If You Are On Any Form Of Disability

[RetiredGypsy]

Has it been easy to live with? Does it eat at you? Have you found peace in yourself and accepted it? Has your SO been supportive?

 

[razztazz]

Are you asking if we are receiving some sort of economic assistance based on a disability?

Or are you asking any of us are forced to live with a disability?

 

[Bamaman]

My DW has been disabled 15 years and had surgery for spinal stenosis. Her leg kept buckling under her and she fell down the stairs a couple of times.

Being disabled is something no one wants to go through, but the family's just got to be 100% supportive if that's the situation.

My wife made good money running hospital laboratories, and maintaining our lifestyle was difficult without her income. Approval to get Social Security Disability varies from state to state, but they will often try to "starve you out" by disapproval of your disability claim. We had to appeal rejection twice, get an attorney and wait for a hearing--total time just under 2 years.

Many people don't have the paperwork trail and real disability that prevents them from working at some kind of job. Those that are 30 years of age are going to find getting disability much, much harder than someone 50 years of age.

But the family must fully support someone when they're forced into such a situation. Our daughter in law had a bad car wreck and was the point of amputation of a leg last month. She cannot even cook dinner, and Social Security's turned her down 2x. And we see those with bad backs out cutting trees in their yard that are on Social Security. Some things are just not right.

 

[frank]

When you are working you pay for Social Security and one of the programs is social security disability. While true that some people not deserving try to claim they are disabled when they are not, but if you are honestly disabled by some occurence that is out of your control, then no it should not be shameful. you paid for it, you deserve it, and should get it.

 

[Richard4444]

Has it been easy to live with? Does it eat at you? Have you found peace in yourself and accepted it? Has your SO been supportive?

I practiced Dentistry for a few months shy of 20 years and was forced to retire at age 44 due to bilateral retinal disease which eventually led to legal blindness. I then returned to school and obtained a MSW and still (16 years later) volunteer as a Clinical Social Worker part time at a local agency. So, to answer your questions:

Has it been easy to live with? Heck no ! I cannot drive, play tennis, recognize faces unless very close, etc, etc. Social situations became uncomfortable because I 'look' fine but cannot see well [What does someone with bad retinas look like ? ]

Does it eat at you? It did at first, as I was stopped at the peak of my productive years. I eventually realized: "Why me?" became "Why not me?"

Have you found peace in yourself and accepted it? Absolutely. It has forced me to slow down, has given me a new profession of helping others which is immensely rewarding, and has shown me a new appreciation of all things around me to be grateful for.

Has your SO been supportive? Totally, and that has made my new life possible. When this was beginning to occur, she told me she knows of many people who "have two good eyes and cannot see." We have now been together for 17 years and thriving !

Rich