Jeri

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Jeri
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Southwestern Woman

Health & Fitness > Steve
 

Steve

I may have written about Steve before. He is a slight blonde guy who moves with the speed of light. He has done a lot of tree work for us because he can climb a tree and have it cut down before you can blink your eyes. We are pretty sure he is addicted to amphetamines. He goes through his money so fast but he hardly ever finishes his work the way you would like him to. I still have two bags of leaves from last year that he was supposed to haul away. Steve reminds me of my nephew and so I mother him which is a mistake. Food to Steve is akin to a cross to a vampire. We sometimes take him to the Golden Corral but he hardly eats. I gave him a warm shearling coat that I was going to donate to the Salvation Army and I hope he hangs on to it because it is like new. An old saying from my childhood keeps popping in to my head, "There but for the grace of God go I." I know that Steve spent one winter living in his pick up. I can't imagine how lonely and cold he must have been. There are a million Steve's living from hand to mouth around us. The problem of the homeless needs to be adressed. we are the richest country in the world and we continue to spend a distressing amount on the military and deprive our citizens of decent health care and shelter for those who need it and it is worse during this administration than it has ever been.

posted on Dec 14, 2018 7:23 AM ()

Comments:

Healthcare in America is so broken with plenty of blame to spread to EVERY step of the process, from providers to insurers to consumers to the government. I include consumers because I personally know many people who abuse the emergency room benefit on their taxpayer-funded healthcare and other services simply because for them it's "FREE".
comment by jerms on Dec 21, 2018 9:14 AM ()
That $100 copay is great. Medicare gets a bad rap in America, but honestly, it's not bad insurance. I sell for the under 65 crowd and that kind of coverage is very expensive. I agree we need ALL of those services, but I just wish there wasn't so much fraud, waste and abuse. We've had to take a class about it and statistics show there are millions of $$ being lost.
reply by jerms on Dec 22, 2018 6:48 PM ()
Some people play the system but I can't help but believe we need emergency rooms for those who have to have help. My co pay for the emergency room is l00.00 and if I need it, I gladly pay it thinking it might absorb the cost of a needy person's treatment.
reply by elderjane on Dec 22, 2018 5:56 AM ()
It's hard to watch someone living that kind of life, so tempting to think that we can give them enough help to turn their life around, but it's always more complicated than that. What you are doing is better than nothing, and there's no expectation or judgement in 'here's a warm jacket.'
comment by traveltales on Dec 16, 2018 7:44 PM ()
I hope that I am never judgemental but sometimes I can't restrain myself.
reply by elderjane on Dec 22, 2018 5:52 AM ()
We certainly do need to make changes. It is horrifying that it takes so long to get specialized medical attention. Has he considered a teaching hospital for his surgery where the cost might be much lower? I got a zero premium policy for Ted that combines with his VA and is a good fit for us. No parent can allow their child to die for lack of care and that is scary because being old is no time to be poor. I am so thankful that Bobby had excellent insurance and good care to the very last breath he took. He was never alone because Ellie or I stayed with him during the last two months.
comment by elderjane on Dec 14, 2018 3:22 PM ()
Steve lives against his own best interests. It's a mental illness. You have addressed its symptoms but only Steve can reach that point n his life, when he allows anyone to help him. It may not happen. He may kill himself with his brand of survival. As for our abandonment of the poor and homeless, the solution is to elect those who would turn the tide. Currently, the Republicans aren't it. Voters with a conscience have to realize that Republicans as a group are toxic to the poor. If they care, they will vote for someone else.
comment by tealstar on Dec 14, 2018 2:25 PM ()
Evidently Republicans have no empathy for the less fortunate so they do not want social programs. Steve is an addict but I have to patch the symptoms where I can and apply band aids. He had an abusive step father and was kicked out of his home at the age of l2. His mother should have stood up to her husband. This is a growing problem in America. It is so sad. The very worst thing that Trump has done is to separate parents and children and send the kids off to the texas desert with no documentation so they cannot join their parents. How can people with a heart stand by and say nothing. I feel like we live in Nazi Germany.
reply by elderjane on Dec 14, 2018 3:09 PM ()
I agree, this is a giant problem that we all tend to shy away from. Fact is it could happen to ANYONE. And I’m seeing firsthand how my brother would be effected by this. He got fired from his job (not cobra eligible) and needs to find insurance hoping to have the surgery he needs. The surgeon couldn’t get him in this year (while he HAS insurance) so his future is a bit up in the air which is scary. My parents have money saved, but this could bankrupt ANYONE. The US is so FUBAR. We need to change so much.
comment by kristilyn3 on Dec 14, 2018 7:56 AM ()

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