Good morning all:) Life is really becoming complicated lately. I am beginning to think if you have AS, you need a lawyer on retainer
I am loosing my job Jan 1 and life as I know it ,is going to change drastically . I am 58 and have had AS for over 30 years . I have always tried to stay in shape but this disease and old age does have a way of kicking a persons butt. Like all of you, I have done the old Rocky Balboa routine and just said to myself . “No Pain , No Pain “ but sooner or later you just cant bs yourself anymore and I am at that stage. From the outside I look pretty much normal except for a limp . I finally got all kinds of MRI’S last year and my family doctor told me I look like a Greek tragedy on the inside. Frozen SI Joints , lower spine frozen , bulging disks , ribs frozen to the spine , neck fusion well, anyway you get the picture . She immediately told me to go for SSD l , well, I watched way too many Rocky movies to do that . I did consult a SSD lawyer that works with my daughter through the social security office she works at . No problemo, so at least I have most of the paper work done. This last summer I was at a Hazmat drill and wrestled with a 400 pound decon tent and really did some extra damage to the back. So I have been going for decompression therapy for the last three months. I phoned the lawyer and asked if I should try for workmen’s comp to run out my career after knowing I was leaving at the end of the year. He stated that pre-existing conditions would have me hung out on appeals forever . So it will be unemployment and then probably SSD when that runs out. This is not how I planned life to be .
So for right now, I am starting to work out again and I keep praying that my wife and I make it through without ending up in subsidized housing eating macaroni and cheese.
I am pretty spiritual and know at almost age 60, I am least ¾ ‘s of the way home. I will say, that overall I have had a blessed life considering the obstacles. We have three absolutely beautiful grandchildren and more friends than we can count. I believe that relationships are our most valued gifts and in the end I will get to run with them all.. To finish up with, good Lord I am getting gabby:) I will fast forward the part where they tell Rocky “ no pain “ but watch the part where they tell him “ don’t go down “
Peace and God Bless ,
Tim
