Jinx! I owe me a coke!

 

As you may have noticed, I didn't make any posts yesterday. 

Even making a post today is difficult because it seems as though just as I begin to process one thing... BAM!!! Here comes one more thing! 

All that is on top of kicking off my freelance writing/copywriting business still actively looking for a job to be able to pay the myriad of bills, and getting ready to start school to complete my BS in Healthcare and Social Services. No amount of Vyvannse or Post-it notes is stopping the out-of-control rave the squirrels in my brain are having.

Yesterday, I received a call from my son's school. The vice principal attempted to assure me that everything was okay, now, but my son had been found unresponsive in the restroom. He was revived by sternum rub and walked of his own volition to the stretcher, then was transferred to our local hospital's emergency department. The words, "Ben was found unresponsive," kicked off one of my greatest fears. It made me second guess sending him to school after he was complaining of not feeling well and having a headache... But also thankful that he was in a protected environment where he was able to receive prompt help instead of walking around the neighborhood or being home alone. 

I am thankful for the quick actions of everyone around him and for the care he received from the EMTs and emergency room staff. Because of all the wonderful care, I was able to leave the hospital with my son 3 hours after he arrived. 

As I was filling my mom in on all the details from the day before, I said to her, "After everything that has happened since August, I sure could use a little bit of boring!" Almost 2 hours later, I got the mail.     

 In the mail was a bank statement with my name and address. No big deal, right? In normal circumstances, yes. BUT, we don't do normal and boring around here, right? This statement was from a credit union I had never heard of in Illinois. There were over $3500 in deposits from Zelle with immediate withdrawals. I immediately called the credit union and was transferred to the Fraud Department. They shut the account down in September for fraud and identity theft. Thankfully, I am not being held liable, and the victims of the financial fraud were refunded the money.  I was advised to file a police report, alert the credit bureaus, and file a FCC fraud alert. I managed to get all that done as well as request my free credit report to see what hard inquiries there are and to see if any credit has been extended... 

I have spent my entire adult life trying to be as fair and reasonable as possible. I am honest. I am meticulous with others' personal information, both financial and medical (HIPAA). I am sickened that someone is out there frauding(ed) people with my name. 

What is the lesson in all this? I have no idea. Things can always be worse.  Also, I clearly jinxed the whole situation by asking for "boring"... So, Jinx!!! I owe me a diet coke... I guess I can do that whenever I start working. 

More tomorrow from the squirrel nest...