For me, keeping my head above water finacially has been a bigger challenge that pd itself..As you know I still fish part time, but I dont make much money at it at all..I am on SSDI, and Medicare, and although I cant live without it..it is a double edged sword, and here is how it applies to my situation...

I am in a disability situation because I cant work a 40 hour job..Even though I still fish, which is rough work..I am able to do it beacuse I can do it in my own time frame, when physical conditions warrent it, and I can do what I feel up to doing, come and go as I need to..If I dont feel up up it, I dont have to go..I am not mandated to produce "x" amount of product, and that is the only way I can work, mostly due to pd related cronic fatigue..So I cant work at a full time job for the sole purpose of reaping the benefits they have to offer, like health care, and many jobs dont offer complete paid health care anymore anyway..I havent got the stamina to support myself with a full time job, I dont make enough on SSDI, and even if you can make alot of money working part time, you are penalized by SSDI, and considered inelligable to collect benefits..Damned if I do, and damned if I dont

From how you describe your situation Fiona..You would probably not be able to collect SSDI if you make too much money part time, and if you decided to comply with the criteria to become eligable for SSDI, you would probably have to either work less to make less, or do what you are doing now for less money, and when I say less money, what SSDI would allow you to make part time would no doubt be an insult to a professional like yourself..Thats the double edged sword I am talking about in order to qualify to collect that SSDI check, and the Medicare coverage..Medicare by the way, is a 24 month waiting period, after you are approved for SSDI, which would not help you in the here and now anyway, even if you decided to apply for SSDI

So I work part time, and Im allowed to make about $670 a month without getting into the trial work period, which means if I stay below that amount, Social Security will most likely stay off of my back..But I dont make that much per month when I do fish, and I dont make a pay every month..I make a pay maybe 5 months out of the year..My SSDI check barely gets me through each month..Long story short..I am at the mercy of the system..So what I got into a few months ago, is the stock market, and I did it because you are allowed to make all the profit your little heart desires without being penalized by Social Security..I sell covered calls on stocks which is the most consevative kind of stock trading..There are a number of techniques you can use when the price of the stocks you own goes down, and still sell calls against them to generate income on the position..But it of course isnt without risk, tons of research, math, making the most profitable move at the opportune time, and a little bit of luck..I have been ahead of the game selling calls so far, and compounding the profit..What it comes down to, is you do what you have to do to survive..I lived on the edge fishing most of my life never thinking about what would happen if I were to become disabled..No benefits, no 401K, no IRA, no retirement plan, no severance pay, no disability insurance

This is the corner I got backed into when I became disabled