Jan. 20TH, my husband Tom and I were married 39 years.  We have 2 children and 2 grandchildren.

I am disabled and only get less than (net) $300/mo.  My husband lost his job, (permanent layoff) in November, so now we have had to go from living from paycheck to paycheck to food pantry to food pantry.  This has made keeping our dibetes under control very difficult.  Mine hasn't been too rough.  His has been terrible.  I have been in the hospital with severe hypertertension and hives and they keep telling me I need to relax and eliminate stress.  This is laughable...almost.

My husband just got out of the hospital...went by ambulance.  Irregular heartbeat, tightness in chest, trouble breathing.  He had another small heart attack.  Thought he was going to have to have another open heart surgery.  He had a 5-way in 2004.  Also CHF was suspected, he suffered that in 2005, luckily when they did the heart cath. just some narrowing in one repaired area that should be able to be taken care of with medication, however, now because of all of this he now also suffers with anxiety disorder.  He goes back to the VA clinic on the 7TH and who knows when he will get medication to help.  All this, of course, triggered my hives, it is a vicious circle we live in right now.  RELAX AND AVOID STRESS MR. & MRS. O'NEIL!  OH, OK!  THEN YOU COME ANSWER OUR PHONE AND DOOR WHEN THE BILL COLLECTORS COME A CALLIN'!  EVERYONE COMES EXCEPT PUBLISHER'S CLEARING HOUSE.  THEY KEEP PROMISING TO SHOW UP, BUT NEVER DO.

I am sure many of you have many of the same kind of stories.  We never thought at the ages of 56 & 60 we'd be here.  But here is where we are.  =0(