Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Slight predicament

Today I had clinic. It went well. Thankfully I got my PICC pulled! Tomorrow morning when I shower it is going to feel amazing. My FEV is back up to 45% and everything sounds good.

I was able to talk to the social worker and here is where my troubles begin. I'm not so sure about SSDI now. I'm very worried that I'm not going to get much (or at least what my print out each year says I qualify for) and you can't make much working part time on it either. I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to move to Boston the end of this winter, but I can't live there if I'm making didly squat. Its not like I'm going to have someone to live with and yes a roommate is out of the question.

I was afraid she was going to tell me something I knew was true but hoped it wasn't. I won't qualify for Medicaid in PA because my company offers COBRA. So I'll have to pay $400 a month for that PLUS my shitty co-pays. That right there would be 75% of my SSDI income. Not good.

My mom told me she would like to move to Key West in the next couple of years. So either way I would have to live on my own, be it down here in Langhorne or up there around Boston.

My thought is what if I find a full time job when I move? Is that so bad? I know what the minimum is that I need to bring home to survive. However, if I don't work I can take classes which gets rid of my student loan payment for the time being. Maybe I can find something good up there that will allow me to live on my own.

I don't know what to do. I really want to move and I really want to be independent about it. I will have to look more into MA welfare programs and see what I can do. I hate saying welfare but its needed. Or maybe I can find a small part time job that will offer benefits. As long as I can get health and rx coverage I'm good. I'll skip eye and dentist if I need to.

And of course this brings up a secondary thought. If I decide to work full time up there why am I waiting until March to move? I could go right after Christmas.

So much to think about, so much to decide...
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

8 comments:

  1. I know it's all far more complicated than this, but just to address one of your points (about the part-time w/ benefits), I know Barnes & Noble offers benefits to its part-time employees...so does starbucks, but I figure B&N is way more up your alley :)

    Also, if you're thinking about moving earlier, job-wise, maybe just go up for a weekend sometime soon and see about the places hiring for Christmas? Then maybe that could materialize into something a little more permanent after the holidays...at least you'd have your foot in the door as opposed to waiting until right after.

    Just more to think about, I know, but thought I'd at least throw the B&N thing out there! Thinking about you as you figure all this out :)

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  2. sending warm fuzzies to you about ss..we are going through a mess with it right now..grr

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  3. OMG really?!?! I was planning on using Barnes and Noble as my part time job. That's awesome if they do offer it. I knew about Starbucks. Thanks a bunch I feel 10 times better now!!!

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  4. Hey there Amy, I'm a blog reader. Check out the MassHealth program. I'm not sure if that would help or not, but it might. -James

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  5. I doubt this is an option for you, but all I saw in that post was KEY WEST. That is a joke, seriously, it sounds like a predicament and I have no advice, but I really hope everything works out for you. Boston would be fun (and cold!)

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  6. I didn't read all your comments, so I'm sorry if this is duplicate. Is it possible to defer your loan payments when you go on SSDI. I know in California there are some loans where if you are disabled for 3 years your loans are forgiven. But during that 3 years, I'm not sure if you have to make payments. And I'm not sure you can be a student during that time. Just a little something more to look into I suppose.

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  7. Thank you James!

    I believe I can get them differed while on SSDI or at least while waiting for the approval since I will have no income. It's just a matter of contacting them when I start the process :)

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  8. LOTS to think about for sure!! Praying you make the right decisions! And I'm sure everything will work out no matter what you decide, but know it is still scary thinking about the unknown.

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