Using the "Kidney Disease Card"

[MomoMcSleepy]

I laughed out loud at "S&R". And I'm at work.  It sounded like something that my brother would come up with.. I've been avoiding a sick coworker al, day.  She's been nice about staying away from me, but has to hand me paperwork sometimes...after which I thoroughly wipe everything down.  I have a sore throat, and I am getting my fistula Friday!  But everyone's sick right now, not her fault....

[MomoMcSleepy]

I've used it to get out of something that runs late, but I genuinely get a nasty kidney inflection if I stay up late--even if I get enough sleep (8 hours or whatever) I wake up with a sore kidney.  Actually, I often go to BED with a sore kidney on a late night, it's already started.  I also am vocal about sick people staying away from me.  I understand why they came to work, but make sure they're cognizant of their germs and keep it to themselves as much as possible.  I would have felt like a jerk before, but I just say, "I'm just trying stay as healthy as possible, no offense, hope you feel better!"  I first did that when my dad was dying/sick/on chemo.  I really mean it, though, I don't need another infection of any sort! And I  stay sick FOREVER!

[Chris]

I kinda used the card to get out of potential jury duty, but I was having so many doctor appointments that I can't fit jury duty in unless it was for only one week guaranteed.  would like to do jury duty though.

[Jean]

I used the card just recently to get out of jury duty. Well, the card plus my age. Finally I am getting a break here, LOL

[MooseMom]

I used it to get out of Jury Duty, too.  Frankly, though, I had just been put on the tx waitlist, and I could just see myself getting "the call" right when the prosecution set out its case or something!  So when I got the form, I wrote back to the clerk that I was on the list and did she want to donate?  LOL!  I was informed the very next day that I would probably never have to do jury duty.  Funnily, I wouldn't have minded it.

[MomoMcSleepy]

I contouring jury duty, too, though I was not trying to. I said that I needed to sprinklers of water and pee every two hours or so, and that I and my A/V fistula surgery two days after my jury duty assignment.  The lady said, "oh, you're going to start dialysis?  Forget it, then.  I'll send you and excused note in the mail.  My mama was in dialysis for 11 years, I lost her a while back." Well, I felt so sad for her, but she was super nice!

And, this woman was nice and pleasant before she even knew about my kidney, God Bless her!

So I didn't mean to, have served before even though it was super inconvenient and I probably could have gotten out of it on a hardship/medical, but there you are...of course my surgery got canceled, but I was really sick, so it worked out, anyway.

[WishIKnew]

Just found this thread.  Love it.  Now I don't feel so guilty.  I use it to sleep, as another said here.  My husband and son would get irritated with me if I went to bed too early, but once I started dialysis and even to this day if I'm tired I go to bed and hear no complaints from the "boys".

The biggest time I've ever played the kidney/transplant card was right after my transplant.  My 8th grade son had just started second semester and a new health class while I was in the hospital for my transplant.  When we got his interim grade in health it was a D.     What the heck!  My A,B student was getting a D, and in health no less.  I went to conferences and discovered that the reason for the D was a packet  of "very important" papers which my husband or I were to have signed each page of and returned the first week of the class.  For this my son would have received 50 points per page.  Now, between you and me, my son could have brought these papers home and my husband could have signed them.  My son is usually very good about that kind of thing.  (Here comes the card!) That being said, I told her all about my hospital stay and the transplant and the crazy schedules everyone was keeping to spend time with me (my transplant center is an hour from home) and my husband being in a wheel chair because he had just had ankle surgery and how much my son was taking care of everything around the house and how I'm the one who usually checks with my son about his school stuff and...  By the time I was done talking she changed  my son's grade, giving him full credit for the papers we never signed.     LOL  He finished the quarter with an A in health.  I felt a little guilty.  But then it was a kidney transplant and nothing I told her was untrue...

Got your card?

 









EDITED: Fixed quote tag error- kitkatz, Moderator

[WishIKnew]

By the way, I never asked the teacher to change the grade, I just wanted the opportunity to sign the all important papers for maybe half credit....
Maybe I poured it on a little heavy...

[galvo]

Well done!

[Darthvadar]

Now that Mum has Parkinson's Disease, too, I get to use 'the card' far more often, and believe me, I take FULL advantage of it!...

'Sorry, Can't help out at the kid's Breakfast Club at 8am, I've to do Mum's dialysis'

'Sorry, I can't collect your kid from school at 2pm because you want to get your hair done, I've to do Mum's dialysis'

'Sorry, I can't come to your party (where are lots of smokers, and god knows how many bugs floating around after they've coughed up half a lung) at 8pm, I've to do ...... ' Well, you get the picture!....

As someone said, we've got all the disadvantages of Kidney Disease, so let's make full use of the advantakes!...

Love to all...

Darth...

[deniferfer]

I try not to use it but there are times I need to

like others have said I got out of jury duty, if i don't want to eat something nasty someone made without hurting their felling, I just say sorry that's on the no, no list, or I don't want to get up early or I even told my sister once when she was late to college use it, that i couldn't get off in time to take her. (OK that one mite have been wrong to do)

I look at it like a job... you have to deal with all the c**p to get the benefits. So why not use them once in awhile? Lol

[Hazmat35]

My doctor gave me paperwork all filled out to get a Handicap placard for my car.  I hate to admit it, but I have used it.  I do feel guilty sometimes. 

Also my doctor got me out of Jury Duty.  He had no hesiatation what so ever writting a letter to the Court in my behalf. 

Most people at work, treat me "gingerly" like I am a porcelain doll or something, so does my family and my g/f.  I am going on 50 y/o, 5'10" and strong as a bull most days.  But they act as if I do something that takes some physical strength or ability that I need to TAKE IT EASY, get the younger guys to do that stuff . . . etc.  It drives me crazy.  Just because I have CKD doesn't mean I'm dead (yet anywany). 

Yes, I go to dialysis, i take all my meds, and watch my fluids, all that stuff, so PLEASE, let me lead my life like a normal person.  When I need your help, I'll ask for it! 

But, I did take the Jury Duty letter and used it!  LOL!!!!!

[kitkatz]

I use the executive parking ( handicap) sticker I have regularly now. Besides hubby has one, too. 

[Simon Dog]

I use it for only one thing - getting on the flight at pre boarding time and gate checking my cycler.  Between not want to get my cath jammed up against a seat in the boarding rush, and the necessity to be one of the "winners" in "overhead space roulette" (since I have my other medical supplies in carry on), this reduces a lot of stress - and no gate agent has ever accepted my offer to show them my catheter.

[Chris]

I use the executive parking ( handicap) sticker I have regularly now. Besides hubby has one, too.

Never thought of it that way, I have executive parking!
On many days it comes in handy and some (not recent) I have not needed it. I do miss it when I do not have the card in the right vehicle and it's a day I need it due to pain or light headedness/ low energy.

[Grumpy-1]

I use the handicap placard only when my legs hurt enough to make it hard to walk any great distances.  Normally, I can get around quite well.    Grumpy

[Lillupie]

My doctor wont give me a handicap parking sticker or allow me to have one. Nor will he sign off on my student loans so the intrest rate keeps raking up to the point of never being able to pay them.

Lisa

[Grumpy-1]

Lisa   WHY ? 

[Lillupie]

Lisa   WHY ?

They told me I can walk and dont need a handicap parking sticker. Well now that im in Tennessee, things might go different. Lets see. Im a little nervous in asking a second doc to forgive my student loans. First of all, to everyone I look healthy, im sure including my doctor. I havent had a complications that would require to me take extra time off if I had a job. Buut when I started dialysis I wasnt working, so now I dont know how to adjust to that, Im technically a single parent with a little kid to take care of. When I was in Michigan I also had the added responsibility of being my moms taxi driver. I just feel as though I have too much on my plate to work, take care of a wild daughter ( i mean she physcially wears me out), do daily dialysis, take care of the household chores alone, and taket he time cooking food from scratch.
 If I didnt have my daughter, or she was grown up, I could probably work atleast part time. I just dont see that happening now since I spend most days when she is in school sleeping, because im very tired. I also have a hard time sleeping at night. So when she is in school I catch up on my lost sleep.
 So yeah that is why I dont work and why he wouldnt sign off to have my loans forgiven.

Lisa

[Simon Dog]

So yeah that is why I dont work and why he wouldn't sign off to have my loans forgiven.

The reasons are tough, but a large percentage of the reasons are those that the govt will not accept as a factor in determination of disability for student loan purposes.   Don't assume that loan forgiveness would necessarily be forthcoming, even if your doc signed the papers.  One of the standards for forgiveness is no possibility of becoming un-disabled, and that one could he hard to prove.

[Lillupie]

So yeah that is why I dont work and why he wouldn't sign off to have my loans forgiven.

The reasons are tough, but a large percentage of the reasons are those that the govt will not accept as a factor in determination of disability for student loan purposes.   Don't assume that loan forgiveness would necessarily be forthcoming, even if your doc signed the papers.  One of the standards for forgiveness is no possibility of becoming un-disabled, and that one could he hard to prove.

But now its to the point that Im never going to be able to pay them even if I become able to work a full time job. When I first got out of school the loan amount was $200 a month approx. Year after year of being on dialysis it is now with the intrest rate, the payments are $500, even with a good paying job I am not going to be able to pay $500 just for a student loan!! THey wont get rid of the intrest rate for me to be able to afford it when and if I can work.
 Now if I werent on dialysis and could work right after college, my payment would of been $200, but with going 4 years on economic hardship, the intrest rate keeps adding up and up.

[Simon Dog]

I was not meaning to imply that you could pay what they are demanding, just pointing out that the disability standard is so high that your doc may know that you won't qualifym, and that (s)he may be the messenger, not someone actually in a position to get you forgiveness.   The sad fact of the matter is that ability to pay is not even considered when determining if a student loan can be forgiven.

[Lillupie]

Doesnt make any sense to me. If I cant get a transplant and will never get off of dialysis and will not get any better, how will not not qualify me? I mean how much  more bad off can I be??? I mean if I havent worked now, and I cant work, and chances are I wont get a kidney transplant (too many antibodies and no support system). I dont get how much worse off can I get then needing daily dialysis. If I could get a transplant, then I can see. THe odds are really against me though.

Lisa

[MomoMcSleepy]

So yeah that is why I dont work and why he wouldn't sign off to have my loans forgiven.

The reasons are tough, but a large percentage of the reasons are those that the govt will not accept as a factor in determination of disability for student loan purposes.   Don't assume that loan forgiveness would necessarily be forthcoming, even if your doc signed the papers.  One of the standards for forgiveness is no possibility of becoming un-disabled, and that one could he hard to prove.

But now its to the point that Im never going to be able to pay them even if I become able to work a full time job. When I first got out of school the loan amount was $200 a month approx. Year after year of being on dialysis it is now with the intrest rate, the payments are $500, even with a good paying job I am not going to be able to pay $500 just for a student loan!! THey wont get rid of the intrest rate for me to be able to afford it when and if I can work.
 Now if I werent on dialysis and could work right after college, my payment would of been $200, but with going 4 years on economic hardship, the intrest rate keeps adding up and up.

can't you get a forbearance?  Something that freezes it so the interest doesn't accrue?  Or, is there ANY way that maybe you could make the interest payments?  I dropped down to interest-only payments recently, and am paying $72 a month.  My husband is doing the same as you, not paying anything, and it drives me nuts.  It's going to be my problem in a few years, once the other debts are paid off.

[Lillupie]

I am making the $50 a month intrest only payment on the Sallie Mae private loan. They have told me there is nothing that i can do to freeze the intrest rate, even if its only a few years they wont freeze the intrest rate without me being in school.

Lisa