it's long-i know but the info included in my story may be of help...
i am in the final legal appeal for my disability and medicaid. i was diagnosed 11 years ago as bipolar 1-which documented accounts of full blown manic episodes,mostly hypo manic but my moods are in sync with the seasons-i also suffer from ADD,OCD,Battered wife Syndrome,and PTSD from a near fatal car accidnt in jan 2006-i should have died but lived and although i am grateful for my 2nd chance i have several degenerative illnesses-the most taxing is a shattered ankle that never properly healed-even after reconstructive surgery a year after the initial ankle surgery (where they removed the hardware and drained a build up of fluid) also my knee that was crushed into the dash board of my car was not replaced but my ortho surgeon used bone putty and hardware as well so that i did not have to have a knee replacement every 6 months. internal injuries-the most severe of which was a transected aorta that every Dr i saw could not explain why it did not completely sever killing me w/in minutes. my family was told i would not live through the night but i did and after almost a month in a paralytic coma,my vitals were strong enough to under go open heart surgery. i spent weeks in icu-then in the reg hospital and even went to a physical rehab facility as an inpatient bc my muscles had atrophied and i could not even use crutches to move. at the time i had a career-a good one w/ insurance and short term disability. i could not be demoted-from my nice mid management position but someone else had to be promoted to do the job of receiving shipments that i could no longer physically do-so i was being paid a lead wage w/ no department to run. i spent 6 weeks in a cast-then a year in a walking boot all the while going to outpatient physical therapy 2-3 times a week. i busted my ass as much as i could but rich corporate super powers count every cent and i lost my career i loved&my insurance bc they found a way to get rid of me on a district level. i sought the help of a service the company provided for employees to report problems w/ management-harassment,ect...but they did nothing. i tried to find work but the economy was shit-not that it is much better. i had no more access to my physicians-my pain killers that i took as prescribed for 18 months and as depression began to win my immune system worsened-it was a condition from all the internal damage. i turned to the streets for opiates bc i had been cut off w/ no way to even afford detox. my parents of course took me in after i was discharged and only my psychiatrist worked w/ me-never abandoning me. she let me run up a debt that is now in the thousands of dollars bc my mental health meant more to her than money-it's still a debt,just one i am not hassled about. my meds for my mental disorders costs my parents over a thousand dollars a month and any problems i have had since then have been self pay at urgent care clinics or shitty care from the hosp ER bc i no longer had the insurance i did when i was there lingering between life and death. i have a paralyzed vocal chord and my voice is a raspy whisper which keeps me from even work answering phone. I applied for disability/medicaid 2 years ago-immediately denied-we had a chance to ask for a re-evaluation and i was sent to all these state appointed Drs. denied again. i am now in the final step-legal appeal w/ a wonderful lawyer who has great success rate and is shocked i was not approved from the very beginning. if the courts deny me still all i can do is try to get in an indigent care program,apply for food stamps and let my parents(we are middle class-not well off)continue to pay out the ass JUST for my mental health costs and emergency visits to ER and clinics.
it is all about where you live-i happen to be an unfortunate resident of a very conservative state. the gov't can do what they want and they do. and even if i am awarded disability and medicaid-many doctors-my psychiatrist of 11 years is one-whose practice does not accept medicaid and the catch to medicaid is that you still have to pay for RX coverage which isn't all that great. some states are fair and don't punish those who are truly disable. mine is not one of them since not working for 3 years,my PTSD has worsened to the point that i have become a hermit and at 35 i do not want to spend the rest of my years w/ my parents although I am lucky to have the family I have. i worked from age 16 to age 32 and i made great money-alot of money in every job-mostly in food and beverage management and bartenting-but ending up in a career position in retail when my accident occurred.social security disability is money i have paid in taxes. to be denied assistance when i have paid alot in taxes over almost 20 years in the work force is ludicrous,but i am a victim of this fucking shitty state.
you just have to find out what the laws are in your state-and apply-re apply and final take legal action. and yes there are drug companies who provide patient assistance but the cocktail of meds that work for me now are not made by any of those companies. it takes a while to get your meds right for you-everyone is different so maybe ask your Psychiatrist to try you on different drugs that both work for you and are made by a patient assistance pharmaceutical company. having only been diagnosed for 2 years you probably have not yet found a cocktail of meds that works for you-everyone is different and the process is all trial and error. my cocktail has changed several times over the years but what i take now is a lot of different meds but it is what works best for me. Lithium is cheep but the constant blood tests to check your lithium levels are expensive and personally made me into a zombie. i want to finish my degree and start my own therapy practice-i am so close but i cannot finish until i receive the assistance i need to get my body and mind back in the best possible shape.
you just have to do the research-find out what kind of gov't&non-gov't help is available to you and fight it to the end. the longer i go w/o the amount of therapy i NEED and the medical care to get my body healthy and in a working condition,the worse my conditions-both mental and physical-worsen.
if i could get canadian residency i would- the fact that this wasteful spoiled rich nation denies it's citizens free medical coverage is outrageous. but that is the wat things are in the US. this post is long enough-just wanted you to know that just bc you are disabled doesn't mean the state in which you live gives a shit. but you cannot give up. NAMI is a great national organization that may be able to help you w/ programs available where you are-just keep on trying-keep researching-keep fighting. please don't be discouraged i merely wanted to address the posts asking why legal action is necessary. it sucks that where you live is a factor in whether your state gives you just what you are due or just simply continues to deny your claim. I live in SC and it is one of the hardest states to receive gov't assistance.you are in Ohio and it could be an easy process. you have access to the net so google the shit out of how to get help where you are. it sucks,but you are the one who has do do all the work. it isn't a quick answer solution. i feel for you truly and if you need to talk-anyone-feel free to PM me anytime.
please stay positive in light of my unsuccessful story. just laying out the truth that sometimes yo have to fight tooth and nail. don't give up-and don't not try.
I wish you an easy path to getting the assistance you deserve.
much peace and love..................skillz
