Considering the big STD: Short Term Disability insurance

September 18, 2011

Until this year, I never considered going on short term disability insurance (STD).  Now, I’m wondering if it’s the right thing for me to do.

 

I was lucky to have STD at my last job, but my health was decent enough, and my employer was accommodating.  I worked from home one day a week, and more when it was needed.  I did ok.  At my current job, again, I’m lucky that my employer offers STD.  My boss won’t let me work from home, though, and putting in all those hours at work is not good for me.  I’m not getting exercise when I need it and I’m not getting rest when I need it.  There’s no balance.  I have a fairly good diet, but it could be better.  I spend too many hours at a computer, something that is bad for me physically and mentally.  I don’t get enough sleep.  I know I’ll feel better if I’m not working.

 

For years I felt that not working would be giving in, letting the diseases win.  My new attitude is that I should live the best life I can live, and if that means not working, then so be it.  Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.  I know that I qualify for short term disability, but I doubt that I’d qualify for long term disability.  I don’t think I’d qualify for SSI (the U.S. social security disability insurance) either, and even if I did, it would take more than a year for the application to be approved, and then my benefits wouldn’t even pay my rent, much less any other bills.  So that brings me back to STD as the most likely option.

 

STD is tempting.  It would cover me for 12 weeks, and I know I’d use that time well.  I would exercise regularly, eat well, sleep better, and generally be happier.  I’d get to spend time with my friends and family.  I’d be calmer and more relaxed.  This is what I did when I was unemployed (before getting my current job) and my health improved significantly.  I would use the three months well.  And then after those 12 weeks were up, I’d go back to work and be…. right back where I started.  That’s why I’m hesitating.  What’s the point of feeling better for three months only to go back to feeling lousy on a regular basis?  I need a more long-term solution.  Too bad my last lottery ticket didn’t win.

 

[Note: To get free emails of posts to this site, simply sign up in the top right corner of any page.]

3 Comments | Decisions, Expectations, Frustration, Job, Limitations, Rants, Symptoms, Unpredictable | Permalink
Posted by chronicrants

Lost days

September 17, 2011

I usually post something each day, but yesterday wasn’t quite normal.

For a while, I would get sick with some sort of cold several times a year.  Then the chronic illnesses changed.  Now, I get sick once or twice a year, and several other times a year, when I start to get a bug, I feel a certain type of…. well, I don’t know how to describe it.  But when I feel it, if I listen to my body, and get as much sleep as possible (usually 12-15 hours), then spend the entire next day resting, I can usually avoid the bug.  And that was yesterday and today.  I left work early yesterday, and didn’t touch the computer all day.  No email, no Facebook, no Twitter (@CIRants), nothing.  I just had no desire for any sort of contact with the outside world.  Instead, I watched tv and movies.  Luckily, I had Fred and Ginger to entertain me (and if you’ve never seen them dance, you should.)

Anyway, after 12 hours of sleep, I finally go up this morning feeling much better.  Actually, I would have liked to sleep even more, but I was very hungry.  I can sleep through a lot of things, but not a rumbling stomach, especially my own.  Unfortunately, even though I did feel a lot better, I didn’t feel quite right, and I know from experience that I had to stay in and rest all day.  I cancelled plans.  I stayedindoors on a gorgeous day.  I didn’t do anything productive: no laundry, no cooking, not even catching up on emails.  As I write this, I am missing a party that I had looked forward to for months.  But what’s the alternative?  If I went out, I know I’d get sick, and that would be worse.  This way, I might be ok tomorrow.  Still, I hate to lose time like this.  So much for my Saturday.  I wouldn’t mind missing plans occasionally, but it’s been happening more and more often lately.

My big frustration is that I put so much energy into working, and then I miss out on life.  I’d much rather it be the other way around.  I’m working on that.  I’m sure there’s a way.  I just don’t know yet what it is.  In the meantime, I’m hoping to leave the house tomorrow.

[Note: To get free emails of posts to this site, simply sign up in the top right corner of any page.]

2 Comments | Decisions, Expectations, Frustration, Isolation, Limitations, Rants, Symptoms, Unpredictable | Permalink
Posted by chronicrants

How much do you know?

September 12, 2011

What’s the biggest outside influence on your health?  I’d argue it’s politics.

 

It’s easy to get a bit self-absorbed when you’re sick.  That’s fine to do occasionally.  Then when you want to reach out, you probably turn to family and friends, right?  That’s good too.  But I hope everyone takes some time to educate themselves on local, state, and federal politics, because they do affect you.

 

Massachusetts has a lot of potential ballot questions coming up next year.  Some will affect me more than others, and I don’t know which.  Some of the questions could be about medical marijuana, doctors prescribing life-ending drugs, and changes to state health insurance regulations.  I’m sure each of these will eventually have an effect on me or on someone I know.  What are the laws in your state?  Is anyone looking to change them?

 

I’m not suggesting a Big Brother role here, but politics affects all of us.  Some of us may end up on Social Security Disability Insurance one day.  Some of us may need to stop working and rely on food stamps.  If you’re reading this, I’m pretty sure that health insurance matters to you.  Of the many health insurance changes that could come about as a result of President Obama’s plan is stopping health insurance companies from excluding someone based on a preexisting medical condition.  That means I could get health insurance anywhere in the U.S.!  For someone reading this in Canada or Sweden, that may sound strange.  For anyone in the U.S. with a health issue, it sounds like a fantastic safety net.  We’ll still have to pay for it (unless you qualify for Medicaid) but at least we’ll have it!  And what about legalizing medical marijuana?  I know that’s controversial.  I also know that when I took some in California last year, it was the first time in years that I wasn’t queasy.  I could even eat without feeling queasy!  That was a fantastic feeling, and one I’d like to have again from time to time.

 

My point is simply that politics affects us all, whether we want it to or not, so we might as well get educated and learn what is about to have an influence on our lives.

 

[Note: To get free emails of posts to this site, simply sign up in the top right corner of any page.]

Leave a Comment » | Decisions, Educating, Politics, Rants, Raves | Permalink
Posted by chronicrants

Planning for the unpredictable

September 10, 2011

The air is cool and clear, the sun is shining… it’s a gorgeous day here in Boston.  It’s a day to be outdoors!

So I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised when my friend called me up and asked if we could switch our plans from being indoors this afternoon to taking a walk around a pond.  It’s a great idea, actually.  I bet it’ll be beautiful, and I’ll love watching her little girls run and play.

I give a lot of credit to my friend.  She was very careful to make it clear that we could stay closer to home or do something else if I didn’t feel up to this.  She’s really great that way.  We’ve been friends a long time, and she “gets it.”  The problem is, I want to do this.  And I do feel up to it right now.  I just don’t know how I’ll feel afterwards.  I might be completely exhausted.  And I have plans to celebrate a friend’s birthday tonight, something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time.  So if I walk around the pond, will I be too tired later for anything else?  I won’t have much time to rest in between, unfortunately, because of how things time out.

I’ll just have to take a chance, and try to do both, and hope I don’t regret it later or tomorrow.  I hope this works out!  It would be so nice to be able to predict these things, but that’s just not possible.

 

[Note: To get free emails of posts to this site, simply sign up in the top right corner of any page.]

Leave a Comment » | Decisions, Expectations, Frustration, Limitations, Rants, Raves, Support, Symptoms, Thoughtfulness, Unpredictable | Permalink
Posted by chronicrants

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »