You all ROCK, ya know that? It is a MAJOR relief, and a HUGE amount of stress lifted off my shoulders. Just ashame I didn't get injured at WalMart as the check wd have been a LOT bigger!

Tam, the money for Vaccine Injury Compensation is paid from a fund built through an excise tax on each individual vaccine administered. So since it's taxpayer money and being paid in compensation for injury by the government, it's tax-free to me - the gov't can't tax it twice. It will mess us up for getting financial aid for college, that's for sure. And we'll be taxed on the interest. And it's set up so they pay for expenses/past expenses NOT covered by insurance, so the insurance co. can't come after any part of the award, as I haven't been reimbursed for those expenses.

The lawyer's fees are even paid separately, his amt and expenses still have yet to be determined, he is not paid out of my damages award. So I do keep what I finally manaqged to win. Would be nice if there was 4 years interest added to the amount for all the waiting I've done - useless, ridiculous, wasted time! Thanks for the advice, support and shoulder throughout, it's been much appreciated!

Sister Anne, relaxation is the order of the day - and the summer - as much as 12 and 17-yr-old girls will let me relax, that is!

Di, That first visit out to Dr T - seems so long ago! Will be 5 yrs this August - in some ways hard to believe it's been that long. Then again, the first 3 years of this every day seemed to last about a year... Would definitely not want to live these past years again, but am more grateful than I can say for meeting you and being pointed in the right direction to get some answers and treatment when the Drs here just wanted to jerk me around. You've been a real joy and true friend in the darkest and deepest places of my life. Thanks for the lift!

Johanna, that is one freaky clown - did he scare all the kids away?? LOL

beth

i guess you are right.... i thought he looked giddy excited when i picked him- which was the emotion i was going for. i am not always good at this stuff

Oh no, I LIKED the clown, don't get me wrong! He's colorful and funky and seems pretty happy. I've just been finding out recently how MANY people truly dislike clowns and I think it's making me look at them differently. Like, just why IS this clown so happy and WHERE are all the children? LOL!!

Or maybe it's the meds..yeah, that's probably it! I may have been scared of clowns when I was really little, but as far as I remember have always liked them - but I'm a drama/theater-type person and that's just another type of performance, isn't it? I even, (gasp), like mimes, but only for small bits of time. What I'd really love to see is the street performers in Europe who portray living "statues". Very cool, but I could never have done it even pre-injury - the minute I took a pose a fly would land on my nose or I'd HAVE to sneeze!

DH took me to see Cirque Du Soleil last Winter and THAT was stunning!

Back to the clown - it looks circa 60ish, don't you think? Doesn't look like there's anything ELSE left for the kiddos there, does it? Poor lonely clown!