I posted on the forum for insurance and no job or money but wanted to post here as well; I'm thinking it might get more views/responses.[/SIZE]
Hello,
I need some guidance, encouragement, etc., please.
I'm 52, female, and live in East Texas. I was finally diagnosed in 2012 (I think I put 2011 in error on original post) with Crohn's disease and had a bowel resection in 2012 (I posted on here about it). I couldn't work for 3 months, but did go back to work.
In addition to Crohn's, I have several other illnesses/conditions, including severe osteoarthritis in my knees, back and feet/ankles.
I started feeling nauseous every morning a few months after the bowel resection, and none of the tests the doctors ordered showed that anything was wrong; all came back as "normal"...I had to start using a wheelchair to get around at work in September 2013.
By March of this year, 2014, I just couldn't force myself to go to work any more; I just felt too sick. My employer was also trying to find a way to fire me, and I felt like they forced my hand, so to speak.
I was on Short Term Disability until early June 2014, and when my FMLA was exhausted, the company that administers the STD at my job denied my STD claim. They had been approving it and paying it almost 3 months, and nothing about my conditions had changed; I was actually feeling worse.
So I've had no income since June, and had to sell my house and move in with my sister who lives in the small East TX town I grew up in.
I had knee replacement surgery 8/19/14 and am still recovering from that, plus I still have daily nausea that is extremely debilitating. I filed for Social Security Disability in March, right after I went out on STD. I got a letter from SS denying my claim last week. The letter says my conditions are not severe enough to keep me from performing my daily work duties.
My employer terminated me 9/16/14 because I couldn't go back to work. I contacted an attorney for help with the SS Disability denial and asked if I should file for unemployment, and he said yes. I filed for unemployment. One of the questions asked when an unemployed person requests unemployment is "do you certify you are mentally and physically able to work?" I answered "yes" because I didn't know what else to do; I have no money and no income, and am too sick to work.
A TEC employee called me Friday to tell me my unemployment compensation request would not be considered until my doctor sent a fax to them releasing me to work. It's a Catch-22 situation...
I don't know what to do? What do I do for money while I appeal the SS Disability denial? I'm going to lose my car because I don't have the money to pay the monthly payment! My sister is providing me with a roof over my head, but I don't know what I'm going to do for healthcare, because COBRA is $655/month!
I need help -- does anyone in this group have any suggestions about what I can do for healthcare? I have several maintenance medications I take daily, and I can't just stop taking them!
I would really appreciate any and all comments, suggestions, information, etc. I'm feeling really hopeless about my situation...
Thank you,
Dana in Lufkin, TX
Hello,
I need some guidance, encouragement, etc., please.
I'm 52, female, and live in East Texas. I was finally diagnosed in 2012 (I think I put 2011 in error on original post) with Crohn's disease and had a bowel resection in 2012 (I posted on here about it). I couldn't work for 3 months, but did go back to work.
In addition to Crohn's, I have several other illnesses/conditions, including severe osteoarthritis in my knees, back and feet/ankles.
I started feeling nauseous every morning a few months after the bowel resection, and none of the tests the doctors ordered showed that anything was wrong; all came back as "normal"...I had to start using a wheelchair to get around at work in September 2013.
By March of this year, 2014, I just couldn't force myself to go to work any more; I just felt too sick. My employer was also trying to find a way to fire me, and I felt like they forced my hand, so to speak.
I was on Short Term Disability until early June 2014, and when my FMLA was exhausted, the company that administers the STD at my job denied my STD claim. They had been approving it and paying it almost 3 months, and nothing about my conditions had changed; I was actually feeling worse.
So I've had no income since June, and had to sell my house and move in with my sister who lives in the small East TX town I grew up in.
I had knee replacement surgery 8/19/14 and am still recovering from that, plus I still have daily nausea that is extremely debilitating. I filed for Social Security Disability in March, right after I went out on STD. I got a letter from SS denying my claim last week. The letter says my conditions are not severe enough to keep me from performing my daily work duties.
My employer terminated me 9/16/14 because I couldn't go back to work. I contacted an attorney for help with the SS Disability denial and asked if I should file for unemployment, and he said yes. I filed for unemployment. One of the questions asked when an unemployed person requests unemployment is "do you certify you are mentally and physically able to work?" I answered "yes" because I didn't know what else to do; I have no money and no income, and am too sick to work.
A TEC employee called me Friday to tell me my unemployment compensation request would not be considered until my doctor sent a fax to them releasing me to work. It's a Catch-22 situation...
I don't know what to do? What do I do for money while I appeal the SS Disability denial? I'm going to lose my car because I don't have the money to pay the monthly payment! My sister is providing me with a roof over my head, but I don't know what I'm going to do for healthcare, because COBRA is $655/month!
I need help -- does anyone in this group have any suggestions about what I can do for healthcare? I have several maintenance medications I take daily, and I can't just stop taking them!
I would really appreciate any and all comments, suggestions, information, etc. I'm feeling really hopeless about my situation...
Thank you,
Dana in Lufkin, TX
