone to bone in neck).
Loss of sensitivity to skin, with traveling numbness
Unknown bruising, cuts and scabs. I cannot feel them or remember how I got them.
Random bleeding from unknown places. (IE: Sometimes I will look down and my shirt or pants will be covered in blood, but I have no visible wounds I can find.)
About 2-3 times a month my trachea tube restricts and I can't swallow water without severe pain. It makes it impossible to swallow solid food at all. This will last in upwards of 3-4 days (liquid diet only).
In less than 2 months I went from 215 lbs. to 140 lbs. (loss 75 lbs.) before I could stop losing weight. I’m about 145 lbs. and holding for now.
 

                Four months ago this malady (whatever it may be) started to spread into my left side of my body as well, much to my abject terror. Everything listed above has been caused, or affects only my right hand side, but with this new revelation, I fear I will soon lose all use in my left side, and become incapacitated altogether. I am losing the ability to take care of daily necessities. Washing cloths in a reasonable manner has become impossible, as the laundry basket is too heavy for me carry to laundry room. I wash dishes in stages because I am unable to stand for any useful length of time before I am wracked with pain and muscle cramps/spasms. I cannot clean or doing anything has the same result. Even when taking a shower I am forced to rest. The thought of this spreading to the rest of my body is unconscionable.

                At my last doctor appointment over 10 months ago, my blood pressure was 215 over 110 with a pulse of 117, the same average reading I took 3-4 times a week.

Now, however, my blood pressure average has been between 145-215 over 100-115, with a pulse always being over 100 at rest.

                I have been becoming more confused lately, with worrying trouble problems thinking, concentrating and focusing. I cannot remember anything without extreme difficulty. My ability to tell time is almost useless. I think 4 or 5 days have gone by, but in reality it has been more like 7 or 9 did. I have been blacking out, loosing sporadic pieces of time. Sometimes I cannot tell what has just happened, or what I need to do next. This is growing worse and more frequent.

                For the past 8 years I have lived alone in an old 27’ 1969 Holiday Rambler travel trailer (my cave) with two small dogs to keep me company. They have been my salvation and my sanity. I’m currently 3 months behind on my rent. I have no propane to cook with, nor any hot water to shower with. What food I have in my trailer is it. I am down to eating old military rations I saved after Hurricane Ike.

                Two weeks ago, due to all the heavy rain in SE Texas, my trailer sprung several leaks in the ceiling. By bathroom currently has no protection, and any rain at all comes cascading down the wall like a water fall. Mold has begun to spring up, but I am physically unable to clean it, even if I had the supplies. If this is not repaired, I will lose my only place to live. I’m physically unable to make repairs.

                I have no car insurance and the tags are expired. My car is 13 years old with an oil leak in the motor, power steering leak, bad tires and over 225,000 miles. When the occasion comes that I am able to secure a doctor’s appointment, I won't be able to afford the gas to drive there.

                I have worked contract in the construction industry for over 30 years. I am a hard worker and have always stridden to be honest with my employers and my fellow workers. I am smart, competent, and have a charisma with people that usually serves me well. Though I have no formal education, I learn quickly and pick up any job fast. I have never relied on anyone for anything, but have always managed to do it myself. If I didn't have the means, I did without. I have been a manager for more companies than I can name, and I never bring my personal issues to the work place.

                Back in October 2014, I took a few of weeks off work due to the flu. I quickly realized, however, that while I was over the flu, there was something much more sinister wrong with my body. I called my boss on a Tuesday to tell him I was still under a doctor’s care but I would call him on Thursday and let him know the results. I was told that would be fine, and foolishly, I believed them.

                The next day I awoke to discover my insurance had been cancelled and I was fired for not calling into work by 7:00am. At this time, with few other options, I thought I would take some time off and try to get over whatever was wrong with me. It has always worked in the past. Unfortunately no matter what I did (vitamins, exercise, stretching, walking, working out) nothing worked. I kept getting worse. I am STILL getting worse!

                About 2 months ago, when I finally faced that I could not work anymore and had run out of savings, I hit rock bottom and had no choice but to file for Indigent care. For the first time in my life I asked for help. I just wanted to see a doctor so I could get better and go back to work. When I filed for Indigent care, I was told I had to file for Social Security Insurance and Social Security Disability Insurance. I was informed that the Cardon Outreach Disability Advocates would be contacting me to file for SSI and SSDI for me. I filed with Indigent care and SSI and SSDI and have been waiting for over two months for approval.

                Last week Cardon left me a message that they need more information from me and will call me next week. Mind you, 2 months have passed and they still have not filed yet. Indigent care stated that they cannot help in till I’m approved for SSI and SSI needs a doctor’s diagnosis for approval. I was then told this would take several months to over a year to get approval.

                No doctor will see me now without insurance or approval from SSI or SSDI. Emergency rooms will only stabilize me, tell me that I should really go to my doctor, and then show me the door after charging me over $7,000 for doing essentially nothing. That obviously does not help. Now all I can do is waiting for approval and pray, as I run out of food and water and the lights blink off overhead.

                I. Am. Starving. I am physically dying from starvation in the most prosperous nation the world has ever known. I grew desperate enough that I swallowed my pride, scraped together what little gas I had, and went to the Alabaster Food Bank in Baytown TX. I was turned away at the door because I could not show any proof of income.

                I informed them that I have not worked in over 10 months and that I have been living on my savings due to sickness and that has run out. The lady was very insulting and confrontational, and stated "EVERYONE has income" and had me escorted to the door, which she then locked behind me.

                I was never rude or mean. The only thing that bothered me was that the only other individual there for help was driving a $40,000 Cadillac SUV, wearing gold and diamonds and playing on her new iPhone.  She received help because she had proof of income. She has a job and just wanted to save money on food. I have no job, no money and no food so I did not qualify.

                Everyone who knows me knows that I started working full time at the age of 15. I have worked two or three jobs at the same time for most of my life. I have spent my life helping people, family and friends but mostly strangers that needed help and could not help themselves. If I could, I always did. I never expected nor accepted anything in return. I always told people to pay it forward (because I love that movie) and help someone that can’t help themselves. That is my favorite hobby, next to rescuing dogs.

                So here I am, doing the hardest thing I have had to do in my life. I’ve swallowed all my pride and I humbly ask for your help. I’m used to helping people, not people helping me. But now I’m asking for your help. I need to get to a doctor now and at least get my heart stabilized or I’m afraid I will actually, physically die waiting for SSI or SSDI to kick in.

                Please, there are so many areas I need help with.

Prevent the collapse of my trailer, the only home I have, that I need to live and recover.
High Doctor Bills, of which there are many.
Emergency repairs to my trailer
Emergency repairs to me car.
Propane to heat water and cook.
Back rent, future rent.
FOOD! Physical food! Resupply and help me make it in till I get approval for assistance.
Most important is get to a doctor! I know the tests are expensive but I have no choice if I want to live!
 

I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart who took the time to read this and for any help or prayers you can provide. God bless.