Reply #185: On SSDI, finally, after a decade of fighting [View All]

[Dogmudgeon]

My adult life has been dominated by illness, and as a result, the last full health coverage I had was in 1981. It became a vicious cycle: can't get insurance because I'm sick, will stay sick because I can't get insurance. So I began to finance my medical work out-of-pocket.

Bye-bye disposable income.

None the less, I have managed to be employed full-time, and at well-paying jobs most of the time. Figuring out my life income for SSDI with my lawyer, we found that I had given slightly MORE THAN HALF of everything I made to the medical establishment -- BEFORE TAXES.

My last job, in computer programming, I made $30/hour, and was underpaid by the standards of the market. It also put me about 1% over the limit to get food stamps after I got SSDI. And I STILL run into people who think I have it easy -- "free money for laying around, watching TV, eating Twinkies/Cheese Puffs/(other socially disdained food)"!

Oh -- I also have chronic pain, and was on propoxyphene (Darvon) to contro

My adult life has been dominated by illness, and as a result, the last full health coverage I had was in 1981. It became a vicious cycle: can't get insurance because I'm sick, will stay sick because I can't get insurance. So I began to finance my medical work out-of-pocket.

Bye-bye disposable income.

None the less, I have managed to be employed full-time, and at well-paying jobs most of the time. Figuring out my life income for SSDI with my lawyer, we found that I had given slightly MORE THAN HALF of everything I made to the medical establishment -- BEFORE TAXES.

My last job, in computer programming, I made $30/hour, and was underpaid by the standards of the market. It also put me about 1% over the limit to get food stamps after I got SSDI. And I STILL run into people who think I have it easy -- "free money for laying around, watching TV, eating Twinkies/Cheese Puffs/(other socially disdained food)"!

Oh -- I also have chronic pain, and was on propoxyphene (Darvon) to control it. Until November 19th of last year, that is.

"Land of the Free", my ass. l it. Until November 19th of last year, that is.

"Land of the Free", my ass.

--d!