Your stories
Leslie and I have heard from a lot of other people who have had problems with our current medical system. Most people who have heard Mike’s story have been horrified by how long it took him to get the care he needed.
But many have told me they don’t want to share their story because “it’s not as bad as Mike’s.” None of us are interested in rating who’s the worst off. We’re more interested in having as many people as possible share their experience. Whether you’ve had problems getting treatment and insurance, had to go into debt to pay medical bills or are stuck in a job to keep your medical coverage, we want you to tell us about it!
Bobby Butterworth
My Friend, Bobby Butterworth had some chest pains a month ago, on a Thursday. We told him to go to the ER. He decided to wait the evening, because he had no insurance – He felt a hospital bill would bankrupt him and leave him on the street (the ER asks for money up front [...]
Charitable Groups
Happy Sunday to you all. I was sitting in a coffee shop and reflecting on the amount of help given to my family through the years. My sister was born with a cleft lip/palette. Shortly afterward, my father broke his back when he fell off a building he was working on. I try to remember [...]
Held hostage by our jobs
The movie “Sicko” gave Michael Moore’s dramatic perspective of our healthcare crisis. My perspective is more limited, but equally real, for any Sarah Palin fans out there. I had not had much reason to think about the situation until I moved three years ago. Until then, I had been fortunate; I had always had health [...]
Insurance for the Self-Employed
I was successfully self-employed a year ago, I didn’t have health insurance yet because I could not afford it despite making a decent amount of money. I was shopping around to try to find some. Then I got unexplainably ill, I went to every type of doctor and thousands of dollars later was diagnosed with [...]
Other People’s Stories
We’ve been hoping to get some people to tell their own stories here — a couple of friends have told me they don’t want to be the first, or they don’t think having to stay in a job they hate because of the insurance compares to losing a kid. All the stories are valid. People [...]
I made it.
So I made it on to the site, I really miss Mikey, Im the little cousin that could. I would frequently call mikey when everything was down and out on my end and mikey always gave it to me straight. I am just like him in his sense of humor and “Boyd” way, you dont [...]
Go Duke!
I don’t really care about sports, but I am a huge Duke fan. Almost irrationally so. My blue runs Duke Blue. When there was the controversy with their lacrosse team, I couldn’t believe they had done anything wrong. If it had been any other school, I would have thought something was suspicious with the whole [...]
hello lifeomike
A wonderful tribute to Michael, and to all who have died at the hands of our greedy, for-profit health care system. It is unconscionable that anyone in this land of obscene wealth should die because they lack access to health care. Even though I’m Mike’s aunt, I didn’t know him well. I’ve gotten to know [...]
Second annual Eat at Mike’s
Reserve now
Life o' Mike sponsors its second annual Eat at Mike's, an evening of good food prepared by local chefs, at Tingles Cafe in downtown Asheville. The event also features silent and live auctions with items from Highlands Brewing, artist Angela C. Alexander and more.
Tickets to the dinner are $25; $20 for children 3-12 and free for children under 3.
To reserve, e-mail lifeomike@gmail.com. For more information, call 828-243-6712.
Patient Pals & Family Friends
Life o' Mike has a new peer support program for people newly diagnosed with chronic or serious illness or with a new disability and their caregivers.
Patient Pals are people who have experience with various illnesses and disabilities, who can help someone newly diagnosed or with a new disability work through the fear, frustration, confusion and grief often experienced in the first few months.
Family Friends are there to help caregivers and other family members grow into their new role.
People with new illness or disability fare better when they have a role model -- someone who can help them negotiate their new path in life.
We need volunteers, who are asked to donate a minimum of one hour a week. Training is free and includes information on active listening, ways to help and when to know more help is needed.
And of course, we need funding.
To learn more, call Leslie Boyd at 828-243-6712 or e-mail lifeomike@gmail.com.