Hello

this is very embarrasing. i am going to tell you personal things only because i hope it might help someone here, not to make you feel bad for me.

RSD has wrecked me finances. i lost my home to foreclosure several years ago when i lost my job of 20 years.
i have a job now and work from home but i make too much money for all program through my local government. i make too much for disability. i go to food banks every week so my hubby and i can eat. 2 local churches help me with some bills and food cards. my prescription costs keep growing each month. my company switched insurance companies january 1st and now my dr visits are 35 for regular and 65 for specialist and my hospital care is expensive!

i was told of one program that may help with copays it is www.patientadvocate.org but when i applied it said all their funds were used up for the month, and i should apply July first.

so if you know of any programs that have helped you please share here so we can help eachother.
thank you
Lori

Lori, you are so right. CRPS can devastate your finances. It is the norm with this disorder. It is a good idea to share ideas on how we can help each other to reduce the financial crippling that many of us are experiencing.

The "Partnership for Prescription Assistance" provides some excellent resources for providing VERY low cost GENERIC drugs to people of limited income.

The savings are very substantial.

Here is the website. http://www.pparx.org/

Check it out! The only requirement is a limited income (income limits apply)

Click on "prescription assistance programs" when you enter this website.

You need to enter some very basic information and depending on your inputs, it will route you to companies that may be able to help you.
The two companies that I am using are RX OUTREACH and XUBEX.

If you have limited income (but it is not as limited as you might guess), you owe it to yourself to spend a few minutes to see if you qualify.....

Check out the RSDSA website. They have links to a variety of financial assistance programs. RSDSA.org

Hey I am sorry for all your struggles. Some meds directly from the company like Cymbalta for ex your doctor can fill out a form and they will give you meds for free if you have no insurance or no med coverage. There is an income restriction but I can't recall what it is. Even with that you may be able to contact the company and explain. You may want to try the direct site of the med you are on or ask your doctor about that.
On a side note what type of job do you have that you work from home? I wish I could find something pt like that though right now not sure I could even handle that.
You are in my thoughts

thank you everyone

i sell office supplies. i had a 25 yr career before i got sick. my job can be done anywhere that i have a phone and my laptop. since i am mostly bedridden, i wake up, roll over, start up the computer, hubby takes care of me, the house and our cat. i get out about once a week. its getting harder and harder for me to walk. when you dont use it, you lose it. i have to get myself on a program to build up my strength.

I am so sorry but I give you so much credit that even bed ridden you are working.
I do agree that if you don't use it we loose it. I know with the pain though it a vicious cycle. I remember my pain doctor saying it is like a dog trying to catch it's tail. With rsd we need to move yet the pain makes us not. I hope you can find what helps you. Hang in there

I'm very impressed with lorigood for being able to work at all also. My wife has RSD and is good at coming up with ideas of how to bring in cash, but her mental and physical limitations prevent them from going any further.

Instead, I am looking for part-time work right now. I plan on working my 40 hour a week office job during the day, then coming home to fix dinner, bathe put my kids to bed, take care of any of my wife's needs (icepacks, dinner, bandaging, medicating, arguing, etc.) then go to a graveyard shift until midnight - 2 am just to try to cover child care and Rx. This is going to be rough...but I suppose this are the times that make us who we are.

Thanks!

Lori, have you tried to collect SSDI-medicare? Before Suzy received her SSDI we did get discounts, through her doctor, help from pharmacutical companies. We saved about $1000 per month. You could also call your local churches to see if they have resources you can use. But, if I were you go to social services and even though you may not qualify for medicaid, foodstamps etc., they can give you plenty of info where to receive help and how to get it too.

Thank you all for your compliments but i have to work or we may be homeless.
i make too much for any program to help me at all. there are 2 churches that help me with different tings as i ask for help, they are wonderful. i go to a food bank every week and some churches give me food cards.
i only make 36k to support 2 of us. the apartment i have costs 1200 a month, it is a 2 bedroom which i needed when my twins lived at home. i cant find a cheaper place that is low income housing and handicapp accessable. i only have a job because a had a 25 year career before i got sick. the company i was with for 20 years pushed me out of my job after i was sick for 3 years. i made that company millions of dollars and was still the top sales rep when they pushed me out. they changed my comission schedule so i couldnt live on what i was making. i had a sales contract that said i wouldnt call my clients from that company for 18 months. so when i could finally call them, many of my contacts were gone or companies closed. it was rough. the company i am currently with are doing all they can to help me be successful. my sales are the worst in the company, yet he still gives me new leads to try to build an account base. he is awesome.

im sorry i got off on a rant.

matt, im sorry you are having to work 2 jobs. i know you adore your family and are doing what needs to be done. its people like you and me that there should be a helping hand, more than a tax deduction at the end of each year.
this illness just stinks! it robs us of so much.