Balancing life and illness is tough, especially after 20-plus years of chronic, debilitating sickness. Being 'disabled' means 'not able' which includes not being able to work, to bring money your way. Trying to stretch the monthly income received to cover the monthly expenses a chronic illness demands, is a magical trick that no disabled performer can achieve. The result of that act is frustration. The recurrence of that act, month after month, spells desperation. A desperation that leads to a road whose perfect name could be Misery. To give you an idea of the extra costs of living that people with disabilities have, following I will mention some of the devices that I use and their approximate cost:
1. Hospital bed. Mine is electrical=$900.00 * 2. Electrical Air Mattress =$3,500.003. Manual Hydraulic Hoyer Sling lift=$600.00 * (Medicare provided)4. Electric massager to improve circulation =$70.005. Wheelchair - Mine is manual=$800.006. DeJourns electric lyft motor and track system=$4,800.007. Bidet - requires electricity=$245.008. Shower Chair - =$140.00
As you can see, although some of the devices were provided by Medicare, all the special electric equipment uses lots of energy, which increases our electricity bill. And the manual ones require an assistant to operate, so, at this point, I am still determining which one is more expensive. I hear people saying that if you are handicapped, Medicare sends help to bathe you, cook for you and clean your house and wash your clothes, but it is not quite like that; only Medicaid recipients get that benefit.
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