Living with AIDS and working for a living?

[Bucko]

Bottom line. If you have AIDS, and are not already wealthy and well taken care of, prepare to be poor. That axiom has not changed in the last twenty years - and given the current political climate, the dismantling of ASOs, the flat funding of Ryan White, and the cavalier and judgmental attitudes towards those diagnosed, I do not see that changing anytime soon.

Chalk me up as one of the working poor, without health insurance and reliant upon Ryan White for my meds, the income restrictions of which (here in SoFla) are roughly 1/3 what I was making in 2001.

Being poz has made financial issues a huge burden to live with.

Brent
(Who can go to the food bank once a week if he likes)

[jcmiami]

www.socialsecurity.gov...This is the link for Social Security - enter AIDS/HIV (disability) - no wonder you need a lawyer....JK is so right!
I too live in SoFL(Miami) like Bronco - there is minimal to no assistance for HIV/AIDS people. Yeah we have the infamous yearly "White party" (aka just another sex/drugs circuit party ) to raise money but where is the money going? - it has become a joke - please don't get me on that...

[living eyes]

I was diagnosed back in 2003, and went into panic mode.  I gave up my job, at the insistance of my physicians, and went on disability.  Then when I made a major comeback healthwise, and I told them I wanted to go back to work, they told me it would be hard to get back on disability.  Well, I went against their advice, and tried the 9 month trial period, and went to work at a job with a wireless company that my cousin got for me, but it was way too stressful for me, with people yelling and throwing phones at you, etc.  So I have 1 month left on my trial period, and I am going to go for it, and if I get sick again, then I still have a 5 year window (according to SSA, whom I spoke to personally), and as long as I watch my hours and amount of money I make, then I am ok.  The only thing is, if they offer any health insurance (group plan) or anything I will have to let them know that I am currently on Medicare, and that I would have to give it up if I decide to take it.  With the donut hole in most of the Part D plans, I would rather have the 90 day waiting period for insurance, rather than pay out thousands for meds.  April 1st I am going to actively pursue employment, and I have some leads as to jobs that I am more suited for. 

One thing I want to tell everyone, even if your physicians reccommend disability, don't take it, unless you are absoulutely sure that you can't go back to work.  I know some physicians think it's in your best interest, but your best interest is only known by you and you alone.  If you think you can work, and want to continue on, please do so.  HIV is NOT a death sentence, which we all know, and there is no reason why we can't continue to work, until we get to the point where we need disability.  In my case, the advice given to me has been the worse that I have ever gotten in my life, and if I don't go back to work, I'm afraid that I will just fall into severe depression and not want to do anything anymore, and volunteer work, which may be fine with some, is not going to help me in anyway.  I even tried part-time, but they place I applied decided to go full-time with the position, and I was not able to work the hours they wanted.

So, for those who are still working, kudos to you.  Just don't be afraid to continue to do so.  If you become ill to the point that you can't, then is the time to start looking at disability.

[Ant]

Diagnosed 1994, no treatment required for about ten years, gave up a crap job and travelled, came home, retrained as a teacher and have done that ever since full time and full on until recently when I hit a blip.

The first blip in ten years rendered me totally fatigued for about two months.

Back to work again next week and now having disclosed at work and being protected under the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 I have arranged to have some adjustment to my job i.e. something more flexible. During my disclosure I have only received a lot of understanding and support but I guess it's not like that in all countries.