Originally Posted by ben willis
Michael Nesmith the "musician" Monkee. Love his song "Joanne". He dabbled in TV comedy and decided to get out of show biz. He can afford it.

I like your version of the song. Patch has a natural country rock voice. Better than LR. Her accent sounds almost southern. The original was recorded when country rock was getting popular, guys like Chris Hillman, Clarence White, Bernie Leadon were around. The LA southern rock crowd. Sounds like you're using Midi samples, I may be wrong, but it sounds good.

I can't add any more well wishes or comments about your medical condition then what's already been said by others but I truly wish that you eventually get a correct diagnosis and real treatment that will at least improve your quality of life. I'm praying for full recovery most of all.

I've read your stories of being a longshoreman, hell of a position for a talented musician and producer to be in. I was an iron worker when I was 21. I was a beam walker. Had to pull up girders with a rope and walk them across the beam with another guy holding the other end. One slip up and we both fall. Like a high wire act. We were cocky and proud of what we could do. The only injury I got was a burn on my ankle. I was straddling a beam about 30 feet high and burning a hole in the iron with an acetylene torch. The hole dropped out right into my boot. It seemed like forever for me to untie the boot and shake it off. The damage was done. It was heavy work but I never suffered any after effects.

You may have explained this before, but did you belong to a union at the time? Do they help pay the medical bills?


Hi Ben

Thanks...

Yes and my union was the first ones to screw me... See I need 700 hours in a year to get medical benefits. When i went out of work due to this problem I was shy about 24 hours so I went/crawled back to work near the end of the year and make it to 700 hours.
My pay stub read 700 hours...

A few weeks layer (new year) I go the doctors and they say "you have no coverage" I call the union and ask WHY? they say "you have 692 hours and your 8 hours short,. I say NO here I'm faxing you my pay stub. They see it and say "Oh no, the last eight hours counts towards next years benefits you only have 692

I say "What? Been with you 17 years and never heard of that, okay
I know guys who needed 200 hours to make 1000 hours for full benefits and they bought the 200 hours. I would like to BUY those eight hours,,

They say - Oh no you can buy 200 to make 1000 hours but you can't but 8 to make 700 hours...
I say - OKAY ARE YOU MAKING THIS UP AS WE GO ALONG"!

But Ben - I'm passed all that now, and have to fight for every thing every step of the way... I KNOW my work is what damaged me but can't prove it, especially with NO DIAGNOSIS EVER given to me.
What i would like to do tomorrow is BRING a 300 pound truck tire,
a 50 pound lug gun and that 120 pound jackhammer and sit it RIGHT in front of the doctors office. And say OKAY now deal with these for eight hours today. Move them out of your way ALL DAY.
Oh but wait it's 20 degrees out open ALL your windows NOW..

Now TELL me this didn't cause my problem Biotch smile Just one day with this thing in his lap.... Never mind years and years and years....

There just not grasping the "TIRE" concept and how I was lifting them 40 hours a week since I was 22 the problem started getting bad when I was 32... I was done by 39

Iron Worker wow, yikes... I did alot of welding in the last few years i was there. Could also cause problems...
I just can't believe that these doctors especially in the past FIVE years have watched me crawl into there office, holding the walls, can't stand up or sit up straight, totally bent over in pain and stiffness and NOTHING! They say and do nothing!


Thanks!
Peace Mike
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