Ack!

So, the "great" state of California is in the middle of a budget crisis. Arnold is refusing to budge, and so things aren't getting paid out...things like Needlenoggin's State Disability checks. Oh, and wheelchairs aren't getting approved through MediCal right now either. So, even though the hospital wants his loaner-chair back, he won't have one from MediCal until June.

So, wheelchairs run about $2-3K out of pocket, and Needlenoggin isn't even getting his $400 a month from the state. Couple that with his out-of-pocket physical therapy ($120 a pop), his rent and bills ($1500 a month) and his part-time medical caregivers (so that I can feed my kids and put them to bed) (between the two it is about $1300 a month), his computer biting the big one (and getting a surprise $120 fee for the computer) and Rorysaurus starting preschool ($700 a month) on Monday, and you can see why I've begun to panic. Needlenoggin's care alone costs more than Tuffy makes in a month (not to mention our rent, food, bills, insurance, etc). I'm afraid we're going to end up going bankrupt before the state steps up like it is supposed to in cases of the severely disabled or Needlenoggin gets a dime from the people who are responsible for his injuries.

My folks are paying for most of the caregivers right now, but the rest of this is on us, and we don't have that kind of money. When we got my scholarship, Needlenoggin and I splurged on a birthday gift for DH (a new camera, since ours died) at $100...$50 from each of us. That was our big expenditure with tax refunds and a scholarship check...and we paid down some of our (now huge) credit card debt. Thing is, Needlnoggin is SUPPOSED to have Supplemental Security Income and he's supposed to have In Home Support Services and In Home Operations money (the people who are supposed to pay for his care in home (namely paying me so I can keep him housed and fed and keep Rory in school), but the soonest we'll be getting any of that covered is now May. May!

So the state has left its most dependent, at-risk populations, with no resources, to fend for themselves while the legislature works to ensure that the wealthiest Californians keep paying low taxes. The fact that they can do this while simultaneously screwing the public school system, road repairs and health care is awesome. Way to go, CA!

Thank you

to all of you!

To all of you who donated time, effort and prayer to us:

To all of you who donated to Needlenoggin and Little Monkey's accident funds:

To my mother's friends who have helped out with food delivery while cooking has been so hard for Needlenoggin and our free-time so short:

To the dog-walker who takes Needlenoggin's service dog out for free, to the wonderful and compassionate dog trainer who works with the dog every week:

To Alliance Labs, who make one of Needlenoggin's most necessary medications, and are willing to fight MediCal for us, give him patient assistance and mail him the drugs overnight:

To *K*, the neurologist who keeps such good tabs on Needlenoggin, and the Physical therapists at UCSF who push him:

To our local para-transit group who is helping him get some independence:

To our pediatrician who treats us with such love and consideration:

To the therapists who care for Needlenoggin and Rorysaurus:

To our friend who watches Rorysaurus a few days a week:

To my friends (especially my internet buddies) who are willing to listen to me try to hang on to my sanity:

To my folks, who are helping the best way they know how:

To Tuffy, who keeps me as close to sane as I get:

Thank you.