This is going to be long.  I spend time on a number of MIP boards and the following is a series of three posts that I've made elsewhere on MIP and decided to share here as well.  Here was the first post:

Back in May of last year, my doctor gave me a choice: quit work or live to see Christmas.  I quit.  I didn't have health insurance and so, we had this long list of symptoms, but no diagnosis - I couldn't afford to take the tests to determine what was wrong with me.  I applied for Social Security Disability on the advice of my doctor.  We both knew that I would be denied, but it was a way to get the ball rolling while I waited for health insurance to kick in this January.  I was denied for SSI and appealed it and was told that my next denial would come in May of this year. 

In the meantime, as I was the sole breadwinner, my wife ran out and, six weeks later, found a job.  Three months into it, she was hurt on the job and was at home recuperating for four months before the doctors would let her return to work.  That was four months with zero income.  We had to move and did so, about forty miles away from the Canadian border into a little converted shop with no running water and no heat.  Things got desperate in a hurry.  On the days we could get to the food bank, we'd take some clothes that they offered, bring them home and cut them up into little pieces for toilet paper - that kind of desperate.  Unfortunately, when she was released from her doctors care to go back to work, we were now so far away from her work that the first four hours of her shift were worked just to pay for gas to get there and back - and they had scheduled her for four and five hour shifts.  So that didn't work.

She found another job locally - thirty hours a week and began working that just about six weeks ago.  It is minimum wage but she takes home about $1000/month and we can make it on that easily enough.  Unfortunately, my wife is on parole.  Last week her parole officer tried to do a home visit but went to the wrong address.  Not her fault really, it is kind of confusing in this little rural setting - houses not well marked etc.  But when she couldn't find her, she called her work and identified herself as her P.O.  Suddenly, as of today, my wife went from thirty hours a week to seven.  Her boss refuses to give her an explanation.  Since we can't survive on seven hours a week, we expect that this is just an attempt to get her to quit and move on. 

Wednesday, I got diagnosed finally.  It's pretty serious stuff actually, and so any illusions I had about going back to work in a pinch, despite my health, have been squashed.  The good news is that my doctor advised me that if I was considering hiring an attorney for my SSI claim, to abandon that idea because I will not need one now.  The health problems are too severe.  So I called Social Security yesterday to update them on my condition and my claim has been cancelled and closed back in December.  Turns out they denied me for the second time six months ahead of schedule and I never was notified.  So now I'm waiting for paperwork from SSI so I can appeal that decision - which I'm told can take four months to consider and then I can either start over or move forward depending upon what they determine. 

Anyway, so what's the point of this post?  I'm thinking that everyone here has gone through impossible situations before themselves and they'll probably go through other equally impossible situations again sometime in the future.  Here's the thing though:  Twenty-two years ago I turned my will and my life over to the care of my higher power and I have NEVER been let down.  This situation will be no different.  My wife and I will be fine, for we are loved by that which provides everything for everyone.  When my hp fixes the situation, I promise to come back and let you all know how.  It's my hope that when you see my intractable problems solved, you'll realize - if you still have any doubts, that yours can be too.  Enjoy every moment of life because there are no bad moments, just bad attitudes.

So, very excited to see how HP fixes this.  Two weeks later I posted this partial update:

My wife and I had a conversation last night after she came home and had more hours cut from a nine hour work week.  Please believe that I struggle too, that my words to her weren't coming from someone sitting atop a mountain looking down - I'm simply putting them here because I want to remember my words.

Me: You were working thirty hours a week and we were making it.  Now, you worry that we cannot, right?

Her: Yeah.

Me: Who cares for us?  Our Higher Power or your employer?  I mean, at the end of the day, who is responsible for paying our bills and caring for us?

Her: HP.

Me: So let me ask you this: If your boss asked you which you would prefer, working thirty hours a week at $10/hr or working ten hours a week at $30/hr, which would you choose?

Her: The ten hours a week cause I could spend more time with you and my animals - and it comes to the same amount of money.

Me: Have you done your best at work?

Her: Of course!

Me: Have we ever been let down by our HP?

Her: No.

Me: So you've shown up to work every day and done your best - you did the next right thing every step of the way, yes?

Her: yes.

Me: Seems to me then, that your HP offered you the same deal and knowing which you'd take, simply made it happen.  How much money did you make prior to getting your hours cut for two weeks?

Her: My last check before they cut my hours was $604.00.

Me: Let's add this up then.  This paycheck you received $171.52 for two weeks.  Then a friend offered us $200.  Then a check came in unexpectedly from an Indian settlement for $200 two days ago.  Then today we found another silly check in the mail for $33.33.  That comes to $604.85.

At which point she ran to get her check stub from two pay periods ago... $604.85.  I told you folks I was going to come back here and tell you how my HP fixed this cut in hours a few weeks ago.  This is one paycheck but it's a good start. And the $604.85 to the penny was my HP's signature.

Oh wow!  Very cool stuff.  But!  This is only one paycheck.  Can HP continue this?  Let's see.

Which brings us to now.  My wife's uncle called to say 'hi' and discovered our car was down about two weeks ago now.  "Well I've got a pick-up y'all can use till Angel's SSI comes through; you can pay me then."  Problem number one was, it wasn't running and I am not a mechanic.  It needs an ignition coil and a U-joint.  Problem number two was, we didn't have the money to fix it or the gas money to get it home from 375 miles away in a little town called La Center.  Problem number three was, we had no way to get to the truck to pick it up even if I was a mechanic and we could fix it.  The wife thinks it's an HP thing and I don't disagree, but my experience has taught me that if I can't find the next right thing for me to do - then either it's not HP's will or HP isn't done yet.  So we wait.  It took almost fifteen minutes.

"Ring, ring" goes the phone.  It's a neighbor who has never called us before but got our number from someone else.  They want to talk to the wife.

"I heard through the grapevine that you've worked with dogs before?" she says.

"Yes," my wife answers, "I trained dogs for developmentally disabled folks back when."

"I was wondering if you might accompany me to La Center, WA to pick up a rescue dog tomorrow.  I could use some help with someone who is experienced."

<wife blinks - then blinks again>  "La Center?  Umm, yeah...but that's too weird.  My uncle just gave us a truck but it's broke down in La Center and I had no way of getting there."

"You think there's anyway, if I got it running while we were out there that I could drive it back...or do you need me with you for the dog?"

"Oh no, I just would like you there for the pick up and for an assessment of the dog."

"Great!  When do we leave?"

"First thing in the morning."

So we talk about it and decide, this is probably HP...too much of a coincidence that problem number three was solved.  But where would the money come from to get it fixed and back?"

"Ring, ring."

We look at each other and then to the phone.  She answers.

"Hello?"

"Hi, this is your neighbor again.  You said the truck isn't running?"

"That's right."

"My husband is a mechanic and he said that he'll go and get it running while we are meeting the dog."  Okay, problem one solved - now it's just about the money...

"That would be great!"

"There's one more thing..."

"Yes," say the wife.

"My husband prayed about it and told me that we're supposed to buy the parts and pay for gas on the way back as payment for you going with us."  Problem two is solved.

NOW...in the second post up there I explained how we made it last pay period... but it doesn't do much for us going forward does it?  I got an old royalty check in the mail in the meantime for $564 (that clears Wednesday).  But still, that's not consistent.  So now what?  Three days after she got back she got another call. 

"Ring, ring."

"Hello?"

"Hi, is this Michelle?"

"Yes."

"I heard you were looking for work, is this true?"

"Um, YEAH!"

"I have a job...it's only about 12-20 hours a week screen printing but some people close to me said some very nice things to me about you and so, if you want it - it's yours."

So, she is now back up to about 25 hours a week - which is darn near the thirty hours she had before and we're out of desperate trouble.  We're still short about $200/month from what we had budgeted for at 30 hours a week but we can make this work.  Then on Wednesday...

"Ring, ring."

"Hello?"

"Angel?"

"Yes, how can I help you?"

"This is a social worker with the state.  We recently did a review of your denial for state disability and reconsidered.  It only pays $200/month but will be on there on the first of each month.  I'm sending you a letter to that effect, but thought you may want to know."

I already knew.  I knew a month ago.  But I thanked her - and I thank you for making it to the end of this long post. :)