Re: sort of OT- our disability saga

[Guest guest]

Nice post We too are at that level where we make a few bucks to

much for help. It is depressing and stressing. Sometimes ya just wonder.

I hope things look up for you now. I dont mind the prayers. My family can

sure use them also. (((HUGS)))

[ ] sort of OT- our disability saga

>

>

> My husband last worked in 1990. He was a computer specialist in Chicago

> for very upscale companies. He was 40 years old, we had 2 kids, one 18

> months and one just born. I had finally just stopped working, for the

> first time in my life, and we had just bought a starter home. It was

> unclear WHY he lost his job for awhile.we did not understand- but it had

> to do with some personality changees in my husband - little things. We

> had private long term income protetion disability insurance, but- at first

> we did not realize my husband was ill. Gradually his symptoms worsened

> and eventually he wound up catatonic. The psch hospital signed him up for

> social security and I made a claim on his private disability coverage.

> Horror- we found out then that the private disability co had been in

> bankruptcy proceedings- we got not a penny! ACK. The social security

> came thru and I went back to waiting tables. What a nightmare. (most

> waitresses here do not have insurance thru work)

> It took a few years in the hospital with him for them to decide he had

> delayed onset combat PTSD (He was a Marine and did 3 years in Nam)

> We began the long drawn out process for VA benefits, What an adjustment to

> go from his income to what he got for soc sec!!!! It was less than 25% of

> his pay!!!!

> It took 10 years fighting with the VA to get him his veterans benefits.

> In the meantime we found out our oldest child is profoundly mentally ill

> and our 3rd child has mild cerebal palsy and seizures. I was also

> diagnosed with my RA. Along the way he was diagnosed with multiple agent

> orange cancers- emphysema, alzheimers. His Medicare did not cover meds-

> my income pushed us over the limit for Medicaide- and it was truly a

> horrible struggle over the years but somehow I held onto our house. When

> we bought our tiny house people kept saying oh you could buy a much larger

> nicer house- Hmmmmm If we had? I never would have been able to keep it,

> it was in foreclosure twice and soc sec back pay came JUST in time the

> first time and a 30% VA pension came just in time the 2nd time. Sadly my

> RA hit hard and heavy in my last semester of nursing school- I went to

> nursing school at age 40 to finally make enough to ease our life some, HA!

> Oh well, as it turns out, my husband and daughte and osn continued to get

> more and more ill, and now I am here. I cannot do much physically- BUT I

> am here to soothe the nitemares and hallucinations and flashbacks.....Our

> financila difficulties remain, to be sure----but we have food and each

> other- my kids always have mom and dad right here. and yes, finally the

> VA reached 100% compensation and we now have ChampVA health care- me and

> the kids, and the best part is- all our meds are finally covered. This is

> an enormous thing becuz my husbands meds near $3,000 a month, my daughters

> at one time were $2,500 and my sons were $800. LOL yeah, our meds cost

> way more than we even made- but we were just a few $$ over the income

> cutoff to get Medicaide. (but thats how I found the patients

> perscription drug assistance programs)

> I loved working, I truly loved nursing--but maybe it just was not meant to

> be after all? LOL or maybe I was to be the nurse here at home?

> Hang in there, I KNOW it is so hard----living on disability is NOT

> easy....I hope it does not offend if I offer prayer for those of you

> struggling.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Nice post We too are at that level where we make a few bucks to

much for help. It is depressing and stressing. Sometimes ya just wonder.

I hope things look up for you now. I dont mind the prayers. My family can

sure use them also. (((HUGS)))

[ ] sort of OT- our disability saga

>

>

> My husband last worked in 1990. He was a computer specialist in Chicago

> for very upscale companies. He was 40 years old, we had 2 kids, one 18

> months and one just born. I had finally just stopped working, for the

> first time in my life, and we had just bought a starter home. It was

> unclear WHY he lost his job for awhile.we did not understand- but it had

> to do with some personality changees in my husband - little things. We

> had private long term income protetion disability insurance, but- at first

> we did not realize my husband was ill. Gradually his symptoms worsened

> and eventually he wound up catatonic. The psch hospital signed him up for

> social security and I made a claim on his private disability coverage.

> Horror- we found out then that the private disability co had been in

> bankruptcy proceedings- we got not a penny! ACK. The social security

> came thru and I went back to waiting tables. What a nightmare. (most

> waitresses here do not have insurance thru work)

> It took a few years in the hospital with him for them to decide he had

> delayed onset combat PTSD (He was a Marine and did 3 years in Nam)

> We began the long drawn out process for VA benefits, What an adjustment to

> go from his income to what he got for soc sec!!!! It was less than 25% of

> his pay!!!!

> It took 10 years fighting with the VA to get him his veterans benefits.

> In the meantime we found out our oldest child is profoundly mentally ill

> and our 3rd child has mild cerebal palsy and seizures. I was also

> diagnosed with my RA. Along the way he was diagnosed with multiple agent

> orange cancers- emphysema, alzheimers. His Medicare did not cover meds-

> my income pushed us over the limit for Medicaide- and it was truly a

> horrible struggle over the years but somehow I held onto our house. When

> we bought our tiny house people kept saying oh you could buy a much larger

> nicer house- Hmmmmm If we had? I never would have been able to keep it,

> it was in foreclosure twice and soc sec back pay came JUST in time the

> first time and a 30% VA pension came just in time the 2nd time. Sadly my

> RA hit hard and heavy in my last semester of nursing school- I went to

> nursing school at age 40 to finally make enough to ease our life some, HA!

> Oh well, as it turns out, my husband and daughte and osn continued to get

> more and more ill, and now I am here. I cannot do much physically- BUT I

> am here to soothe the nitemares and hallucinations and flashbacks.....Our

> financila difficulties remain, to be sure----but we have food and each

> other- my kids always have mom and dad right here. and yes, finally the

> VA reached 100% compensation and we now have ChampVA health care- me and

> the kids, and the best part is- all our meds are finally covered. This is

> an enormous thing becuz my husbands meds near $3,000 a month, my daughters

> at one time were $2,500 and my sons were $800. LOL yeah, our meds cost

> way more than we even made- but we were just a few $$ over the income

> cutoff to get Medicaide. (but thats how I found the patients

> perscription drug assistance programs)

> I loved working, I truly loved nursing--but maybe it just was not meant to

> be after all? LOL or maybe I was to be the nurse here at home?

> Hang in there, I KNOW it is so hard----living on disability is NOT

> easy....I hope it does not offend if I offer prayer for those of you

> struggling.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

I am at a loss of words, what a struggle you, and your family have

had. That shows that you really have to hang in there, and it will

work out, just keep up the faith.

I get discouraged at myself, but I am excepting my limitations. It

still doesn't get any easier. I also was headed to nursing school in

2001, when the bomb dropped on me with full force. I just try to

believe there is a reason for all this, just haven't figured out

yet, " why. " Please know that your in my prayers, Tawny

--- In , " dreamer_plus " <dreamer_plus@w...>

wrote:

>

> My husband last worked in 1990. He was a computer specialist in

Chicago for very upscale companies. He was 40 years old, we had 2

kids, one 18 months and one just born. I had finally just stopped

working, for the first time in my life, and we had just bought a

starter home. It was unclear WHY he lost his job for awhile.we did

not understand- but it had to do with some personality changees in my

husband - little things. We had private long term income protetion

disability insurance, but- at first we did not realize my husband was

ill. Gradually his symptoms worsened and eventually he wound up

catatonic. The psch hospital signed him up for social security and I

made a claim on his private disability coverage. Horror- we found out

then that the private disability co had been in bankruptcy

proceedings- we got not a penny! ACK. The social security came thru

and I went back to waiting tables. What a nightmare. (most

waitresses here do not have insurance thru work)

> It took a few years in the hospital with him for them to decide he

had delayed onset combat PTSD (He was a Marine and did 3 years in Nam)

> We began the long drawn out process for VA benefits, What an

adjustment to go from his income to what he got for soc sec!!!! It

was less than 25% of his pay!!!!

> It took 10 years fighting with the VA to get him his veterans

benefits. In the meantime we found out our oldest child is

profoundly mentally ill and our 3rd child has mild cerebal palsy and

seizures. I was also diagnosed with my RA. Along the way he was

diagnosed with multiple agent orange cancers- emphysema, alzheimers.

His Medicare did not cover meds- my income pushed us over the limit

for Medicaide- and it was truly a horrible struggle over the years

but somehow I held onto our house. When we bought our tiny house

people kept saying oh you could buy a much larger nicer house-

Hmmmmm If we had? I never would have been able to keep it, it was

in foreclosure twice and soc sec back pay came JUST in time the first

time and a 30% VA pension came just in time the 2nd time. Sadly my

RA hit hard and heavy in my last semester of nursing school- I went

to nursing school at age 40 to finally make enough to ease our life

some, HA! Oh well, as it turns out, my husband and daughte and osn

continued to get more and more ill, and now I am here. I cannot do

much physically- BUT I am here to soothe the nitemares and

hallucinations and flashbacks.....Our financila difficulties remain,

to be sure----but we have food and each other- my kids always have

mom and dad right here. and yes, finally the VA reached 100%

compensation and we now have ChampVA health care- me and the kids,

and the best part is- all our meds are finally covered. This is an

enormous thing becuz my husbands meds near $3,000 a month, my

daughters at one time were $2,500 and my sons were $800. LOL yeah,

our meds cost way more than we even made- but we were just a few $$

over the income cutoff to get Medicaide. (but thats how I found the

patients perscription drug assistance programs)

> I loved working, I truly loved nursing--but maybe it just was not

meant to be after all? LOL or maybe I was to be the nurse here at

home?

> Hang in there, I KNOW it is so hard----living on disability is NOT

easy....I hope it does not offend if I offer prayer for those of you

struggling.

[Guest guest]

I am at a loss of words, what a struggle you, and your family have

had. That shows that you really have to hang in there, and it will

work out, just keep up the faith.

I get discouraged at myself, but I am excepting my limitations. It

still doesn't get any easier. I also was headed to nursing school in

2001, when the bomb dropped on me with full force. I just try to

believe there is a reason for all this, just haven't figured out

yet, " why. " Please know that your in my prayers, Tawny

>

> My husband last worked in 1990. He was a computer specialist in

Chicago for very upscale companies. He was 40 years old, we had 2

kids, one 18 months and one just born. I had finally just stopped

working, for the first time in my life, and we had just bought a

starter home. It was unclear WHY he lost his job for awhile.we did

not understand- but it had to do with some personality changees in my

husband - little things. We had private long term income protetion

disability insurance, but- at first we did not realize my husband was

ill. Gradually his symptoms worsened and eventually he wound up

catatonic. The psch hospital signed him up for social security and I

made a claim on his private disability coverage. Horror- we found out

then that the private disability co had been in bankruptcy

proceedings- we got not a penny! ACK. The social security came thru

and I went back to waiting tables. What a nightmare. (most

waitresses here do not have insurance thru work)

> It took a few years in the hospital with him for them to decide he

had delayed onset combat PTSD (He was a Marine and did 3 years in Nam)

> We began the long drawn out process for VA benefits, What an

adjustment to go from his income to what he got for soc sec!!!! It

was less than 25% of his pay!!!!

> It took 10 years fighting with the VA to get him his veterans

benefits. In the meantime we found out our oldest child is

profoundly mentally ill and our 3rd child has mild cerebal palsy and

seizures. I was also diagnosed with my RA. Along the way he was

diagnosed with multiple agent orange cancers- emphysema, alzheimers.

His Medicare did not cover meds- my income pushed us over the limit

for Medicaide- and it was truly a horrible struggle over the years

but somehow I held onto our house. When we bought our tiny house

people kept saying oh you could buy a much larger nicer house-

Hmmmmm If we had? I never would have been able to keep it, it was

in foreclosure twice and soc sec back pay came JUST in time the first

time and a 30% VA pension came just in time the 2nd time. Sadly my

RA hit hard and heavy in my last semester of nursing school- I went

to nursing school at age 40 to finally make enough to ease our life

some, HA! Oh well, as it turns out, my husband and daughte and osn

continued to get more and more ill, and now I am here. I cannot do

much physically- BUT I am here to soothe the nitemares and

hallucinations and flashbacks.....Our financila difficulties remain,

to be sure----but we have food and each other- my kids always have

mom and dad right here. and yes, finally the VA reached 100%

compensation and we now have ChampVA health care- me and the kids,

and the best part is- all our meds are finally covered. This is an

enormous thing becuz my husbands meds near $3,000 a month, my

daughters at one time were $2,500 and my sons were $800. LOL yeah,

our meds cost way more than we even made- but we were just a few $$

over the income cutoff to get Medicaide. (but thats how I found the

patients perscription drug assistance programs)

> I loved working, I truly loved nursing--but maybe it just was not

meant to be after all? LOL or maybe I was to be the nurse here at

home?

> Hang in there, I KNOW it is so hard----living on disability is NOT

easy....I hope it does not offend if I offer prayer for those of you

struggling.