The Bigger Picture (Illness, Faith and a New Outlook on Life)

So, I have mentioned in past postings that I have been ill and that is why Time Warner Cable decided to take my job away from me because I was missing work when I was too ill or when I was in the hospital having tests done or struggling to get my blood pressure under control.
So here is what I know:
I have been ill for nearly two years now and have been to more than 10 doctors who have provided as many suggested diagnosis trying to explain why my body fails intermittently.
During the diagnosis phase of my treatment, one of my doctors also found that I have Squamous Cell Carcinoma Squamous cell carcinoma - MayoClinic.com and it was malignant. It was however caught at an early stage so it was removed and so far it seems to be in control.

That surgery was in December and I had 78 staples in my hand and finger from where they removed the cancer. They also had to remove a part of the bone in my finger so I was a bit of a mess for a while.

"I did attempt to go back to work even though one hand was out of commission and my job required typing, I did my best!" After it healed I was finally permitted to return full time.

It is likely that I have more of that type of cancer in my body and perhaps in my lung but time will tell and if and when I get insurance again, they can move forward on treating that issue.
The larger problem, on a day to day basis, is the abdominal pain that I suffer from what is likely Carcinoid Syndrome. This one really sucks because it makes me so sick and I suffer so much pain that there are times when I cannot move or function. It is really hard to diagnose because it comes and goes. If you want to know more about Carcinoid here is a link that explains it in depth. Carcinoid syndrome - MayoClinic.com

There have been several other diagnoses but to this day no one is certain beyond a reasonable doubt what it is that is wrong with me. It could in fact be a combination of illness that can't be categorized as a single illness.

I am writing about this today because I want anyone who is suffering with issues like this but can't find an answer to what is going on with their body and doesn't know where to go to get help and information to feel free to contact me. I have done so much research on this subject. Obviously I am not a medical professional and I have no training to diagnose or recommend treatments. What I can offer is hope and prayer and at least a rough road map of where to look for information that may be useful to you.

There is nothing worse than going to a specialist and hearing them tell you that they can't figure out why your body is failing you. They see the symptoms, "when your blood pressure drops to 71-43 its' pretty easy to assume that something is wrong." So if I am able to provide some comfort at least I will feel like I am giving a little something back to the world and that my suffering won't be for not.

Again, the other thing that I can do is to pray for you, your family and your health. I have gained so much more out of my life since I accepted Jesus into my life and I find comfort in knowing that he is watching over me and no matter what the outcome, I have a place at his side someday.

I hope that I don't turn people off with this personal truth but you have to understand that until August of this year I was an atheist. I had never really even been to a church and I certainly had no reason to believe in God. I am well educated and throughout my adult life I have studied the origins of life, the universe and accepted science without any thought of a higher being watching over my life.

In fact the last book I was reading before I started going to church with my best friend was Hyperspace written by Michio Kako http://mkaku.org/. In fact, I used to take that book with me to doctors’ appointments to read in the waiting room while the doctors treated other patients. The more I read, the more I realized that the two are not mutually exclusive and I can reconcile the science while my faith grows and I find solace in the word of Christ.

The church that I now attend and was baptized in just a week ago, "Vineyard Columbus" Home - Vineyard Columbus is so comfortable, such a gentle place with a message and messenger that permits free thought and free will and allows me to come to Christ at my own pace has profoundly changed my outlook on life and "religion."

Let me be clear that I didn't start attending church out of fear of my illness; I was invited by my best friend to a service so that I could see that those attending the church are not some crazy fanatical crowd of mindless followers. They are not anything like the faithful people who are portrayed on television and in movies. These are normal, thinking and intelligent people who have found a truth in Jesus Christ and they are now my family.

The point is: if you feel that there is an empty place in your heart, you believe that you are alone or that your suffering is more than you can handle, please contact me through this blog and I will help you find someone to talk to at the church.

Everyone is welcome and all they do is offer help and prayer. I can't even begin to tell you everything that they have done for me but they have provided job search assistance, financial advice and counseling and most importantly for me, a family of faithful who honestly care for and about me who ask for nothing in return for all of the assistance and love that I can imagine. If you feel like this can help you, respond to the blog or just use the link that I provided to go straight to the source. They are there to help!

If you share my illness and need a guide through the difficulties and confusion of being sick and not knowing why, I want to help you too...

Bless all who read this and all who suffer and need a helping hand!

The Little Guy Wins Round Two! (Well I am still Fat but...)

PTL!

The kind woman who was so amazingly helpful at the Ohio Job & Family Services office sent me a letter today stating that Time Warner Cable was without just cause when they decided to let me go for having cancer. Sometimes the little guy can win if you have Christ in your heart and the truth on your side.

As I have stated in past blogs, I never, ever missed a day of work for anything other than being ill. There were days when I would go to work when I could barely stand and I was in so much pain that any form of concentration was at best a faint trick of the hand. I would crawl into that office some days nearly unconscious, yet when I put on the headset and began taking calls from all the people demanding cable services, I faked a smile in my voice and did the very best job that I could.

And the numbers just don't lie. I was always in the upper bracket of sales reps and always made TWC money. It’s true that sometimes I was so sick that I was unable to get out of bed, but more often than not, I was there to do my job and to be the best employee that I could be under those impossible conditions.

Unless they decide to appeal my claim one more time, the battle for now is over...
I am still very interested in hearing other people’s stories; I would like to know what your journey has been like when fighting the dragon we call corporate America.

Please don't get me wrong! I am a pure Libertarian and I believe that Time Warner had every right to let me go. I also believe with all of my heart that I have a right to claim the unemployment insurance that I contributed to with each and every dollar I made while working for them. This was a principled battle over a company’s selfish bottom line and obsession with proving that I somehow wronged them by getting cancer and my simple belief that I paid for the unemployment insurance for this very reason.

I was let go for something that was completely out of my control. This is why we pay for the insurance and I am blessed that the truth was on my side, that Yvette from OJFS is a kind and caring person and that my doctors went the extra mile to write letters explaining that I was in fact ill and not hanging out at a club the night before or whatever it is that they think I was doing.

I want to thank everyone who was behind me and who helped to bring a fair resolution to this mess and I hope that others will suffer less and find a clear path if they must follow in my footsteps.
Bless you all and keep sharing your stories with me so that I can forward the information to my friends in political office who can maybe help others in the future.

The sky is not always gray and I have been told so many times lately and it is starting to sink in, that God has a plan and although there will be times when the test is more than you feel like you can handle, he will step in and provide for you when the time is right.
Sometimes you must suffer to learn "I am doing both these days!"

So, this is what OJFS sent to me:

OHIO DEPARTMENT OF JOB AND FAMILY SERVICES

OFFICE OF UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION

THIS NOTICE IS A DETERMINATION ON ELIGIBILITY FOR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, ISSUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SECTIONS

4141.28(D) & (E), OHIO REVISED CODE

DETERMINATION OF UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION BENEFITS

The claimant was discharged by TIME WARNER CABLE LLC on 09/13/2011. Facts establish that the claimant's absences were due to medical reasons and beyond his/her control. Ohio's legal standard that determines if a discharge is without just cause is whether the claimant's acts, omissions, or course of conduct were such that an ordinary person would find the discharge not justifiable. After a review of the facts, this agency finds that the claimant was discharged without just cause under Section 4141.29(D)(2)(a),Ohio Revised Code.

Doing Battle for $266. Dollars a week

So it has been a wonderful day of dealing with my friends at Time Warner Cable who found a new low in the dark heart category.

After being let go for having cancer and missing more work than they felt necessary, "even though my family of doctors provided ample documentation, FMLA protection, excuse notes for each time I was away and following the corporate policy on call offs' by contacting the attendance line each and every time I was ill" they have decided to appeal my unemployment insurance which amounts to $266. dollars per week.

My FMLA was administered by a company named UNUM who is notorious for being heartless, unfair and who has been accused of "a history of deception." For more information on UNUM please check out this link: http://unumclaimsdenial.com/2011/02/are-claims-still-denied-unfairly-despite-unum-lawsuits/

On the bright side, the woman who worked for the Ohio Job and Family Services is a Saint! Truly she is one of the kindest, patient and helpful people that I have ever come across. Her name is Yevette and if you ever have the opportunity to speak with her or if you find yourself out of work and are assigned to her, thank her profusely and count your blessings. She is without a doubt the very best in kind, honest and thoughtful customer service.

To prove that I was in fact ill and in the hospital on the day that they stated that I was, "what were their words," neglectful disregard for work? My Doctor, who is also so supportive and assisting me with my health at a discounted rate since I lost my insurance along with my job, provided me with documentation proving that I was out due to illness and also documented that although I am ill, I am able to work if given the chance to find a now job.

Provably, I will let it go after this. I think it is clear that my former employer has a compassion issue and I understand that it isn't easy to run a business but I was a great sales rep for them and I was getting better and missing less and less time from work. I think it's their loss and to be honest, I am not sure that I would want to work for a company that treats their employees with such disregard.

I am actively seeking a new opportunity and can't wait to see what God has in store for me. What ever it is I am certain that it will be more fulfilling and honest than the job I was doing.


On another topic, I am excited to begin posting new video blogs to the site one again. I plan on offering varied content that I hope you will find interesting. Obviously I won't be blogging on my way to work until I find a new job but I will still do my best to provide interesting and topical video for you to ponder!

Since I am a former musician and a fan of great music I will focus some of my attention to that. I will still dig into politics to some degree but I just don't have the fire that I once had to rail against those that differ in opinion. I will still call it out when I see something that I think is wrong.

I would love for any of you to share your stories about mistreatment by companies or issues with unemployment insurance. You have to remember "that as an employee," you are paying for that insurance every paycheck. The company simply matches the amount that you contribute. Most companies just don't like it when former employees receive unemployment compensation because when there are too many employees receiving benefits, the company has to pay a higher premium and that hurts their bottom line.

We are humans though and it isn't right to be treated as a line item in some yahoos spreadsheet. So please tell me your story! If you know someone who is out of work or having the same troubles, please guide them to this site. I do still have friends in high places and if I can get the information, I can pass it on to some of the government officials that I still communicate with!

Anyway, expect a video soon. Keep up the good fight and Bless you all!

Darren
The Driving Blogger

www.darrenwinkler.com

Twitter: @darrenwinkler

http://www.facebook.com/darren.winkler.

The Return of The Driving Blogger

So for more than a year, I have been neglecting this blog. Thanks to Time Warner Cable for providing me all the free time in the world, "I was dismissed from my job after more that two years of good service because I have been battling cancer and my FMLA ran out." I ended up in the emergency room in a near coma from a dramatic loss of blood pressure caused by this rare form of cancer called Carcinoid syndrome.

It has taken more than a year to diagnose and there is still some question that this is in fact what is wrong with me. However, whatever it is called it causes excruciating pain and rapid fluctuations in my blood pressure. The end result is that TWC decided that I was no longer useful even though I was one of the top sales reps for them, I never missed a day of work for anything beyond my illness and I was in fact getting better. You had best not get sick in this economy!

So, I am now trying to figure out how to pay my bills, how to pay for my doctors, my medications, food, etc... You get the picture!

Through all of this, not everything is bad. My very best friend introduced me to Christ and although it was a long journey I was baptized on October 15th 2011 with my dearest friend Sue. I got to follow her into the baptizing pool and we were able to share the experience together. For me it was life changing!

Although I was never hostile to the idea of Christ, I was never a follower and you could call me an atheist. Sue invited me to join her for a church service in February of 2011. I enjoyed the message and was touched by the emotions that were visable on the faces of the followers during worship.

One week after witnesing a baptism service in August 2011 I felt the power of Christ and stood before our maker, my best friend Sue and the church and handed my life over to God. It was not a choice, it was the only thing I could do. I was so certain at that moment that it was time to hand my life over and since that moment I know that I will never be alone in my struggles or my success.

I believe that it is importent for me to re-open this blog with this story because I have a new outlook on life and the world that I live in so obviously the attitude of this blog will be profoundly different.
As I move forward, I will be sharing the story of my search for truth, for better health, a new oportunity in the workplace and for a positive life in general. The tone of the past, the snide and grumpy attitude will no longer be seen here.

I am very excited to share what is importent to me and perhaps to encourage others who find themselves in a dificult place in life. Trust me, I know that there are so many people in a much more dificult struggle that I face. I still believe that I can share hope and encouragement to everyone, and, I can still be funny every now and then. My sense of humor is alive and well!

So for those who followed my blog in the past and for anyone who finds there way to this site, I welcome you and hope that you find something that moves you here.

If you have questions about my journey to a life with Christ, I am open and willing to share with you. I am blessed with a clean slate and a blank page where I know a new story will be written. I have faith that I will find health and a new career as I share my life with Jesusand my family!

I hope that you will visit often and share your thoughts and ideas with me at the Driving Blogger. And rest assured that I will be posting new Driving Blogger videos here soon!
All the best and bless you all!

Darren Winkler (The Driving Blogger)

www.darrenwinkler.com
Twitter:@darrenwinkler
http://www.facebook.com/darren.winkler