From: pjk@netcom.com (Phil Koenig)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Cancer sufferer in financial crisis
Keywords: cancer,money,disability,welfare,health
Date: 23 Jul 92 15:22:17 GMT
Reply-To: pjk@netcom.com (Phil Koenig)
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest)

Index Number: 23232

[Long, but astounding]

I have a dear friend who has found herself in a potentially
disastrous situation.  I am hoping some net folks can offer some
suggestions as how to best approach this.  She has been informed
today that the vast majority of her financial support has just been
taken away from her.

Beginning last year with a slip and fall that resulted in a
severely disabling back injury, Mariane (Not her real name) has
found herself unable to work, and at the mercy of public
assistance.  Unlike some luckier than she, she has no living
relatives that are able to help.  Michele has lived a very healthy
lifestyle (she is a bodyworker), and has had her own successful
business, as well as most recently doing administrative work for
major companies.

Since her injury last year, Mariane has endured tremendous strain
just trying to keep her head above water financially.  At first she
found herself forced to exert phenomenal pressure on public
institutions in order to get healthcare coverage and living
expenses.  This amounted to daily arguments with authorities who
seemed more bent on wearing down the woman in the wheelchair than
accepting the fact that doctors know very little about back
injuries in general, apparently.  She has been to many, many
doctors so far, and to this date the injury remains virtually
undiagnosed and unsatisfactorily treated.  She has found herself
using foodstamps for the first time in her life.  At times she was
compelled to twist the facts just so she could obtain enough
sustenance to eat.  Mariane does not live an extravagant existence,
she shares a modest apartment in the San Francisco Bay area and
almost never leaves the house unless to shop for food or go to one
of her doctors.

Several months after the back injury had degraded to the point
where she often found it difficult to simply go from the bedroom to
the kitchen, her landlord at the time decided, incredibly, to evict
her and her roomate.  It's another long story, but the gist is that
he claimed that she didn't pay her rent.  She had made arrangements
to have a public agency help with the rent that month, but the
landlord refused to accept the money, after having agreed to the
arrangement beforehand. Amazingly, there appears to be a law in
California whereby a landlord can find cause to evict a tenant if
he/she refuses to accept rent payment.A nasty legal battle ensues.
We feel the landlord was afraid of a lawsuit if Mariane fell on the
apartment building stairs.  We can see no other logical
explanation.

Shortly after settling into another location after an extremely
stressful move (which came at the most trying time in her life, due
to her very debilitating injury), Mariane started to experience
intestinal bleeding.  At first we assumed it was a result of taking
large doses of a pain killer that is known to sometimes cause
gastrointestinal problems.  After several inconclusive tests, a
colonoscopy was done. (not a happy experience in itself.)  The
doctors diagnosis: COLON CANCER.

Reeling from this incredulous news, at the age of 42, Mariane
consults two other cancer specialists.  They concur with the
diagnosis, and the prognosis: 50/50 chance of survival.  The impact
of this is imaginable.  After much soul searching about the
prospect of undergoing chemotherapy, for an illness that she and I
find hard to believe in the first place, and counter to all her
years of practicing a natural and healthful lifestyle, she agrees
to the treatment.  After having limited success, the doctors now
recommend surgery.

Chiefly as a result of my searches of online medical databases and
articles, she discovers the viable alternative of laser surgery.
Like so many times before in her medical oddysey, it became obvious
that because she was undergoing treatment which was paid for by the
state (which is available to low income residents who have no other
source to turn to), her priority as a patient was very low indeed.
When pressed, the doctor admitted that yes, laser surgery was one
option he had failed to mention.  Of course, laser surgery is more
expensive.  Even though traditional surgery had these annoying
little quirks (like occasionally dying on the table), the doctor
forgot to mention the alternative... which they were quite capable
of performing.  After much pressure from Mariane, and even though
it would cost her out of pocket money, they agreed to perform laser
surgery.  That was a few days ago.  The prognosis is still unknown
at this point.  Let us not forget that Mariane still suffers from
her back injury.

Now we come to find that in 2 weeks, all of Mariane's disability
payments will be ceased.  They had decided, that based on one
doctors opinion, she doesn't deserve any money from them.  This is
re: the back injury - I don't believe they even know about the
cancer diagnosis.  This is really immaterial since, in two weeks
the money is gone.  An appeal apparently takes several months on
average.  In the meantime Mariane will be on the street - since the
only other source of income, which comes from an agency which is
providing funding to help with convalescent helpers, wouldn't even
cover her half of the rent - even if she decided to divert it to
that.

And now for the kicker.  Within a couple of days of the disability
payment news, the assistance agency says they will no longer be
able to help her with convalescent help.  Total income now: ZERO.
The only thing she can do now is apply for general assistance
(welfare), which would amount to about half of her monthly rent
share.

Unfortunately, Mariane does not come from a wealthy family.  She
has used up all of her savings.  I am certainly not capable of
doing much more, and most of her other "friends" have long since
flown the coop after the going got rough.  Most of the cancer
funds/societies she has contacted will only provide medical
reimbursement, and that only if one doesn't qualify for any other
medical assistance. (wonderful asset that it is, given the medical
communities apparent distaste for anyone who is forced to utilize
public assistance.)

I am writing this today in the hopes that you, the gentle reader,
will be able to offer us some suggestions as to how this
tremendously trying situation can be resolved.  We are truly
getting to our wits end, as you can well imagine, given the history
of this thing.  I'm getting to the point where all I can think of
is getting some journalist to write a story and appeal for money.
I've been saying for a long while that this country is often
utterly lacking in compassion nowadays when it comes to medical
care - but this borders on genocide.  Mariane has been unbelievably
strong and resourceful during this whole mess, but things are
piling up really fast now.  Any suggestions would be greatly
appreciated.

Peace...

Phil Koenig
pjk@netcom.com
(w) 415-882-4100