Out of Workforce Before Cancer

nancyu

Out of Workforce Before Cancer

nancyu

would like to hear from women who were out of the workforce and looking when they were diagnosed.

My bind is that if I go to work and earn a dollar, I will loose my Medicaid benefits. I am in a special program for people with some income. Disability is still pending. That has been 7 months in the works, if I get it.

I have been out of my field, that is narrow, for five years. I have not worked at all for three years. I have a high level of education and had some high level jobs that I can not do anymore. It was hard enough to get a job - the "overequalified" thing - back then. My techical skills have to be updated, but I can not afford tuition.

My temporary alimony, designed to cover half of my monthly living expenses and get me back to work and up to speed, will end in February. I have been dealing with cancer for over a year already, and will be February before my treatment ends. I am in a rural area, that was supposed to be a 6-month stop, so I have to move again.

I do not have a fallback person to help me financially. My ex destoyed out credit, and I have nothing left to sell, etc. I am very afraid of what will happen when the bottom drops out all at once. I live hand to mouth and the slighest thing blows my budget, sometimes for months.

wishiwere

{{Nancy}}.....there but for the grace.... I'm so sorry you are having to deal with all this and treatment too.  I wish I had something to offer in the way of knowledge of what to do. Only thing I can think of is to contact a local soc serv office.  I know in michigan they have programs to update your skills when you've been away from your field, but not sure if it's still going or not?

iodine

Contact your DHS and ask for a referral to Vocational Rehabilitation counselor.  this is a state run program and it a may get fed funds, too.

They pay for a lot of med tx to get people back to work, but can also direct you to other resources.

You cancer ctr or local hospital social services social worker can also be a source of assistance.

ICanDoThis

Wow, this is a scary thing.

Have you considered going to a temp tech agency with your "out-of-date" skills?

I have friends who had a really good living updating COBOL systems in the Y2K era.

And it's not unusual to need someone to come in with an older skill set to support equipment that is no longer state-of-the-art.

You might want to start searching metro areas that you would feel comfortable living in, then finding agencies that specialize in what you do.

For example, if you were coming to Ann Arbor as a programmer, I know of two or three boutique agencies that could be really good. I have referred laid-off friends in the past, and they have all done well.

Then, go where the best pickin's seem to be.

I know that when I've been between jobs, I get really scared, but when I pick myself up and start doing the footwork, the right thing turns up.

Sue

nancyu

Thank you all for your suggestions.

I actually did apply at McDonalds once - they wouldn't hire me. I'm not worried about a pay cut compared to salaries I had in the past. Non-profits and academia do not pay well to begin with. But, I do have to be able to eat and live somewhere safe. Also, I have a dog and two cats. They are my family and we're a package deal. My pets have filled the role of being my rocks my whole life.

I can and have temped, but the assignments can be sparse and not enough to live on. At times, I was a temp for the temp agency that I worked for. They like to have drawers full of resumes and give everyone the same false-hope story when you register -- we'll be able to get you work , no problem. I have lived in a number of states and used to be able to get temp work everywhere, no problem. That was always my fall back when there were changes. Guess whose career came first? I left mine in 1995, just after I married my now ex-husband. After 9/11, getting any work in the metro NY area became even more difficult. I spent many years taking "anything", the "begger mentality" because I had to. I have worked in some very unhealthy companies. Some had practices that landed me in court more than once to testify against my employer. They were way beyond office politics. I can't do it any more.

I need to move and have a general idea of what I am looking for as far as livability, but I can't just go off somewhere. I've done it before - Virginia and Atlanta. They were disasters. I moved four times in three states in the year just prior to, and after my divorce, due to my ex-husband. Moving is expensive, and physically, I can't do what I used to. I'm not going anywhere unless I get disability. I have no resources.

My undergraduate work was in Communications, my graduate work in Public Administration (Non-profits) and I did two certificates in 1999 & 2000 ( Computer Graphics and Professional Web Development). I am basically creative, not technical. I am project-oriented, and environment is very important, more so than the work itself. One was paid for on an unemployment grant by the state of NJ. (I lost 3 corporate jobs in five years due to lack of work). My ex was an IT person. I focused in on software and lost current knowledge of the hardware, security, etc. sides. He even rigged up his home theatre system so complicated, because to him it was fun, that I actually had several pages of written instructions.

I really know how to shake the trees. NYS does not have any programs. I was working with NYS Dept. of Labor to get work during the few months I was up here and before diagnosis. I have called the person I was working with twice recently. No callback. My time, patience and energy is currently limited. To my knowledge, NYS does not have any programs you are granted disabled status. VESID couldn't help me, either. I used to have students in the VESID program when I worked.

My field is in post-graduate continuing medical and professional education. I'm working on plugging back into the field. One of my goals for five years (or less) from now is to be living and working out of the country again.

juli0212

I am in NYS and been permanently disabled since 2002 due to debilitating daily migraine/nausea...I'm never without pain.  And, of course, now a cancer diagnosis AND bone problems now.  I worked for federal government, so I did get to keep my insurance, and was approved immediately for disability/retirement they call it, and social security.  I wish you the very best, Nancy...you're in a tough spot, and need all the resources you can gather.  GOOD LUCK to you....let us know?   ~juli

pabbie

I hope you get your social security disability. It would make your life alot easier. I wonder if the social security office has any informational phone numbers for you while you're awaiting a decision.

In 2002 I went through the dept. of rehabilitation and found work; but that takes time and energy. It took me a couple of years working part-time in low paying jobs while I healed from a cancer I had in 1999.

I'm currently off work now finishing up radiation treatments for a second cancer. (breast)

I know the work thing is very hard. Especially when you don't have a job to go back to. I would keep calling all the government agencies that could help you now to get you on your feet. (social services, human services, etc.) I'm sending positive thoughts and vibes your way. Let us know how it goes. Take care of yourself.

hooptiedoo

Just remember if you take a job, your seven months of waiting for Social Security Disability are gone. However, since you don't have a support system, you may have no choice. My husband had to wait three years just to get a hearing for his Social Security Disability. Even though I took a second job, we still ended up in bankruptcy. He finally got approved and his payments started last January and he also eventually got his back pay, but the pain, fear and humiliation we suffered during those three years were simply unbelievable. It completely took our savings, including pension savings, just to survive. I don't think I'll ever get to retire, and still work the second job three nights a week because gasoline and groceries are so high. I'm not trying to scare you or make you feel worse, Nancy, but the world is a scary place just now. Are there social service agencies you could talk to about getting some kind of help while you wait for the disability? I really think you need some outside help here and more advice than any of us can give you.