READER SHARES STRUGGLE WITH DISABILITY, URGES VOTING
First, I want to thank you all for the View. You all do a wonderful job on keeping us informed about what's going on in our neighborhood.
I've never written anything except letters to my friends, but I feel compelled to write about the experience of disability.
I spent my life raising three wonderful children alone and without child support. There were times we lived in my car because there just wasn't enough money for a place to live.
We suffered many hardships but loved each other so much we overcame all of these things. I never planned for retirement because I changed jobs so very many times. The reason for this was if I found a job for even 10 cents more an hour, I took it. When myself or my children got sick, we rode it out because there was never any money for a doctor visit.
It was the same with a dentist. My children never had the privilege of going to a dentist. My two daughters are in their 40s and my son is in his late 30s. I have been blessed with 10 grandchildren and two great. My jobs have always been very physical. I was an avid tennis player and held two jobs a lot.
In fact my first job was at 15. I was a carhop at the A & W on 25th Street, which is now called Eastern. I wore roller skates and served the frosted root beer mugs on a tray which connected to the side of the car.
In January of 2007, I became very sick with an upper respiratory infection. I got better and immediately returned to work as an assistant manager. I was 60 years old. As the months went on, I never really felt good, but being from the old school of job responsibility, you never missed work, and so I didn't.
In June of 2007, I was taken to the hospital because I couldn't breathe. It was very confusing for me because I hadn't been to a doctor for over 10 years. At this time I was told I had C.O.P.D. (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), and I wouldn't be able to work. This went in one ear and out the other. The farthest thing from my mind was not being able to work, and I even told the doctor he must be wrong. When I was released from the hospital, I immediately returned to work. I only lasted about a month and had to go to the hospital in an ambulance. It was a close call.
After coming out, I applied for a cashier's job, still believing this can't be happening to me. This job was short-lived because again I was back in the hospital. At this time, my doctor said I needed to go on disability. I broke down and cried for 30 minutes. It made me feel ashamed, and I knew nothing about disability. He explained to me I had nothing to be ashamed of, for I had worked all my life and certainly deserved it. And it upset him because so many people in their 20s wanted disability and get it when they are very capable of working.
It made me feel a tiny bit better. I didn't plan on retiring until I couldn't walk anymore. I've always enjoyed working. And now I am about to embark on another nightmare. I applied for disability with my doctor's diagnosis. I soon found out you are not allowed to work for six months in order to even be considered. How would I live for six months with no income? I used all of my savings, I sold nearly everything I had and had to borrow over $4,000 from friends and family.
Mentally and physically, I became a mess. The stress of all these things put me back in the hospital four times in three months.
Finally, I was accepted for disability. I own my house but had no idea how I would keep it, and houses being upside down, I couldn't even borrow against it.
Now I receive $780 a month. I can sometimes afford $5 a month for gas for my car. I can only run my air in the summer from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. I continually add water to my hair shampoo to make it last one to two months and I use it for body shampoo also. I sometimes leave my toothpaste on my toothbrush for the next day. And food, maybe $20-$30 a week depending on how high utilities run. I can't sell my car because I don't have the breath to walk to the bus stop. I can no longer buy my children or grandchildren anything for their birthdays or Christmas.
I write this because I know there are hundreds of thousands of us who live like this and want people to know how so many of us have to live. I beg people when they go to the polls to vote, they consider these obstacles.
For if someone had told me a year ago I would be in this situation, I would have laughed at them.
So for those of you who complain about your job, be so grateful you can work. And those of you who can eat until you're full and eat what you want, realize it's a privilege, don't take it for granted. Each time you can buy something new to wear, treat it like Christmas, no matter what it is, new shoes, new shirt, and yes, even underwear.
For you never know when an illness will completely dominate your life. And for all of you who suffer from disability, may God bring special blessings into your life.
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