Great minds needed! I need ideas and input

reply to post by severdsoul


Life is about taking a gamble; I'd been in business for over 25 years, I lost some coin and I made some coin. Thats the name of the game.

Work out a plan, how much you can afford to gamble with; the trick is, don't gamble what you can't afford. Going in to business is a constant headache in itself and it comes with great responsibility which is solely in YOUR hands. You are going to make mistakes along the way (every business does). These days it's best you become a Pty Ltd or company rather than a sole proprietary depending on what you are doing.

Just had another thought, bikers! They have monies and kind hearts, despite their rugged exterior and rough edges, contact all your local bike clubs, they will handle most of the rest on their own if they think your cause is worthwhile.

Besides summer is coming to an end and they are always looking for a reason for one last ride before the frost falls. A charity ride will bring them out in the thousands.

reply to post by inverslyproportional


Thank you inverslyproportional, sorry you are facing the situation you are, it sure changes things, you look
at your kids a little different and make it a point to enjoy each and every day with them.

I agree fully, one's that defraud others and make false claims need to be severely punished, honestly
i wish i was, at least i would not be facing what i am. But if anyone doubts my story, i would be glad
to provide any information they need, up to and including the doctors (there are 4 right now take your
pick) phone number, or fax medical papers from my dr's visits. Right now my meld score is a 9,
for those that dont know meld = Medical End of Life Determination, the higher the number (up to about
40 the closer you are to certain death). But usually at around 25 you are in some sad shape and quality of
life has gone to nothing.

ATS charity drive, interesting idea, had not considered that before. I may have to look into that.

as for the paypal, i was considering setting one up, but i need to check with disability first to see what i need
to do in order to not loose my disability. If you make to much even from donations there is the chance you could loose it, or i would guess anyway, i need to verify and see exactly what i need to do to set up a account that wont interfere with everyday living. I was researching that online before i responded to all the post.

ok, church it is, i have been fighting that delema for a while now. But you are right. I will start going and getting to know people. I will be starting chemo as soon as i get medicare, dr wants to start it as soon as we can, so that will have me out for a while, not looking forward to it at all, but it has had good results with curbing the hepC , and the less hepC the longer the liver will make it. I will just feel like i'm dying for a while lol.

I have considered the facebook option, actually i was looking at setting up group page just for it, but then i stopped, once i figure out the rules of disability i will kick it into gear and get things going.

ya probably not a good idea to give out email in a forum *lol* but i've done it before, there are those times when its just easier. I will shoot you a email in the morning.

Thank you, you have been helpful, inspiring and helped me see things the way i should be seeing them.

reply to post by benrl


Thanks benrl, been there a time or two, there are a few sites like that i have considered a few of them.

I think my problem is i was raised to earn what you get and dont beg or ask for what you dont have,
all of this is so hard for me, heck being off work is hard for me, i have been working since i was 14
and never stopped until last year when the doc told me to. Taking money from others goes against everything
i was taught growing up. We were not rich by any means, but we did not go without either.

reply to post by severdsoul

Thanks benrl, been there a time or two, there are a few sites like that i have considered a few of them. I think my problem is i was raised to earn what you get and dont beg or ask for what you dont have, all of this is so hard for me, heck being off work is hard for me, i have been working since i was 14 and never stopped until last year when the doc told me to. Taking money from others goes against everything i was taught growing up. We were not rich by any means, but we did not go without either.

My grandfather was a Gardner, my father worked his ass off to get everything he ever had, fought and scratched his way out of the projects to upper middle class suburbia, he instilled in me much the same view.

Do it yourself, earn everything you get, you can do anything if you try. All attitudes that where instilled in me from an early age.

With my illness my entire life changed, my view of the world as well, My wife had to become the breadwinner in the family, at the time I made far more than her.

I had to give up much of the things I had become accustomed to, things like my own financial destiny, I was a corporate riser, climbing the ladder to a nice comfortable middle management position.

My career I fought so hard to get was gone, I had to learn to except help, had to make major changes in my lifestyle to survive.

That included my attitude, big dose of humility, recognizing that I am just human, and we all need help from time to time.

reply to post by benrl


A major medical problem will definitely humble a person that is for sure.

*lol* 2 days before my specialist, i had a phone interview with a crew in the oil fields, after the doc's visit
i was to drive to N.D. and do a in person interview for a driving job starting at $100K plus per deim a year,
2 weeks on 1 week off, we were about to be set in life. Man did that change fast.

ya the thought of leaving the wife and kids is not one i like, *lol* we were in the dr's office the other day and
the dr asked about depression because the chemo has a tendency to elevate any emotions you are having,
my wife said she thought i was a little depressed, I cracked up laughing and said "Ya Think" lets see
what part of facing all this would not be a little depressing, i would seriously worry about someone that was
faced with this and could not admit they were a little down at times. I know i get my days, that is for sure,
no getting around it, it happens, but i think its normal given the situation.

Ya i'm not looking for a church to pay for it, not expecting anything like that, the main reason i was looking and thinking about it is the support line, the way this disease goes, as your liver quits, (mine has 10% left working) you get what they call HE which is your body poisons your brain with the chemicals it should filter out, so you sleep a lot and are confused a lot, cant remember, plus much more. The future is not going to be fun at all, i am lucky right now the drugs (all 18 of them) are doing the trick and keeping me mentally alert, although i do sleep alot compared to most, right now i average 12 hr a day, as it gets worse many sleep for up to 20 hours a day and are confused when they wake up.

The part that scares me the most about this is many that have this when it gets worse, have serious memory issues, you end up like you have alshimers (sp?). You will fall asleep in mid sentence and when you awake you dont know who you are, or who the people around you are, or where you are. That part scares me, if i have to go out, i dont want to go out that way.

reply to post by bluemirage5


Thanks for the input.

I have considered the idea of doing some fund raising and finding some business i can start
and use the profits to help cover cost, but that is way down the road right now. But none the
less a idea i have considered.

reply to post by inverslyproportional


now that speaks to my heart. On my bucket list twords the top is to own a harley,
i use to have a goldwing, then when i moved i sold it and bought a old 82 kaw 750
for a fixer upper, but turned out it needed 4 carb's, which were $800 each so i ended
up selling it for parts, and now am without a bike. Shoot i have lost so much weight
because of the medical, not sure i could handle a big bike any more, but a harley is on
my list of 'wishes'.

There are not to many bike groups in the area, but i know there are a few, i will do some checking
and see what i can come up with.

reply to post by benrl


I can relate, i was a military child, dad was marine, we always had a house full of jarheads when i was real
little, and they instilled in the kids that the best way to do something is do it yourself and do it right or dont
do it at all. There were times we fished for our dinner, we didnt catch things, we didnt eat, and there were
times when we had more toy's and things than one family should. Since then i cant complain, i have never
made it rich, but i have had a rich life, many times helping others, once i took a mother and her 2 kids in my
home on Christmas eve and went and bought presents for them for the next morning. They were passing
through town, car broke down, so i fixed the car, and took them home for the evening.
I have learned that life is much more than what you own or what you have, but what you do with it that matters.
Things are tight right now, with just the wife working and me getting what little disability pays, but we manage
to cover the bill's, and the kids are not hurting. Although this summer i over did it, we went a lot of places and
did a lot of things, since there is a chance next summer i wont be able to go anywhere, i tryed to cram as much into this summer as i could.

no mater how broke or down i have been i've always been on the giving end of the picture, to be on the other side is a new experience that i am slowly trying to get use to.

reply to post by severdsoul

I private messaged you some ideas for the Gofund site.

I watched my mother die of UN-diagnosed liver failure at 48, she never drank so the doctors just never thought to look at that until it was too late. (even if they had caught it she was o- so little chance of donor)

I know what you are going through, both from my own brush with death (technically I could have another stroke at anytime, or my heart could go) and after watching my mother go.

Yea, doctors are great, mine told me I should be dead, and went on to ask about depression, most stroke victims have it.

"Gee doc, why wouldn't I be depressed you just told me I am a ticking time bomb".

With the liver concern already in my family, I was not about to take Anti-depressants either, went a more... holistic route for that.

anyway,

I know nothing I say can change the situation, I can only say what I have experienced.

Being humble is not bad, its merely recognition of your limitations, remember, being their for your family is worth a little humility.

And I still struggle with my wife being the primary bread winner, I have found ways to contribute and earn, we are thriving now. I have made peace with me not being able to work full time anymore, at times it bothers me, but it is simply not practical if I wish to continue being there for my wife.

Try anything you have to, in order to be there for your family.

reply to post by benrl


Benrl, I don't know what it is about you man, but I find after reading many of your posts now, that you seem to be one of the most level headed, honest, down to earth person I have ever encountered. I mean it is easy to be somone your not on the interwebs, however after reading probably hundreds of your posts you come to see peoples true colors. You sir are a GREAT man, and a kind hearted charitable soul. As I mostly see you standing up for your fellow man and saying the things that aught to be said even when they aren't popular, I am reminded regularly, how I should be instead of how I am. Thank you for being one of those people we should all aspire to become.

Sorry off topic, and in bad form considering the thread we are in, however I just feel it needs saying.

Op I live in Indianapolis Indiana, we have several bike clubs around here, I can get their contact info and try to find any chapters in your neck of the woods. I can't make any promises as I have not yet. Contacted them, but I will, and I will pm you the results.

Also, I had another thought. My sister is huge in cycle(bicycle not motorcycle) riding, she even placed in the top 5 for my state last year in the hilly 100. She is huge into charity events, and anything that involves others. I will contact her as well, as she might be able to rally a few hundred charity cyclists to ride for life. They are going to ride for hundreds of miles a week any ways, might as well make it worth more than exercise.

reply to post by inverslyproportional


no, not off topic, i fully agree.

thank you inverslyproportional, the contact is much appriceated. I know the groups decide for their own, but the fact that you will take the trouble to contact them means a lot to me.

I've been there, drove on the indy track once when i was 16, my uncle drove truck and i went with him for a summer, for a fee you could do 3 laps around the track, that datsun b210 didnt know what hit it *lol*, not exactly the right car for the indy track, but it was what we had and i could say i did it.. lol

Wow, that is amazing, we do have a lot of bicyclist around here as well, hadnt considerd them before.
i will send you a pm with my email.

reply to post by severdsoul


Severdsoul, I am deeply sorry, having to go through much suffering. If I may, and if this hasn't been mentioned, I would like to mention this.

One method of raising funds is through peer to peer lending. This is becoming a more popular method, as the funds are small and payable and interest rates are affordable to pay. It has drawbacks: especially because its a loan nevertheless. Examples of microlending on the internet "peer to peer" microlending: prosper.com, and lendingclub.com. One example of a non-profit microlending site is ACCION.org.

I do hope this helps.

reply to post by VirginMaryISGod


Thank you for your input, that is a new one on me. I have not seen this before, i will have to check the sites out you listed and do some reading. Definatly worth checking into.

Thank you again

I'm really sorry to hear what you are going through. Sounds tough. It's awful that you can't get the treatment you need. Have you considered maybe setting up your own charity giving site. There is a website called justgiving.com, where you can set up somewhere where people can donate. Hit up the social media networks. I know this doesn't sound like much help. Don't give up hope and keep fighting, wish i could help more

reply to post by severdsoul


Thank you. There is one more advice I would like to give:

If by any chance you decide to start a non-profit/for-profit institution (I'm reading some suggestions on this about raising money for such endeavors) consider using "crowdfunding" sites (such as Kiva.com - NonProfit) to raise funds. Its a more manageable way of raising funds to accomplish such goals. Basically the public can invest money to your startups'/institutions One significant drawback: by law, the average public "investor" can only invest a maximum of, I think, 3%-5% of their income towards crowdfunding sites. The good news: the licensed investor can qualify to invest heavily on your ad on crowdfunding sites; WAY MORE than the 3%-5% of their income.

There are also sites, like GoBigNetwork.com, where if you do start a business, you can pitch your business plan and (with caution) a licensed investor may contact you for investment opportunities. Approach this idea with special precaution; but its a thought to consider as well.

Hope this helps.

reply to post by severdsoul


Was doing some online searching and founf out.

A liver can be transplanted into a few people as it only takes a portion to regrow an entire new liver( not sure how this effects hep c patients though)

It may be possible a close family memeber can donate a portion of their liver to you, provided they share a compatible blood type and tissue type. Still not 100% on that though, a lot left to absorb.

I won't comment again until I am done reading, I don't like to pass along false info as truth unless I know established fats are backing it up.

reply to post by woodwardjnr


thanks woodwardjnr ya its definatly a change from life, sadly the last time i was not in constant pain was about 13 months ago, and i take morphine 4x a day, it keeps it to a dull roar most the time, but thats about it.

Yes i was looking at that site earlier tonight, it seems like a decent site, i also found many other sites, such as helpHOPElife.org, but most of them require informaton from a transplant team, which i dont have just yet,
until medicare kicks in, my doc is trying to hold off on anything, because of the cost's involved in the test they will require. Shoot i already have my credit down the tubes because of some treatments that had to be done before disability kicked in, hard to pay when you have no income, we were squeeking by on just what the wife made, and i have to tell you, that was one rough 10 months, but we managed to keep the power on and keep the mortgage paid, but that was about it. Sadly she 'makes' to much for any assistance, we looked at food stamps and other programs, but since she has been at her job for almost 10 years, she makes to much on the gross, now take home is a totaly diffrent story, but they are not concerned with that. On paper it looks like she makes a decent living, she is some where around $12 a hour, which for around here is not bad at all, but all the cost's and bill's and a payment for a old loan her and a ex had, and its a totaly diffrent amount she actualy brings home. So any idea of getting a little help was out the window. Although we did go to the food bank a couple of times, just was no option, when kids are hungry you have to do something.

My delima i am finding tonight is i have to figure out how to raise money, without loosing my disability, and qualifying for the fundraising sites. kind of a catch 22 i am finding out.

reply to post by inverslyproportional


ya, a possible portion transplant is a option, which is a good thing, also cadaver transplant is avail as well, but what actually happens is determined by the transplant team,
But there are still the same cost's involved no mater what type of transplant is done, sadly, and most transplant centers wont even consider you unless they know you can cover the cost of what is required. Sadly money rules.

they actually take about 3/4 of a living donor's liver and transplant it into the patient, the patient can have full recovery and live a long life, and the donor's liver will regrow and within i think it is 3 months, dont quote me on it, but a short amount of time, regrow to its full original size. Amazing what the human body can do.

well, bedtime for me, my brain is on overload and my pain is elevated,
thank you to everyone that posted, it really means a lot to me.
A lot of great ideas and input, hopefully there will be more tomorrow when i
wake up around 3pm, man i hate sleeping so much, waste so much of the day
but not much i can do about it.

Take care everyone i will check in tomorrow.