NaeNae, I was in a similar spot, and remember it painfully well.

it's like the Catch-22 of MS.

the agonizing wait for the disability approval, and the "child support income" problem meant that for nearly ten years, I had to pay for my medical out of my own pocket, because I didn't qualify, but at least my kids had coverage.

one thing I WAS able to do was get TEMPORARY MediCal (California's Medicaid) JUST for the MRI needed to prove the diagnosis.

it was only a one-shot deal, and then, no health insurance again, until I got MediCare, lemme think, two years after the SSDI approval.

and for a short time in there, my STATE disability insurance kicked in, which helped for about a year.

during the "starving times" we lived on the child support solely, because I literally could not work, could not drive, right arm hanging down like a stroke victim, half-blind, incontinent, exhausted, etc. blah blah blah.

so I learned a lot of tricks to make ends meet.

swallowed my pride and went to the food banks.

got rides to the Central Valley, and bought food and fruit in bulk.

and yeah, we ate a lot of beans and rice and ramen soup...

joined co-ops to stretch the food dollar further.

got LIHEAP to help pay for a tank of propane to heat the house.

they would only do ONE tank a year though, alas... and *shiver*

babysat for friends to get a few extra dollars, and made handmade cards for a friend to sell at her flea market booth.

sold some furniture, and the kids' outgrown stuff at the flea market as well.

finally moved to a cramped 2-bdrm apt. (with 3 kids, ouch!)

and helped friends do inventory at their store, under the table...

yeah, it was rough, but you're smart and stubborn just like I am, and a MOTHER LION for your kids, so you will find a way to get through.

but if you DO take a real job, with a payroll and deductions, it'll totally screw up the disability application, because then they'll say "See, you ARE able to work!"

it can be a LONG drop, falling out of the middle class into poverty, and a hard row to hoe, but we made it, and my kids turned out okay.