POTR Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Some of you know that I have had some health issues for some time. These issues have effected my liquidity in an extreme manner. To help some understand what is going on I will lay out the bulk of my issues for the community as a whole. When I moved up to the Seattle area back in 2000, I came up for a networking job with an apparently rather large networking company, that went out of business a short two weeks after I got here. This and the questionable footing of other similar companies in the area, lead me to decide to develop my own online business. This was not a webpage, but an entire db driven interactive site with features that other sites are only now beginning to come to terms with. Back home I was a rather good sized fish in the twin lakes, here, everyone's 17 year old nephew is a fish they would settle for cheap. SO, my website, without being too specific, was about powering and feeding the fish... I worked on the development for nearly a year, writing features that just didn't exist with other sites at the time, and by the time I was ready for "launch for real", the site was actually number 1 for several key word searches all over the various engines... Google especially loved me. So, I was making a few decent sales a month, nothing that would allow profitability, but enough to pay the bills while I was waiting for my national ads to run in a few carefully selected industry and entertainment magazines, that were paid for with what was the very last of my funds... June, July and August of 2001, we struggled to make ends meet waiting for the ads to come out, sales were increasing already anyway, and actually by the middle of August, things were looking pretty good... when my colon exploded. Now, I have always eaten fairly healthy foods and taken very good care of myself, so the doctors were rather befuddled as to why I would present with diverticulitis as such a relatively young age. Looking back, when I was in the Army, I had some pains in my stomach that were pretty much treated with mega quanitites of motrin and a trip down the diagnostic list, with the PA's stopping short of ever doing any actual imaging, so my own feeling is that my condition was related to the relatively new MRE's that we were provided for food when we were in the field, and I was in the field a lot. Anyway.. water under the bridge. I was on my couch, still recouperating from surgery, with a brand new colostomy, reading my new ad, wondering how I was going to manage with all the orders that would be coming in now, when my question was answered on live television... there weren't going to be any orders. The towers came down and walls went up, the world was changed forever. I was but a speck of white noise. No one was going to notice, or care. Now out of money, insurance long since gone, I was in no position to have take-down surgery. Unfortunate, as the stoma began to herniate at an alarming rate. By the end of the year, I had a basketball sized herniated stoma that would be tamed by no appliance. It is difficult to explain to anyone how crushing a colostomy can be. What is impossible to explain is how dibilitating it is to have to wear a diaper on an excoriated, bleeding, painful, 70 pound basket ball growing out of the lower quadrant of your stomach, that just happens to leak the nastiest smelling excrement ever, 24/7 for FIVE YEARS. I'm not feeling sorry for myself here. Just trying to illustrate what has been going on with me... I basically sold off the most valuable pieces from my collection of watches, and other things to keep things afloat, however, this has resulted in compromise after compromise with everything. Two years ago, we had to give up a beautiful house with a view of Rainier and redwoods in the yard, for a half rehabbed, rental cottage one quarter the size... but, I did get my operation, and went back to work. I am too far out of the loop to walk into an IT job anymore, and basically had an immediate need for money. So, I started cleaning houses, both, residential and new construction. Expenses on the new construction side (mainly insurance burden) didn't allow for very much profit with the small volume of work we were getting, so we went to residential only, and as soon as I could, I switched gears and went to heavier work as a mechanic/welder, working on intermodal chassis, basically, the big "trailers" the big "trucks" haul those big containers "boxes" on. In January, I tore myself I nice new hernia... basically doing something at work I should not have been required to do, but, was told to do anyway. Lovely people that they are, they took care of me by ensuring that my injury was written up as a "pre-existing condition" so that there would be no workman's comp (it was along the line of my previous surgery), and went even further to ensure that I was well taken care of by telling me that they had no "light duty" for me when I returned, and placed me on "personal" medical leave, without my knowledge or request so that there would be no unemployment access as well. Anyway... since I have no reserve of anything any longer, I have to work... I went to a local rail yard where they do a similar job with the rail cars, same as the intermodal trailers, only much much bigger... I worked there for a short time, but ended up taking a hit from a misplaced hydraulic jack... I shrugged it off as best I could, begged a doctor for a release to go back work, and basically tried to make a go of it, but after another week, I just couldn't go any further with that job. See, while I was basically incapacitated for 5 years, and could only sleep in one very un comfortable position, I also developed an issue with my neck and shoulder. The short time I was on that heavier job, my neck and back have gotten much worse, and now both shoulders and arms are affected. I am on a pain management contract (have been for a while) and take dilaudid (along with a heavy duty muscle relaxer)... when I absolutely have to... I had to every day with that job, and it still wasn't enough to cut the pain, and I am not going to up my dosage. I basically need at least two new operations now, the new hernia, and my neck, but these will have to wait. I have a new job lined up, is a much easier setting, but it is still a couple of weeks away. In the mean time, this year's new troubles have unleashed a rather nasty wave upon me that is going to sink me yet again financially. I am out of money, the bills are behind. There is nothing left, and nowhere to go. The water gets cut tomorrow, the truck gets repo'd thursday, the power will probably go on monday, if not sooner, and I will disappear along with it. I will try to make it back this way when I am once again able. Until then, thank you for the education and community. Rob S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LordRasta Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Rob, Keep your head up. Your health is the most important thing right now. Hopefully our paths will cross again... LR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornerstone Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Rob, I don't know what can be said to make you feel better about all that - there isn't anything that can be said, except to say you can count on our support through your struggles. Keep your head up high, and once all the repo crap is out of the way, hopefully you can make a start on rebuilding - there's one direction and it's onwards and upwards, and it starts next week. Best wishes to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KB Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Guys officially I can't and wont ask you to chip in to help POTR right now, I will say follow your heart, I did and it feels good. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwoTone Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Rob: Check your e-mail... TT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shundi Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Rob, I had no idea that things were this drastic... I think I speak for everyone who's done business with your or interacted with you on the forums when I say thank you so much for all you've done and thank you for what you'd given both individual members and the forum as a whole! I wish you the best! ND Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
POTR Posted March 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Thank you Ken and TT, I am breathing a bit easier now... And I will remain humbled by the character and sense of family which is a part of this community. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodwc Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Hi Rob, Nasty blow to you, keep your head up,and please get well soon. Please check your email..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Victoria Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 And I will remain humbled by the character and sense of family which is a part of this community. We're the one humbled by you, Rob. Good luck to you, with my prayers to boot. More, privately... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
POTR Posted March 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Rod and Victoria, Again, I am humbled by the gestures made today. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
POTR Posted March 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Rasta , CornerStone, Shundi... Thank you for your sentiments, they are much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodwc Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Guys officially I can't and wont ask you to chip in to help POTR right now, I will say follow your heart, I did and it feels good. Ken He can`t and won`t. I CAN AND WILL................................... PLEASE GUYS, ....... this is IMPORTANT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubFrog Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Rob, That was quite an amazing read...and, as stated, I don't know if there is anything that could be said to help...but, my thoughts and prayers go out to you. This forum has held me up through some extremely tough times and I see that the support continues. I wish you only the best and a speedy rejuvenation. Keep the faith! (especially now) Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanikai Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 you can't fade away man.. whose going to refer to the Hawaiin language books Sorry I was meaning to do this earlier Rob.. hope I'm not too late.. Aloha Ke Akua God is Love... R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rxus Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Rob, ive been down a similar path. Even to the point of getting brought back in an ambulance ride to the ER. At 24 years old i was sitting in a clinic having dialisys treatments 3 times a week.. I had to give up my county job, my car and my gf of several years lost my place I had to move back in with my parents and watch it all crumble before me. But there is hope, it's out there if I found it so can you. Keep a positive attitude don't look back not even for a second instead think about how mcuh stronger you are and can be after all this. My prayers go out to you, best of luck with everything. Rxus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanikai Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Rob..please check your pm and get back to me asap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
POTR Posted March 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Lanikai, my deepest gratitude to you my brother... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
POTR Posted March 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 SubFrog & Rxus, thank you for your well wishes... I know we have all been through the wringer in our lives, and I am not trying to feel sorry for myself... I appreciate the concern, and am working dutifully to extricate myself from the wringer. I really just wanted to let everyone know why I was about to disappear... Now my family here has started building me a bridge. I am deeply grateful to all... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KB Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Bump Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryyannon Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Whoah, dude. We can't let this happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offshore Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Ry, The not inconsiderable forces of the group are gathering... watch this space. Offshore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodwc Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 BUMP. Sadly this topic can only be viewed by the supporters. Could it be moved ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capice Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Superman is here , willing to help. I'm waiting for orders Until then, hang in there Rob, the bridge is being build bro Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
POTR Posted March 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Wha? Ya, I do know... Ryy, have I told you today? ... Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offshore Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 BUMP. Sadly this topic can only be viewed by the supporters. Could it be moved ? Done. Members, The admin team, is putting together, a little something, to assist in this cause, for a long term "good guy" member. If anyone has anthing to contribute, please contact an admin team member. Some of you may remember last year, I had a bit of info available on CD, including the TZ watch course. I am going to again make it available, with all proceeds directed to this cause. See this link. http://www.rwg.cc/members/index.php?s=&...st&p=364724 Offshore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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