Tell us how you are today?

Hi Day-by-Day, I have been confused by the thread. We didn’t expand Medicaid to reach to people above the poverty level - that is true - it still requires poverty level based on the state declared poverty limits. Other states did make it possible for people above the poverty level to qualify for assistance.

I think my confusion was that when I requested Medicaid for Jeb as the meeting with SS after they had made the decision that he qualified for ssdi and ssi, they asked about his current insurance continuing. Could be I didn’t understand why they were asking at the time. I lock up mentally around Social Security, I still get too tense each time a letter arrives, I have to make myself open the letters.

Any positive changes that are occurring in Texas are focused on the major cities - most of Texas geographically is small towns and counties where people get the same response we got when we asked for help. Statewide they should be applying the law changes that allow judges to order forced meds. If you look at the treatment advocacy center web page you will see that Texas receives a grade of “F” in using the laws.

Where my son lives now has actual CIT officers - from what I understand from the families who live there, if you get lucky you might get a CIT officer.

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Day to Day. Disabled before 22, I believe, st least in my state automatically qualifies a person for Medicaid, provided, no Home is owned, and assets are less than 2000$. When my husband died, she received survival benefits rather than SSDI which she just began to receive a month before he died.

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Here is what I have learned:
Regarding SSDI:
if NOT disabled before 22 - which can be difficult to argue for some of our family members - a person cannot get SSDI from a parent’s work history. My son has been denied for that, I am weighing the benefits of following up for the hearing vs. just leaving him on SSI.

Regarding private insurance after age of 26:
My son is past 26, but was able to remain on my private insurance. This is determined by the insurance plan you are on. If your family member is approaching that age and is on your insurance, you might want to look into what your policy supports and make sure you have everything they might ask for.

Regarding relationship between SSI and Medicaid:
Most states AUTOMATICALLY enroll a person in Medicaid if they qualify for SSI, but some do not. I happen to live in a state that requires separate application. Financial restrictions also differ in this state regarding the amount of money he can have in savings.

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Cerium, where did the survivor benefits come from? Are those benefits the reason SSDI wasn’t granted? If so, I sure hope the survivor benefits were higher than what SSDI would’ve been.

I’ve had to make sure my relatives are all clear that my son cannot inherit or be gifted money. If he does, he’ll lose his SSI, and more importantly, his Medicaid. Anything he gets needs to go into his Special Needs Trust.

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Hi there. My husband, daughters father passed away suddenly. Yes, it was more than the SSDI. I would take less, actually zero to have my husband back here.

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That’s awful. Yes, I’m sure you’d give absolutely everything to have him back. I’m so sorry.

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Thank you. Day by day. I would.

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Exhaustipated….too tired to give a crap. We have had several good months during which my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer dementia. She is mild moving into moderate. As mom declines son’s paranoia increases and hubbys GAD goes into overdrive. Normally I just go with the flow…but I really want a vacation (as much work as camping with grandchildren is, it still is a vacation). So all 3 of them are being a PITA and I have lost my cool calm demeanor and this week yelled at them all. Would like to say it cleared the air, but you know all it has done for the three of them is reinforced the idea I am the one with a problem!! Next time I will not clue them in with vacation plans. I will just leave a note and disappear :sunglasses:

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lol - I so love the idea of leaving a note and disappearing next time I need a serious break

When we were building the garage apartment for Jeb and he kept insisting he would not live out there and my husband kept freaking out about Jeb saying that and adding to my stress. I finally told my husband “One of us WILL be moving out there, if might be ME!”

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I’m so sorry for your loss, Cerium.

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Thank you, banana1. Me too😖

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Lol, A vacation sounds so nice. Have fun with the grandkids, sometimes we just need a break from mental illness.

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Sori for your loss life isn’t guaranteed as we see ,keep your chin up😄

How am I? I’m sad and I’m once again pissed off at the world. It’s that whole cycling back to anger again, as part of the grieving process. My poor child. What the hell did he do to deserve this? Nothing. Not a F’n thing.

I’m having a bad night. I’m sorry for the negativity. Tomorrow’s a new day.

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This is a really great thread!
I’m going to skip on replying to anyone else’s post for now because I want to see if answering the simple question in the OP goes anywhere internal for me.
Feel free to ignore.

Today is a good day, as most of them are.
Considering all the reasons (excuses) I could have to be an emotional mess, I choose to find peace and contentment.
Today, as with most days, I feel like the world is an imperfect place, full of imperfect people. I am one of them. My SzA brother is one of them, too.
Here is why today is good:
Nobody I know is in direct, immediate danger. Everyone I know is carrying on, stressing about the usual daily stresses.
While my brother’s symptoms obviously persist, and talking with him on the phone today was no less trying or tedious than normal… He means well, and his struggles don’t have to be my struggles.
So today I gave myself permission (as I often do) to be content in as many ways as possible. I recognize they my peace and contentment are contingent upon so many factors, but intent is really the foundation of all of it.
Because I intend to seek contentment. Because those around me intend the same. We are afforded plenty of days where I have to admit; things could be worse. And rather than fear those potential occurances, I acknowledge their existence is prevented only by mutual intent for them not to happen, and they may be inevitable anyway.
But in the same way I don’t stress about the possibility of a meteor crashing into my livingroom one day, I choose not to stress about my brother having a debilitating or life-threatening episode.

Could I possibly regret this casual disregard of potential threats? Maybe.
But in the same way that I am not armoring my livingroom against falling celestial bodies, I am not steeling my nerves for another latenight schizophrenia adventure.
I have done what is reasonable to prevent the possibility of disaster. I will know what to do if the worst happens.
For now, I will enjoy peace and contentment because these things are fleeting at best, anyway.

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How am I today?, no one really asks me that question. I just found this forum during another all nighter with my wife who has SZA. So I would say I’m tired and probably in for a sluggish day.

My wife, after 3 years on the invega shot without as much as a peep from her symptoms, essentially got hit by a freight train and all her voices came back about 4 months ago. Her doctor is still trying to figure things out. Some days are terrible, others are like shes fine. She is doing ok ish. I worry though because the symptoms are more intense and different then they used to be.

I am glad I found this site though.

Hope others have a good day

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Sorry to hear your wife has positive symptoms. Hope they go away quickly.

When I created this thread, to ask how are you today, it was for the reason you mention: most people do not really care how we, caretakers of a relative with schizophrenia, are doing and are too afraid to know. I am glad we care speak freely here, and share how we are doing. As I think we can see, we are a community, and not everyday is unpleasant.

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First post, a recap of something that happened last Friday -
My husband and I were invited to a retirement party open house for an old friend of mine. My husband and my son don’t get along, so, even though my son is also friendly with this family, I didn’t mention anything to him about the open house, and left it up to the hostess.

My son was invited, and walked there himself. My husband arrived before me, so they were both there, without me. They haven’t seen each other in literally YEARS.

My son texted me as he was walking over, so I did let him know my husband would also be there. My husband texted me after he arrived, to tell me my son was there.

After I arrived, my husband said to me in an aside, ‘He’s really out there.’ I wanted to just say, ‘duh’, but refrained. Then he left early.

I stayed on. There was a boisterous group of people there. My son was really good at introducing himself and offering a handshake. People in this group were very kind and made the effort to chat with him.

I was both disappointed and saddened by my husband’s behavior, and proud of my son.

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Next post - just finished this baby blanket - these colors put me in a good mood!

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@Day-by-Day I agree. It’s not fair to them and it’s not fair to us. My BF’s second son just left for college. I ask myself - Why couldn’t have my son gone off to school and been successful? I get angry at the world and at him. Then I circle back to those less fortunate but still the original feelings of unfairness are there.

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