Where Did We Go Wrong?

Our society in North America seems to have taken a turn for the worse somewhere.

I'm talking about the "systems" we have in our society that are in place to "protect" us in our hour of need.  You know the ones, disability insurance, worker's compensation, EI, Welfare, CPP disability, etc.

Now we've paid into these systems, through our work places, or through government programs and they are supposed to be our safety net when life, real life happens to us unexpectedly.

But this is fantasy.  It seems like only the select few are the "chosen" ones.  I know from experience.  I myself ended up having to submit two separate claims to WCB, both injuries were the result of work, they were both turned down.  They give you 30 days to appeal.  Because I didn't have the energy or the money to hire a lawyer, I didn't bother to appeal.  I think they count on people like me.

I know someone who used to work for WCB in a professional capacity.  When we discussed my injury she asked me why I didn't appeal, I told her I was in no state of mind to do so. After all when you are in chronic pain, trying to work through it for years, depression takes over and you just try to get through your day.  She then proceeded to tell me that WCB has a mandate for its professionals that work with the injured, that they are to get the injured back to work within four weeks whether they are ready or not.  She just shakes her head now, when she looks at how long of a process it really takes to get patients well.  After all, when patients go back to work too early, isn't it reasonable to assume that they will re-injure themselves and take even longer and use up even more resources to get well?  Now I'm no medical expert, I'm not an expert in any area actually, but REALLY?  They can't see this?

I belong to a number of fibromyalgia groups on Facebook.  In these groups we don't just talk about fibromyalgia,  but about life and things that bring on our flare-ups, encouraging one another and things going on in our lives at any particular moment etc.  I have a friend named Nichole. (I have her permission to use her name).  She is a single mom with a wonderful little boy named Tyler who is seven years old.  Tyler is adopted.  Unfortunately he was a crack baby, meaning he was addicted to crack because his biological mother was a crack addict.  He's had health issues in his life, but has been relatively healthy.  Unfortunately, recently Tyler ended up in the hospital because he was having problems breathing.  To Nichole's horror, Tyler requires a lung transplant.  Just like that.  From playing like a normal kid, to requiring a lung transplant.  Nichole has Tyler at home now, with tubes sticking out of everywhere. Tyler is allowed to play "carefully" on his bed.   Nichole wanted to invite some of Tyler's friends over to make him feel better and encourage him, but their mothers declined.  THEY DECLINED.  Really?  Were they afraid it was infectious?  Ok I digress.

Nichole applied for SSI AND SSD which were both denied because she a) made too much money and b) Tyler could still function "normally".  I guess if you consider it normal for a 7 year- old to be bed ridden so that he doesn't overdo it, then Tyler meets those conditions.  Now Nichole lives in the US so I don't know what the criteria is for meeting the qualifications for either of these disability plans are, but surely a child with one lung who is bedridden , waiting for a lung transplant and is autistic would qualify?? You would think so.  And Nichole makes too much money to qualify for Tyler to get SSI.  That would be her whopping cheque of $1214.00, that she gets on disability.  Wow!

Then of course there are the medical bills, which so far add up to $68,0000 and something.  This is where I ask, "where did we go wrong?  Where do our priorities lie?  Obviously not with the people who have worked hard and deserve the help that they have paid into, or even if they didn't pay into it, doesn't humanity deserve our compassion, or our help giving more than this?  Nichole mentioned it took less than three weeks for Tyler to be refused these benefits.  Less than three weeks to for someone to determine someone else's future.   Now that's power.

Back to Canada.  I know a young man.  He is a hard working young man who moved to British Columbia from Alberta three years ago, because for the last 10 years he had been on call 24/7, was burnt out and was beginning to have chronic shoulder and back pain from operating the heavy machinery that bounced him around while he worked in the oil fields.  He was hoping to find a different line of work that would allow him to sleep regularly, so he would not have to be on call 24/7, and would not be as hard on his back and shoulders.  He did find menial work with a buddy of his working construction for a whopping 15-17.00$ an hour.  And when that dried up, he literally put out 100's of resumes and was not able to get an interview let alone another job.

He finally went to EI and battled with them to get insurance.  The only reason he was finally able to qualify for sick EI, was because he was getting medical investigations for his painful back and shoulders, which revealed an unfortunate diagnosis of MS. He has nine lesions in his brain and two on his spine.

He is an amazing young man.  The reason I say this? Is because he was more upset at having to apply for welfare,  than the fact that he was diagnosed with MS.  It's very humbling.  Not applying for welfare itself (which has an impact on your self-esteem anyways), but the people who make you feel like a failure when you apply.  Like you are some low life not willing to work, wanting a hand out.  A handout for the whopping $ 620.00  they give you each month.  This infuriates me.  I know these people deal with many people who do abuse the system.  But does that give them the right to mistreat anyone? Including the abusers?  Does it come out of their pockets?

Ok, I digress again.  Where did we go wrong?  What do we have to do to help our sick, our impoverished,  our elderly, our widowed?  Where do we begin?

First off - NEVER   give up trying.  That is what I'm learning.  Many people with invisible illness' s have to apply 3-4 times before they get approved.  Some hire lawyers and only have to pay if they win.  Go to your government representatives, e-mail them, or better yet show up in person, so that it's harder for them to turn you away.  Do it for the little Tyler's, for the people who can't speak up, or for those who are just too exhausted to speak up.

Okay - it's a start, and we have to begin somewhere.  Just do it.