Something I don’t talk about very often is Multiple Sclerosis.  I have it, I live with it and I laugh at myself a lot.  There are days (like today) when I get annoyed with my body because it won’t cooperate with my mind.  Keeps wanting to type “e” instead of “d”, etc.  However, I have a big future in mosaics if I can find the time to sort through all of the shards of dishes and glassware I have dropped on the kitchen floor.

I have always been extremely independent.  Leo with a Scorpio moon, Scorpio rising…karmically screwed, you know.  I was a tattoo artist for many years.  It was a great profession, I took it very seriously.  I quit tattooing shortly after my diagnosis because I felt I could not give my clients the best they deserved.

I do have a point, so bear with me for a moment.

I had disability insurance, which was cancelled because they said I am “not sufficiently disabled” to receive payments for the next 20 years.  Plus, they stated that I refused to use “approved medications” to treat my Multiple Sclerosis.  “Approved Medications” include, but are not limited to, subcutaneous injections into the stomach, thighs and back of the arms once every other day of Interferon.  This is a form of chemotherapy, though it is mild in comparison to that used for cancer.  OR, I can go into the hospital once a month and receive full-blown chemo for a year.  Yes, I tried injecting myself, and almost ended up hanging myself  from our ceiling fan.  I developed Agoraphobia and said ENOUGH…NO MORE!!! I watch my diet, keep active and refuse to act like a ninny. (Told ya I was a Leo)  I was also told that I do not go to the neurologist or get MRI’s often enough…uhm, you canceled my sole source of income and a Neurologist Visit costs $125 for a 15 minute session, an MRI with contrast dye is $1,700.   Dude…Seriously?

Since I have been unable to work for about 6 years now, I have not contributed to Social Security. BECAUSE I AM DISABLED, duh…  So, Social Security Disability is not available to me.  Supplemental Security Income could be available.  But I have been denied 4 times.  I am “not sufficiently disabled”.   Where have I heard that one before?

I should be one of the first people to jump on the healthcare bandwagon.  NO FREAKIN’ WAY!  I do not want the government jumping in and telling me I have to inject myself, I have to use chemo.  I don’t want them to assign sub-standard doctors to me or any other person in need of long-term medical care.  I would rather see the government fix Social Security, get illegal immigrants off of free government programs and give the citizens of this country the respect they deserve.  I have worked since I was 9 years old (alright, in the beginning it was only babysitting) and never shied away from hard work.  If I could maintain a full-time job, I would.  I am tired of the comments people make when I get out of my car (which I have handicapped plates for) and am having a good day.  Here I am, feeling good about myself for not walking like I crapped my pants for the first time in months, and my eyeliner is actually on my eyes, then some idiot brings me down by screeching across the parking lot that I am milking the system by faking disability.  Thank Goddess my middle finger still works 🙂

I do not want a Healthcare Reform Bill that is rushed through, unread, overloaded with pork and that gives better options to people who are not here legally than it does to the people who have dutifully paid into the largest Ponzi Scheme in world history – Social Security.

And that’s all I have to say about that…