What  a ride today has been!  I’ve been known to say I am NOT bipolar – my life is a roller coaster.

For instance.  We started out the day taking hubby to the city to see the cardiologist.  In case you missed this part of the saga, he has been having PVCs – little heart bouncy moments, off and on now for several months.  It is why they canceled the second fistula surgery which is why they waited until the last instant to put him on dialysis with “just” a catheter.  The heart arrythmia seems to stop the minute they start dialysis and get his blood chemistry right, but just to be sure we had to be cleared by a cardiologist before hubby could have any more surgery of any kind.

So he had to  do without caffiene for a couple of days (EEK) and fast over night and then go trot on a treadmill this morning.  All seemed to be well, and we had a “lunch break” during which he could have this but not that and then had to come back for more tests.

Meanwhile – on our way in his phone rang.  So on his break he called them back.  It was our nice DHS lady we love so much.  To tell us they are going to cut off the GA assistance.

I’m sure glad he didn’t return the call while he was at the cardiologists office, because I think both of our hearts came to a complete stop.

They are cutting off our little bitty $260 a month because (get this) HE HAD NOT APPLIED FOR SSI OR SSD.

Excuse me?  Just Monday we had stopped at the SSD office to emphasize yet again how desperate our situation was. He is approved for the Medicaid for dialysis – so how can they still be trying to say he is not disabled when they are paying for his dialysis?  We got a bit of a bullshit answer, but upon insisting we did get the name and a direct number for his caseworker.

After debating for a few minutes in the park about how we could PROVE he has applied and do it damn quick – I realized we had his caseworkers number.  We gathered up and headed for a FedEx place to make copies and fax some paperwork that we hoped would be proof enough.  Once we got there, we discovered he didn’t have that particular paperwork in his folder.  So he stepped outside and called his caseworker while I made some much needed extra copies of his Five Wishes packet.

When I got outside hubby was just hanging up.  His first words were – “We are getting my SSD – full disability – she signed the approval today.”

It’s a wonder I haven’t been arrested as a loony for doing happy dances in public places.

Then I get the other half of the news – it doesn’t begin until October.  But he is getting it.  And the SSD caseworker is going to call the DHS caseworker and straighten out the GA situation.  Alphabet soup.  Welcome to dealing with the beauracracy.

After all this craziness – we have to take him back to the cardiologists office for more tests on his heart…

They returned him to me a couple hours later and we got to talk to the Dr.  – who came smiling into the exam room humming a little tune and held out a hand to hubby to shake saying “You are SOOOOOOOO normal.”  He then went through each test saying “normal, perfect, not a thing wrong, just what I’d expect in a young man” and so forth.  His conclusion is that the heart arrythmia is caused by electrolyte imbalances caused by the kidney problem, tell the kidney Dr. to keep an eye on that, and quit worrying about it.

Pretty much what we’ve been trying to tell them all along.

But WHEEEEEEEEEEEEE because now that the cardiologist has cleared him, we can proceed towards the surgery for the peritoneal catheter and on to home dialysis.

And he’s going to get his SSD starting in October.

Now that I know how far I have to get us – and know that hope and something vaguely resembling security are on the horizon – I can breathe a little easier.  We know, too, that we are on our way to the home PD – meaning an end to making that drive three or four times a week and the need for so much gas money and wear and tear on the car.

We’re gonna make it.

Thanks to all of you who have helped so much.

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