Hello All....it's long, sorry

My name is Summer. My husband, Charles, Has recently been diagnosed with ESRD. I'm not sure where to begin so I'll start from the beginning....seems to be as good a place as any.
I met my husband 5 years ago (to the month) at a cafe I was working at in Galveston, TX. We started out as friends, then developed our relationship over the following months. I had a baby (whose bio-dad went MIA when she was 6 mos old) & he took to being her one & only dad with ease. She was only 1 when we met. Anywho, he has psoriasis & started seeing a dermatologist reguarly about mid 2008 I think & started on Humera shots bi-weekly. In Dec. 2009, he got really sick...to the point that I had to call my mom (ex-RN) or 911. He chose my mom. He was extremely weak, cold chills, in a lot of pain, & I was scared out of my mind but managed to keep my cool. My mom showed up & we came to the conclusion that his blood pressure was through the roof. We got him to a dr. the next week & got him on blood pressure meds. The clinic dr (or quack) set his dosage too high, so when he started having problems moving, I called my mom again & she looked at the meds....we then found out the dosage was 4X the norm. Got him to another dr that set him on the right meds. We are now in Feb 2010 (for those of you keeping track lol). over the next few months, he had started throwing up every morning, not eating until noon or later, hands feet & joints all hurt off & on (more on than off) but since he wasn't taking his shots (for psoriasis) reguarly (no insurance to renew script every 3 mo.) & he was installing flooring (wood, tile) we just figured that was the cause of the symtoms (he felt better when he was working & taking the shots reguarly). We married in May 2010 & moved up to the Dallas area (where he grew up) in June 2010. Work was sporatic for both of us & we were barely surviving (food stamps & help from his mom). He started delivering pizzas just so we could have some income. In mid-Jan 2011, I got an assignment (I am a temp) that's supposed to last through next April 2012. As soon as we could, we got Charles on the insurance with his pizza company & he went to see his optomitrist (contacts), dentist (crown came loose & was causing a lot of pain), found a good derm (to get the blood work for the shots) then the gen. prac.(for the blood pressure meds he just ran out of). He finally went to get the blood work done, that was asked for by the derm a week or 2 prior just no money on our end, on 2/23/11 shortly after our tax return came in. The very next day (3 weeks ago today), I got a call from his derm office. They couldn't reach him & I was listed on the emerg contact. It was just before 10am & I had been at work since 8am. The office told be as best they could, that Charles needed to get up there asap because the blood work came back (some of it was listed as stat from the derm). With all these new words I'm learning these days, I can't remember the name of the test done, but I know the norm levels are between .7 (or .07) & 1.2....his was just shy of 20. His kidneys were shot, is the basic story. His derm just happened to have a friend that is a Neph at Baylor. We left the derm & went straight to the Baylor ER. Charles was admitted a few hours later.

Long story short (too late I know), his kidneys were so shrunken they couldn't do a biopsy. The cause was unknown & his Neph was "puzzled & amased he was still alive" (exact words). They did the dye test (among loads more tests). On Mon 2/28, they came to the conclusion that he was born with a defected valve in his kidney(s). The next day they put in the cath in his neck & started dialysis. Charles was released from the hospital on Fri 3/4. I know I've left a few things out....but I'm not sure what/where. I do know that if there's anyone in the Dallas/FtWorth area in need of a good derm....I have one for you...he saved my husband's life....if we hadn't gone, if I didn't leave work, he would have been dead within a week maybe two....according to the docs.

Now he's home, due for the fistula?? in a week or two. We are in the process of getting COBRA (his insurance ended- due to no longer working for the company- on 2/21- 3 days before ER) & having a load of fun with that....Medicare paperwork is in the process...I think. Unfortunatly, I am the only income we have right now, so I can't take off work to go with him to be sure the paperwork is being done. I have made lists of questions (& put spaces inbetween for answers), but either he'll leave the list at home or in his bag, or just plain forget to give it to the social worker at the center. It's unlikely that he'll even get SSDI or even SSI due to him not having paid into it(being self-employed for the most part of the last 10+ years)....don't think what he did pay in for the barely 4 months he delivered pizzas would be enough to do much at all. We have 1 car that we are making payments on & we just had to spend $335 to repair the brakes (calipers went out) & are going to have to replace all 4 tires asap.
I am stressed beyond belief & quietly freaking out....I have managed to find the strength to keep my cool & a level head while around people, especially Charles & our daughter, Allyssa (she's 6). I have looked everywhere I can think of for help...financially, mentally, & keep coming to dead ends. We are already on Food Stamps, Allyssa has Medicaid, & I have the app to get Charles on Medicaid (filling out & sending in the morning). Housing assist in our area is not taking new apps right now (Section

& I will have to take another day or two off from work (which we can't afford, especially since I'm a temp) in order to get help from Salvation Army, go to the SS office, etc.
It was a miricale in it's self that I even literally stumbled upon this site during one of my searches. While waiting for approval from this site, I read some of the forum posts & I will be contacting (when I get the right numbers) the NKF in our area to get help with the COBRA premiums....when we hear back from them that is.
As you can probably tell, I am an open book. Any & all suggestions/opinions will be welcomed with open arms!!