Do you have any idea what it’s like to wake up in the morning and just be in pain? Joints so swollen it hurts to get out of bed? The only way to get going in the morning is a long hot shower? And to make matters worse, you’re covered in miserable, itchy hives? And when I say covered, I mean covered. Head to freaking toe. Why don’t you throw in a few ambiguous cancer diagnosis? A decade of lupus? Mandatory meds up to here? How about a year of zero information about what the hell is going on with your body? How about 2 lymph node surgeries? Spleen? What spleen? They removed it. And after all that? Still no answers. How about waking up in January of 2009 and being in the exact same fevery, hivey state as you were in January of 2008 roughly 100 doctors visits, 4 hospital stays and 3 surgeries (including the removal of an ORGAN) ago.
Do you know what that feels like?
I know you know what it’s like to pay rent, pay bills, pay school loans, pay credit cards, pay car loans and car insurance – we all do. We’re lucky if we have enough money left over to HAVE A LIFE. But do you know what it’s like to pay for all of that and then be sick for a year. Sick every day for an entire year. Not “I have a cold sick”, but “I have to check back into the hospital” sick. Being sick is expensive.
Insurance is great, but copays? Copays 1, 2, 3, even 4 times a week? Pill bottle upon pill bottle upon PILL BOTTLE of prescriptions adds the eff up.
Do you know what that’s like?
Pardon my language, but I have no fucking idea what that’s like. I don’t know how someone can focus on figuring out what’s going on with their body when they have to also focus on work to come up with the money to pay for it all. I have no idea what that kind of stress feels like.
But you know who does and does it everyday, and does it everyday with a god damn smile on her face? Dink.
This girl doesn’t complain. EVER. And no I’m not exaggerating. But you know what? I’m going to complain and be frustrated about all this for her.
It’s been a year, THREE HUNDRED AND SIXTY FIVE DAYS, of being sick, countless doctors visits, still no answers, but plenty of mounting medical bills.
My friends and I aren’t doctors. We can’t fix her. We can’t figure out what’s wrong. We can’t make it all better. But we can help her out to the best of our ability.
A few people have put together a benefit for our Dinkaroo. It’s going to be February 21st in Quincy at the Beachcomber. All of our friends bands are playing, we’re organizing a raffle, a silent auction, accepting donations of any kind to help give this girl a fucking break.
If you can, you should COME. If you have items (pieces of art? gift certificates? random pieces of celebrity trash that you stole out of their garbage?) that you can donate for the raffle or silent auction, you should EMAIL ME.
Dinkstock for Dinkstrong. Get into it.
Dinkstock: The Website
Facebook event page.
(click the flyer for a larger version)
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
This is a great idea!
Oh, and Hi. I’m delurking.
Someone’s pretty lucky to be your friend!
I will be there and I will bring as many people as I can. I think this is an excellent idea!
Fantastic idea! Fantastic friend!
I live in the land of Free Health Care [for the most part] and have coloured money that isn’t worth the stamp on the envelope…but I can send my Purple $10 bill as every bit helps right?
tell me where to deliver it to!
this made me cry, not because of how awful my body is, but by how unbelievably sweet it is. thanks.
“the streets were filled with muffins and paper”
My two cents on health insurance: Too expensive.
If I live in America, and pay taxes, that shit should be FREE.
this is great, jenny. let me know if i can do anything from here. wanna auction off a special german item? a certificate for a visit to a game of the (almost) #1 soccer team in bremen, germany inkl. a good, fresh beck’s beer? anything? i can send you shit and make it be there in time. seriously, let me know. i wish i could come.
PS: co-payments are BS. you should NOT have to worry about paying medical/hospital bills ever. but especially when you’re sick. BS. sorry but the US healthcare system sucks!
I wish I had anything to contribute. All I can say is that Dink has an amazing group of friends. You guys absolutely rock for putting something like this together for her.
Jen, I have an autographed Tom Brady Patriots Jersey and an autographed Tom Brady Hat if that will help….you may want to do a silent auction for each of them…let me know. I can give you a few red flashing lights too..lol…good luck with it!
Thanks Daddio, you’re the best!
GET ME SOME RED FLASHING LIGHTS!
wow…I do NOT know what this is like. I am so fortunate and spoiled and privileged.
I feel for Dink. I wish I lived closer–I would come!!
i’ll donate this 5′ by 8′ rug that i bought, which does not fit the area for which it was purchased. it’s worth $500. http://i37.tinypic.com/2vx0t9i.jpg please offer it as a raffle or whatever. ALL that i ask is you/someone pay to have it shipped/mailed to wherever you need it. otherwise, it’s dink’s to use for her insane medical bills. (and, for the official record, 2008 was *366* days rather than 365…let’s give dink credit for suffering through a friggin’ LEAP YEAR.)
uh, i think you should use the rug as a silent auction item. if you want it, e-mail me, send me $ for mailing, and it’s yours for the silent auction. my guess is you’ll get, like, hmmm, $400 or so. again, it’s a $500 rug. i LOVED it, but too small.
I could have sworn I commented on this, but apparently I was hallucinating.
You are an amazing friend, Jen. That’s the bulk of what I wanted to say. Also: I wish I lived in Boston right about now. I would so own that silent auction.
Wow I have CFDs fibro etc.. and found specialist DrCucheral in South Weymouth by accident! I went to primary care dr and shrinks for 2 yrs before I found him! I thought Mass had free health insurance? What about the BMA? I would love to donate a piece of art or something! I lost my career 9 yrs ago ,then my apt,then all my friends! I was 1 month from Father Bills in Quincy! thats 9 yrs ago! thank God she has support!