My first symptom was noted by my most awesome Internist...loved her...in 1989. Which means that my symptoms pre-dated that by some period of time.

• I would have paid closer attention to my financial life, especially since I am a single person.

• I would have "listened" to the 401(k) warnings at work...join, join, join...save, save, save...not just a few dollars at a time, but 15/20% of my gross income. Something I wish I had to fall back upon NOW.

• I would have paid closer attention to the "advertisements" at work about LTD sooner.

• I would have stayed as fit as I had been prior to 1987. I stopped exercising for the usual excuse, I don't have time...my work hours don't allow time...etc.

I only became a participant in LTD when I assumed responsibility for a company plan at my last job. Never dawned on me that I would be a beneficiary one day. But, without the LTD, I would never be able to support myself solely on SSDI, which is only 50% of my income today, combining with my LTD benefits.

I can't say much more that that, since I began my research in to "what is this" as soon as my Internist began to become concerned, which did take her a few months of checking me out from time to to time. I began seeing the MDC at USF in Tampa in 1993, and have been with an MDC every since; currently at the Univ of Maryland, Baltimore.

I don't have many regrets about life...couldn't do much about them it I did.