Single Bipolar Disabled Mother Seeks Help To Pay For Drug Rehab Treatment
by Linda
I became physically disabled about six years ago while working at a restaurant. I was recently diagnosed as bipolar. I was cleaning off a table, taking the dirty dishes into the kitchen. One of the cooks had just mopped the kitchen floor and hadn't put up the "slippery when wet" signs. As I started through the kitchen door on my first step I started slipping. As I fell both legs came out from underneath me, and went straight out in front of me flying over my head. I landed hard directly on my rear end, while holding my head up so as not to crack it open by hitting it on the concert floor. There was not an owner around or a manager on duty at the time, and usually there were not too many customers at this time of day. Luckily for me it was slow for the rest of my shift. I could sit down to rest until my relief came in, and I could go home. The next day I went to work and one of the owners was there when I arrived. I told her that I had fallen yesterday and all she said was, "You needed better shoes." Being a single mother I could not afford to take any time off, so I kept working, and my back kept getting worse and worse. I continued to work for four to six weeks. Ultimately I could not take the pain anymore. On my next day off I went to see the doctor. The doctor's office asked me how and when this happened. I told them and they said that they could not see me, that I needed the accident report number from my employer. I said that I had already told them about the slip and fall and they did nothing about. They said to tell them that your own doctor won't see you without a claim number from their Insurance Company and they need to refer a doctor. I went to the doctor's and they took me off work immediately. They told me that I had a sprained neck and lower back problems as well as pain. I saw the first doctor for three months, and then they sent me to an Orthopedic Doctor. He sent me to physical therapy. The physical therapist told the doctor that I could not do all of the exercises and it was not helping me. After seeing this doctor for about nine months the insurance company cut me off from getting income and stopped paying the doctor. So at this time I got a Lawyer who sent me to a doctor who signed me up for state temporary disability. This went on for two years or so. During this time I started applying for Social Security Disability. I was approved for it after four years and two appeals. Then, about two months ago I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Needless to say trying to raise three children on very little income is hard. We were just getting by on my child support. It took me five years to get that to be the fair amount that I should have been getting for the previous years that I got zero child support. But he did not want to pay me that amount so he took me to court and said that he was mentally disabled and had to take a cut in pay and in turn they cut my child support 75% right then. Three days later he relocated to Chicago and started working for his family business and told the district attorney that he was a minimum wage employee. I had to go on welfare so that my kids would have health care and we got food stamps. I had a car but then it broke down. I tried to get the church to give me one of their donated cars. They said that they didn't have any at this time. There was a lady that worked at the church. Her husband worked on the same type of car I had. She said that she would ask him if he would be willing to help me out. He said that he would. He would fix it for just the cost of parts and would not charge me any labor. Then a year or so later it broke down again. At this time I went without a car for over a year. Now someone has given me one of their old cars. But I still can't afford to buy gas, make my car insurance payments or registration fees. At one time we became homeless and we stayed with my sister for a while, as well as at hotels and motels. I am in pain every day now with no medical or medication for my back for a few years. I tried and tried to find employment for years. No one would hire me due to my back problems. Finally I found apart-time employment that I could do. Someone was willing to take a chance and hired me. I am a Traffic Technician, which is a person that sits at intersections and counts and records traffic. The hours are from 7 am to 9 am and/or 4 pm to 6 pm, plus drive time and mileage. The only problem is that they don't have a lot of work. A couple of years later I found another job at a clothing store. I worked there for several months. It was too hard on my back and they let me go. I'll do demonstrations at stores, mystery shopping, anything I can find to earn a little bit of money. I am constantly going to the church or non-profit programs asking if they have funds to help me pay my bills. I was approved for Social Security Disability Insurance in July 2011, starting June 2011. They didn't approve me for the back pay of the four years I have been going through the process of it. So I got no back pay at all. I'm court ordered to go to a Probation-Approved Residential Drug Treatment Program. Most County Funded Programs have denied me enrollment into their programs, telling me that I don't qualify due to my disabilities. County Programs are as follows. In days 1-30, they are a lockdown facility, with no contact or communication with anyone outside the facility. I would not be permitted to continue with my doctor appointments. In days 30-60 you are allowed to go to program-arranged functions and meetings. In days 60-90, you are able to go out for job searches. If they were to accept me, they still want me to pay them 35 percent of my gross income, plus relinquish all of our family food stamps to them. I would most likely lose our home and my children and I would become homeless at the end of this 90-day program. After doing extensive research into programs that meet my needs, I have found one very close to my home. There is a problem though. It is health insurance paid and I only have Medical. There is a two-year waiting period for my Medicare to kick in. Private insurance would work but I have no money for that. That's why I am seeking help to finance yet another bump in the road that I call my life. This facility fits most of my needs, plus they are willing accept me if I can pay for it. At this facility I would be able to continue working my part-time job, and carry on with making all of my doctors appointments. I would be completely available to make sure my son gets to all his doctor appointments and meetings, and to check in on my children and two dogs as well. The only thing standing in my way is that I do not have the resources to put down a deposit to reserve a bed. I can't afford my regular living expenses. I am looking for some sort of sponsorship, grant, benefits and/or donation to cover this cost.
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