My own parents went through a similar battle with Blue Cross Blue Shield when I needed a fairly long-term inpatient treatment program for depression when I was 20. Like you, we had hit “final appeal”, but my mom had called one of our senators and gotten his office involved. Thankfully, he intervened and BCBS approved treatment that day.

God bless. I know how crippling it is to live with depression, and I have seen how frustrating and paralyzing it is for the loved ones of the depressed person. Your son is lucky to have such a strong anchor in you.

I’d preorder. Both because I admire what you do here and because I hate depression like we all hate cancer. 4 years ago my wife was diagnosed with depression; 3 years ago she moved out. Our two boys, then 9 and 12 stayed with me; 2 years ago, the boys started living half the time with her (good) which means they only live with me half the time now (bad); two years ago we had to sell our family home.

Of course, as you and others know, this story doesn’t begin to tell what the disease is like and how it can destroy lives and take away joy. Nor what it means to love someone with illness and hope every time you see a smile that it is real and not fake and that it signals a return to health.

You are a kind, generous and modest guy and you have had more than your share of bad stuff happen from what I can see. Even with the blessings of your great kids and the Hammer, it’s still unfair.

So, dude, how much are these books gonna be :-)

I agree with Christina that 100 Miles of Nowhere is not the greatest anti-depression slogan, although a fundraiser is good. My idea is to have the riders complete the most challenging uphill in their area, as that is a better metaphor for fighting depression– maybe people could wear your son’s favorite color and/or take pictures at the top? To offset the uncomfortableness, maybe people could donate matching funds to a local mental health care facility? That could create an awesome amount of local good!

My dad had great success with having a lawyer help him negotiate the “legalese” of the hospital system, and was able to cut his bills by over half as an uninsured small farmer with Stage 4 colon cancer. That lawyer also made sure my mom did not lose the family farm to pay the remaining bills after my dad died. It can’t hurt to just talk to someone about it.

Just the ramblings of a crazy cat lady… YMMV

Continued good luck…

Do whatever is necessary to endure your son gets the very best treatment for him!

I will buy/pre-buy books & t-shirts, contribute to NAMI in honor of your son and all who are faced with mental health issues and support fundraisers that provide nothing more than the knowledge I am thanking you for supporting and giving me another avenue to support causes very close to my heart.

Fight, Fight, Fight!

I’m bipolar. I’m also bicycling. I’m also glad that Cigna hasn’t cut my med coverage, because without that magic pill I am 30%normal, 35%manic and 35%depressed. That 70% is hell on my family, my work, my life. I’ve done reckless things while manic and spent days in bed while depressed. It’s crippling, the same way as if I had some other disease that people are okay talking about.