URGENT!!!! Can anyone help Rainbow?

THE LATEST UPDATE

Rainbow's son got into his email account and contacted me! He said that a nurse spilled water on his cell phone, and Rainbow lost use of his phone. They're supposed to get him another phone, but that hasn't happened yet. He gave me the hospital's number, and I was able to finally reach him.

He's at Doctor's Hospital - Laredo, 10700 Mcpherson Rd., Laredo, TX 78045 - Room 323 if anyone wants to send a card or letter and make contact with him. His "real" name is Richard Baum.

The hospital transported him by ambulance to see the neurologist that he saw before. In looking at the MRI, the neurologist says that the restriction in his neck doesn't seem significant, and he thinks that possibly it could be ALS.

Rainbow's son is now involved and is working feverishly to make things happen. He'll try and get him to the UK if possible. He says that one MRI is not conclusive and more testing needs to be done. He has assured his dad that he needs to sit tight and wait for more tests to be done because they can't kick him out of the hospital no matter how badly they'd like to. The info he's getting from the hospital and neurologist is confusing. ALS is hopefully not what it is. He doesn't know who to trust.

It's such a relief that his son is now involved, and he says that he'll be working on this and coming to the States to help.

Rainbow thanks everyone for their concern and good thoughts!

Helen,

Even if Rainbox does get to the UK, he won't be entitled to treatment until he's been resident again for 6 months. He would be far better trying to obtain treatment in the US as I doubt any airline would be happy to transport him in his present condition.

I pass this information on as someone who has worked in the National Health Service here in the UK for nearly 30 years. Our Government is imposing stricter and stricter guidelines on treating patients, even those who are UK nationals, but who have lived aboard for any length of time. These rules apply to all expatriates whether you renouce UK citizenship or hold dual nationality or not. If you've been out of the country for 6 months or longer, you no longer qualify immediately for free health care.

I guess that's all good news washed with bad news. Jenny, good thing you are here to caution, and now Helen can relay it to him. Hopefully, his son will be able to get him what he needs. It is a relief to know that something is being done anyway.

Sounds like things are now being handled with family involvement. I was pleased to learn that Rainbow's real name is Richard Baum. A name tells much about a person. I also like to see the person I'm communicating with. I tend to ignore posts where I can't see a real photo. On other forums like MySpace, I don't accept as friend anyone without a face and/or who uses the image of someone else, i.e., a movie star, Einstein, or whatever. It makes me wonder what they're trying to hide.

Dear Abe,
I posted this avatar of me the moment I became Wooffer's mom just for you.

Love,
Betty

Thanks Betty. Now I know you don't look like a "Woofer."

Abe F. March wrote:

On other forums like MySpace, I don't accept as friend anyone without a face and/or who uses the image of someone else, i.e., a movie star, Einstein, or whatever. It makes me wonder what they're trying to hide.

Just for the record, Abe also doesn't like people who claim to be "99 years old"

That's me! Ah well, you can't win them all!

I'm 99 or 100 on myspace because they insist on showing the age of members on their profile pages (to stop perverts misleading children. Perverts don't lie about their age?) and as an attempt to avoid identity theft. I have so many different birthdays on different sites, I can never remember what age I am where! The truth is that I'm no longer twenty-one (although I did stay thirty-two for as long as I could get away with it!) but young people relate to me as a 99 year-old in a way they wouldn't do if I were half that age. Go figure.

Betty, that is such a precious picture of you! Brought tears to my eyes. (And since I have 'dry eye', that's an accomplishment)

Betty, I think that picture of you is so cute, too!! I agree that I like to see people's faces on the boards. When I first saw Zada's website and she said she was 80 years old and had Led Zeppelin music playing, I had to get to know her better! We've become great friends ever since.

Jenny, thanks for the information on the UK health care system. Rainbow does know about this. Maybe his son is in a financial situation where he can afford to get him into a hospital out there and care for him. I'm not sure about that, but I'm glad to hear that his kids are getting involved now. He's had no one visit him since the first week that he was in the hospital. He said, "Out of sight, out of mind."

If Rainbow Richard was within my range of travel, I would visit him. I'm sure he knows that he has people rooting for him.

As for the off topic subject on Avitars, age, names, or whatever, I find it odd that people who want to promote their book and their name, at the same time try to remain anonymous. It just doesn't figure.

Al the information Rainbow needs about the NHS is here:

http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:8zzcA5MxpAYJ:www.equalitiesinhealth.org/publications/A-Patients%2520from%2520Abroad%2520Entitlements%25202007%2520Revised.doc+nhs+care+for+returning+brits&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=5

Myspace is mostly a place for fun, fun, fun... so I don't really have a problem with any of that. I suppose if one wants to build genuine friendship and trust (and is not just there to promote products) then it helps to put a face to a name. What I do find confusing (like Abe) is when people change their profile pic AND their name. That makes it extremely hard to know who's who.

Whatever...

I repeat, if an author wants his book and name to be known, why does he/she try to be anonymous?

I agree. Even when a writer has to use one or more pseudonyms because of being too profilic for one publisher or to distinguished between different types of stories, everything possible is done to promote the pseudonym. While most readers of mysteries know that Richard Stark is really Donald Westlake writing a stark, hardboiled story, the truth is often revealed in back cover blurbs and both names are publicized to the fullest. What possible service can using a cutesy name serve when it isn't the one readers can find on a cover?

I had to laugh at Helen wanting to know an 80 year old woman who listened to Led Zeppelin! I am not sure which site that was, but the 80 was a typo and should have been 60! I just didn't catch it, and now I have a new (not so new, now) terrific friend because of it!

Zada, I remember telling Curt that there was this 80-year-old woman who has Zeppelin blasting on her home page and that she looked very young in her picture. I just had to find out more about you, and I'm so glad you made that typo, although I think we would have been drawn to each other anyway.

Rainbow called this morning. He has a phone replacement, but he can't use it without help. His friend, Bill was there to make the call and hold the phone to his ear while we talked. He has an EKM test scheduled for Wed. to check the activity in his muscles. His son doesn't believe that he has ALS and says that there are several tests that would have to be performed before he believes that diagnosis. He seemed to be in better spirits today although he's very bored. Rainbow says thanks to everyone once again.

Things don't look good for Rainbow as his health continues to decline. If anyone would like to send him a card, I suggest that you do it soon. The address is
Richard Baum
Doctors Hospital of Laredo
10700 McPherson Rd. - Room 323
Laredo, TX 78045

Very good, Helen. I will get a card out to him tomorrow. Maybe knowing that there are more than just a couple of friends thinking of him will bring him a little cheer.

It's with a very heavy heart that I bring you this news. Rainbow was just given the bad news that he has ALS and about 3 months to live. I happen to call him just after he got the news today. He's devastated and had been hopeful for better news after his test today. Please send him cards to help him through the time he has left. I'm very sad.

That is very sad news. I'm very sorry to hear that nothing can be done for Rainbow. I hope he manages to see his son and daughter one more time.

Helen,

I am so sorry to hear about Rainbow. Today when I went to see my surgeon, he said my cancer was not as bad as if I had ALS, which was a possible diagnosis for my problem as well.

I will be praying for Rainbow and hoping for a miracle. They can happen, you know.

Love, Carol

So sorry to hear the news. I hope the diagnosis is wrong, but if not, I hope his days are spent comfortably and in peace.

I'm finding it hard to believe. With previous wrong diagnosis and/or lack thereof, is there a chance that it is wrong?
Is there something that can be done? Is it a money issue?

No, Abe, I doubt that it is a money issue. As quickly as this has come on, I doubt that he will live much longer, and the diagnosis can't be too far off the beam. He is going downhill fast.

One of these days they may come up with a cure. In the mean time, about all we can do is make sure he knows we are thinking of him. It seems to be simply a waiting game from here on out.

How tragic.