Reagan111- My story

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Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2007 8:02 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Reagan111- My story

Man, I thought things were bad after Hurricane Katrina. Now, I long for the days when gas was "only" $3.29 a gallon!

A quick introduction- I am Reagan111. I am 28 years old, and live in the Detroit area with my husband and 2 children. Right now, we can still afford gas, but we have definitely watched where we go. My husband works in IT, and from what he says it is business as usual, for the most part. A few here and there cannot make it into the office, but being in IT, they are used to telecommuting. No problem there. Their clients are all under contract, and they all still have computer systems that break. I, however, wait tables and bartend for a living. What is one of the first things people do when they are tight on money? They stop going out to eat, of course! Business was killer slow last night. That was ok, because half the kitchen staff didn't show up. Those who did, walked to work. Not only did half the kitchen staff not show up, half our deliveries from our suppliers didn't show up either. We had no chicken breasts, fish, buns for hamburgers, and french fries. The distributor cannot tell us when we will have these items in! They can't get things from their suppliers, so they can't supply us with what we need. I predict our doors will close within the week. The economy in our area sucks to begin with, so I am preparing to be without work from now on. I am not too worried about that, as we still have room to cut back. No more HBO for us!! :) Worrying about my job isn't what keeps me up at night. It's my son.

My older son is 6, and he is a Type 1 diabetic. Type 1 is also known as juvenile diabetes, and cannot be controlled by diet. His sugar levels must be checked at least 4 times a day, and he gets injections after every meal and another before bed. The amount of supplies required just to keep him alive and well fills an entire cabinet in my kitchen. What if the pharmacies-like the restaurants-cannot receive their supplies? I don't know where they manufacture insulin, but I am guessing it is not just down the road. I am starting to stockpile syringes, test strips and the like, but what if the pharmacy shuts down and my supply eventually runs out? My mom is on heart medication- what if she can't get her pills? Are they just going to let all these people die??!? I can only hope and pray that the hospitals and pharmaceutical manufacturers are kept running, even if everything else shuts down. The alternative is unthinkable. How many of us knows someone who requires medication to stay alive? We can stockpile our medications, but what if they expire before we can get new ones?

I look at my sweet little boy, giggling and playing cars with his brother, and I think about the future. I think about him laying in bed, fighting to stay alive, because mommy didn't have enough insulin to give him today. I think about my mom, feeling her heart race because she didn't have her blood pressure medication, and wondering how long she can go without it. I think about my friend with her high-risk pregnancy, hoping and praying she doesn't go into labor early, because she cannot get to a hospital and the baby would surely die if born early. I think about all the people I have known in my life who have had cancer, who may not be able to get treatment anymore. How many people that we love could potentially not be there in a few months time? The future is a bleak looking place. I hope and pray that this future doesn't take place, but I am losing hope.