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new article "No Money, No Health?"

Victoria

Senior Member
Messages
1,377
Location
Melbourne, Australia
Great article, Jody, and so true,

"No money, no health" is the reality of most ICI (invisible chronic illness) sufferers.

Good health for most people requires some sort of financial support (if only to buy fresh food that supports your particular health problems).

Why do I work full-time?

Because I can? No. Because I must. How else do I pay my rent, living expenses (including top private health insurance), my out-of-pocket medical costs (that aren't covered by my private health insurance & government medicare cover), chemist bills & health food shop items?

And I nearly lost my job in May 2006.

I'm in that "catch 22" situation. I'm not that ill (anymore), but I'm not 100% well either.

I can't imagine how those out of work, or on disability manage. Just affording healthy fresh food must be a challenge, let alone paying for treatment.:confused:

How do many of you manage without families or friends to help? Of course there are those of you who live in the open, tents, cars or whatever - how do you manage without the security of a home or roof over your head.

How do you survive in Winter?

How do you survive the mental & emotional starvation?

Most healthy people would have a breakdown just going without sleep for a week. In fact, 3 full days without sleep has been shown to cause symptoms of Fibromyalgia in otherwise healthy individuals.

Healthy people have no concept or understanding or what chronic illness & pain is like when it goes on for years & years (seemingly with no end in sight).

It wears your mind, body & spirit down to threadbare shreds.


Victoria
 

Lisa

Senior Member
Messages
453
Location
Western Washington
I can't imagine how those out of work, or on disability manage. Just affording healthy fresh food must be a challenge, let alone paying for treatment.:confused:

How do many of you manage without families or friends to help? Of course there are those of you who live in the open, tents, cars or whatever - how do you manage without the security of a home or roof over your head.

How do you survive in Winter?

How do you survive the mental & emotional starvation?

My answer for these very important questions is really very simple Vicki.

How do I do it? I just do.

If I want to survive, which I do, then life just gets done no matter how strange, unreal, or difficult it becomes. Just adjust as best I can and continue on my way.

I think its really important to have a reason to keep fighting because sometimes the battle to survive can become unbelievably heinous. It is needed to have something to focus on, something stronger than all the pain and tears.

Thank goodness I have Jeremy because he's what has made some of this survivable.

It wears your mind, body & spirit down to threadbare shreds.

So very true Vicki. Well said, thank you.

Lisa
 

Jody

Senior Member
Messages
4,636
Location
Canada
Great article, Jody, and so true,

"No money, no health" is the reality of most ICI (invisible chronic illness) sufferers.

Good health for most people requires some sort of financial support (if only to buy fresh food that supports your particular health problems).

Why do I work full-time?

Because I can? No. Because I must. How else do I pay my rent, living expenses (including top private health insurance), my out-of-pocket medical costs (that aren't covered by my private health insurance & government medicare cover), chemist bills & health food shop items?

And I nearly lost my job in May 2006.

I'm in that "catch 22" situation. I'm not that ill (anymore), but I'm not 100% well either.

I can't imagine how those out of work, or on disability manage. Just affording healthy fresh food must be a challenge, let alone paying for treatment.:confused:

How do many of you manage without families or friends to help? Of course there are those of you who live in the open, tents, cars or whatever - how do you manage without the security of a home or roof over your head.

How do you survive in Winter?

How do you survive the mental & emotional starvation?

Most healthy people would have a breakdown just going without sleep for a week. In fact, 3 full days without sleep has been shown to cause symptoms of Fibromyalgia in otherwise healthy individuals.

Healthy people have no concept or understanding or what chronic illness & pain is like when it goes on for years & years (seemingly with no end in sight).

It wears your mind, body & spirit down to threadbare shreds.


Victoria


Vicki,

You said it all pretty well.

Healthy people have no idea what we go through.
 

leelaplay

member
Messages
1,576
so true Jody - and vickie with your additions. I can't remember reading "the Hunger", Knut Hamsun, when I was young, but can still remember / feel my reaction the the over downward whirlpool of depair - the most terrified I'd been in my life. You evoked some of the same response in me with this article.

Lisa - love your response - you embody the strength & resilience we all hope to have. You not only survive, you find ways to thrive. Thank you for being you and sharing!

islandfinn
 

Jody

Senior Member
Messages
4,636
Location
Canada
islandfinn,

If that is what I evoked, then I did it right. Thanks for telling me.