As you may or may not know, I am a Michigander living on a mountain in Southern California. I have been living here with my fiancee Jason, and our friend Hank for about five years now. Our financial situation here has been tenuous at best and we've been barely getting by and sometimes it has been a bit close. However, things have turned south in the last few months and it's getting damned scary. What has this to do with going to the hospital when advised to do so you are probably wondering? Be patient, I'm getting there.
Around the middle of January of this year Hank, the man who owns the house that we live in...or at least holds the mortgage on it had an odd episode. He was groggy, incoherent, forgetful, disoriented, had a minor headache, was dizzy, and slept most of the day. I was worried, and called 911, but by the time paramedics arrived he was feeling better and refused to go to the hospital. He was convinced that it was carbon monoxide poisoning due to the fact that his furnace had quit working about a week before this happened. I thought it may well have been as well... until he kept having the episodes. I would beg him to go to the hospital but because he was always out of it during these episodes he wouldn't remember and thought I was exaggerating. I really was at my wits end. Finally in May, the 15th to be exact, he had his worst episode yet. He was so weak he couldn't even sit up in bed. I finally got so angry with him that I demanded that he seek medical attention. This coupled with the fact that he was actually aware enough to realize what was happening convinced him to go to the hospital. As it turned out when the doctor got the results of the CT scan back Hank had a brain tumor. Yep, a brain tumor. Of course he had surgery and thankfully the tumor turned out to be beinign but still. It was huge and he's had to have four surgeries all together. Count'em, four! Hank is now in a facility in a semi-comatose state. He is communicating as best he can and I have faith that he will pull through this, but he waited way too long to seek help. Seriously folks, if you are having odd symptoms please for the love of...well your loved ones go to a doctor!
The sad side effect of all of this? Jason and I who are still living in his house (we have no money to go elsewhere) are trying to keep bills paid so that we can have utilities. It isn't easy, this house is big and California is a really expensive place to live. He is losing the house to foreclosure, and I have no clue what we're going to do. I'm sad that Hank is going through this, that a vibrant and unique person like him has to suffer and heal from an ordeal no one should go through, and he's losing his house to boot. As for Jason and me? Well, lets just say that going through charities is notthe nost pleasant experience (this in a whole other blog though), and I am humbled and amazed that people get through these experiences. I've always called myself a sarving artist but this is getting ridiculous. Ah well, I still have faith that we will get through this and that Hank will snap out of it and be okay...what can I say? I'm an eternal optimist.
Around the middle of January of this year Hank, the man who owns the house that we live in...or at least holds the mortgage on it had an odd episode. He was groggy, incoherent, forgetful, disoriented, had a minor headache, was dizzy, and slept most of the day. I was worried, and called 911, but by the time paramedics arrived he was feeling better and refused to go to the hospital. He was convinced that it was carbon monoxide poisoning due to the fact that his furnace had quit working about a week before this happened. I thought it may well have been as well... until he kept having the episodes. I would beg him to go to the hospital but because he was always out of it during these episodes he wouldn't remember and thought I was exaggerating. I really was at my wits end. Finally in May, the 15th to be exact, he had his worst episode yet. He was so weak he couldn't even sit up in bed. I finally got so angry with him that I demanded that he seek medical attention. This coupled with the fact that he was actually aware enough to realize what was happening convinced him to go to the hospital. As it turned out when the doctor got the results of the CT scan back Hank had a brain tumor. Yep, a brain tumor. Of course he had surgery and thankfully the tumor turned out to be beinign but still. It was huge and he's had to have four surgeries all together. Count'em, four! Hank is now in a facility in a semi-comatose state. He is communicating as best he can and I have faith that he will pull through this, but he waited way too long to seek help. Seriously folks, if you are having odd symptoms please for the love of...well your loved ones go to a doctor!
The sad side effect of all of this? Jason and I who are still living in his house (we have no money to go elsewhere) are trying to keep bills paid so that we can have utilities. It isn't easy, this house is big and California is a really expensive place to live. He is losing the house to foreclosure, and I have no clue what we're going to do. I'm sad that Hank is going through this, that a vibrant and unique person like him has to suffer and heal from an ordeal no one should go through, and he's losing his house to boot. As for Jason and me? Well, lets just say that going through charities is notthe nost pleasant experience (this in a whole other blog though), and I am humbled and amazed that people get through these experiences. I've always called myself a sarving artist but this is getting ridiculous. Ah well, I still have faith that we will get through this and that Hank will snap out of it and be okay...what can I say? I'm an eternal optimist.
Comments
The first step is contacting the loan servicer (i.e. the entity where Hank pays his mortgage) and inquire about about a loan modification due to medical hardship.
It doesn't sound like Hank can start this process, but the servicer may have some advice. It's worth a try.
Good luck.