Kathy Jo, I work full time as a database programmer, and while I don't make a lot of money, it's enough for my bills, essentials and a few extras. I also get group health and dental coverage through my company, which helps a lot. I live alone in a two-bedroom flat, all one story, and manage by myself, although I have someone come in at least once a month to do the heavy cleaning. I can bathe myself, do my own laundry (I have my own washer and dryer in my flat), and cook for myself. The only two chores I can't do myself are vacuuming, and big-scale grocery shopping. I usually have a friend help me with the heavy shopping and I make do myself with interim shopping trips. Last weekend, I found I could mop my kitchen and bathroom floors, using the new Swifter mops, which have "wet pads," which are pre-moistened, that made it so much easier for me to clean up spills, etc., without worrying about a mop and a bucket, and having to wring out the mop. Now if only I can find an easier way to vacuum... Kat ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kathy Pink" <[log in to unmask]> Newsgroups: bit.listserv.c-palsy To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Monday, August 12, 2002 1:58 PM Subject: Re: butt load of pocket change > Kat, > > How can you get by? I have to ask for public > assistance for my personal cares. > > Kathy Jo > > > > > > --- Kathy Salkin <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > Oh, I agree with you 100 per cent, Jenn. I am > > proud of what I've done in my > > life and the fact that I've never had to ask > > for public assistance. That is > > not to say I've never received help from Voc. > > Rehab or from other agencies, > > but that after I started working a full time > > job with benefits, I had no need > > of help from VR. I don't see it as boasting so > > much as letting others know it > > can be done. And others such as Bobby, Kyle, > > Deri, Ken, and you show it > > perfectly. > > > > Other disabled people especially those in the > > Third World, are far less > > fortunate than we, and my heart goes out to > > them. > > > > Kat > > > > On Fri, 2 Aug 2002 12:31:51 -0700 "J. McCarthy" > > <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > > > I wasn't going to add to the fray, but.... > > > > > > A few months after getting my Bachelor's, my > > > SSI > > > stopped when my odd jobs put me above the > > > income max. > > > I was able to keep medicaid for a few more > > > years, > > > which was great because it allowed me time to > > > find a > > > full-time position with health insurance > > > benefits. So > > > since about 1997, I have been employed > > > full-time (40+ > > > hours/week). In 2001, I gave up a $15/hr job > > > to be > > > happy. (long story) I now work at a state > > > university > > > making about $10/hr and loving my job. I grew > > > up in a > > > lousy 2 bedroom duplex in a slummy part of > > town > > > with > > > my brother and single mom for about 15 years > > > (most > > > funds came from my SSI and other public > > > assistance). > > > When I married, my husband and I moved into a > > > not-so-great 1 bedroom appartment. Then when > > > my > > > husband found a job in town, we rented a nice > > > 2bd/2ba > > > apartment. Now we own a nice 3bd/2ba house > > > with pool > > > in a nice neighborhood. > > > > > > I'm not gloating or looking for praise. I am > > > but > > > showing others that "You can do it!" and > > become > > > a > > > productive member of society - despite having > > a > > > disability. I've known a few severely > > disabled > > > folks > > > who work at home doing Internet stuff. Some > > > may not > > > make enough to come off SSI, but that's not > > the > > > point. > > > The point is to become a "giver" (or at > > least > > > "contributor") instead of a "taker" in this > > > world. > > > > > > Getting off soapbox now, > > > Jennifer (who works with a stroke victim > > who's > > > similarly disabled) > > > > > > P.S. You may be offended by the meaning of > > > what I say > > > (or not agree with it), but please don't be > > so > > > sensitive as to take offense to the exact > > words > > > I use. > > > There's too much in this world to get upset > > > about to > > > let simple symantics and word choices bother > > > you. IMHO > > > > > > > > > --- "Cleveland, Kyle E." > > > wrote: > > > > Lot's of head-scratching going on right now > > > from the > > > > powers-that-be. This > > > > gives me a little time to come out from my > > > "bumker", > > > > dial-in and respond to > > > > some emails: > > > > > > > > I've done a lttle research on the topic, > > > though my > > > > "sources" are not handy > > > > right now. Anyway, the vast majority of > > > CPers are > > > > either hemis or > > > > diplegics, with "mild" CP. This also > > > translates to > > > > most CPers working > > > > full-time in either mainstream jobs, or > > jobs > > > > associated with disabiliies > > > > (for example: all of the office workers at > > > my > > > > physiatrist's university > > > > clinic are disabled with some sort of motor > > > > disorder, or they are amputees. > > > > > > > > > > ===== > > > TTYL, > > > Jennifer > > > > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > > > Do You Yahoo!? > > > Yahoo! Health - Feel better, live better > > > http://health.yahoo.com > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > HotJobs - Search Thousands of New Jobs > http://www.hotjobs.com