Reply #17: MY BROTHER

[dotymed]

A heart patient, without insurance. Has to go to the
"free clinic." He fell,over a year ago and
desperately needs surgery on his rotator cuff. He is in
constant pain (the free clinic does not prescribe pain killers
or sedatives (sleeping pills etc..). I luckily. still have my
health insurance from the Carpenters Union. I have heart
failure and receive sedatives for my hypertension ( I take
over 20 meds a day and SS says I can work
"somewhere" lol). He has been waiting over a year to
get approved for surgery. He has been forced to live with our
mother. She was forced to pay for his ER bill when he had a
heart attack, she lives on a meager SS retirement check. I
save some of my meds and give them to my brother when I can
afford to visit. The free clinic also doesn't provide dental
care. He has teeth that are abscessed, for years. It is so
sad. A WAITING PERIOD? LOL.. at 51 he is just waiting to die
to relieve the pain.