Chronic illness

Rang the second bank today to tell them of financial doomed-ness. They were even better than the first bank that I saw the other day. I got put through to their "Hardship Line" and had me fill out an application over the phone to get all payments stopped for 3 months. They took a few basic financial details from me regarding my situation, and said it would take about 3 weeks for the application to go through. Gave me the direct number to them to ring if I'd not heard from them in that time.

Told them it apparently takes 2 or 3 months to go through the whole application process with my Superannuation and I'd have a more definite idea of what was happening once I'd gotten the results of that application. They even said at the bank that I could apply to have the stay of payments extended after the 3 months was up if I wished. 

The person on the phone was very pleasant and caring, most unlike a bank. I had no idea that banks even had these sort of options available for people like me, who basically find themselves in financial doomed-ness through no fault of their own. I explained it was because of illness that I was no longer able to work full time, particularly as the work was very physical. That it was the only way left to still keep working but diffuse the ongoing tension and stress between management and I over time off. And that it wasn't a straight forward thing to apply to increase my hours again as I'd also need to see their doctor to do so, and I don't feel like I could work full time presently anyway. So the banks should anyway, they make bloody bazillions here.

It made me realise more just how much HIV and the complications from it have limited my work options now. Likely it'd be different if my job wasn't as physically taxing as it is, but it is. As with the thing that's happened with Simon lately, this is another reminder. I'm now chronically ill. 

Being as I looked after my dying wife for many years, I have a very good knowledge just what's involved with chronic illness. I'm certainly nothing like she was though at the moment, so much so that rarely people would even know that there's anything wrong with me. But at the same time there are things involved with chronic illness that you can't escape, no matter how healthy you are.

Things like knowing that you're never going to get better for example. Or that (even if not now) you will have to rely on taking pills at the same time every day for the rest of your life, to survive. Or that other illness's you get can affect you more severely than they otherwise would. That you now have physical limitations that you otherwise wouldn't. And a big one; that you end up constantly worrying about your health.