Having disabilities that are not “Disabilities”

I do not know how people do this every day. You who deal with this as well, are the true warriors. I am currently dealing with “the system”, seeking employment in a field I have zero experience in as a 39-year-old woman which seems is next to impossible. “You need a degree”, ok I am working with vocational rehabilitation to get a degree in Business, Check. “We need experience.” Not sure how to get that when no one will take a chance on you. I am extremely intelligent and have “superior” hands-on and reasoning skills. Doesn’t matter. So, I am left unemployed, hunting for someone that can work with my “disabilities.” What are my issues? Well, plantar fasciitis with bone spurs... not a disability but, you can't walk or stand for more than 2 hours. Tendonitis... not a disability but, your ankle can give out on you in a stabbing blinding pain whenever it feels like it. Major depressive disorder is a disability, but you can’t receive any financial assistance outside of vocational rehabilitation with it. Moderate Anxiety disorder, a disability but again, no financial assistance available.

So, what does one do? Uber Eats helps if I am not having a bad anxiety day. And when I do have an anxiety attack while out there (which happens often as it is difficult to find apartment #’s) it ends your day completely. It just drains you completely, so you must go home or break down completely (I.e., road range or emotional meltdown crying and screaming). I also work Rover; pet sitting is great. Except if you need to MAKE actual money. I had to raise my prices due to the cost of gas driving to and from peoples’ houses and the cost of food while staying there. In doing so I haven’t gotten any new clients. I get beat out by the lower-priced sitters online. Mostly I was breaking even with the cost of gas and food.

Then there are the services available for people that only make around $600 a month. SNAP, food stamps, help a dramatic amount. Making virtually nothing I make almost $200 a month in food stamps. Now, most people run about $100 a week in food, but you learn to work with it. Medicaid covers the medical aspect, thank the gods because I wouldn’t even have these diagnoses. Annnnndddd.... that is literally ALL of the services I qualify for. Since I am a single white woman, with no dependents, I am entitled to ZERO actual financial help. I have looked into every link I can find in hopes I find anything that can help me keep my car ($350 a month”), my insurance ($750 every 6 months), and my rent ($400 a month for now as my friend is helping me out at the moment.) I can’t get a loan to consolidate my bills because I am technically unemployed. I have run up my credit cards in the last 3 months trying to pay everything on time. I am only behind my insurance 2 months ($398 due on the 22nd or I lose my insurance) and my car payment ($350 was due on the 6th). I have also tried to refinance my auto loan, but because I use my car to drive for Uber Eats, my mileage is too high, and I owe about $9,000 more than it is worth. So, no one will refinance. My family and friends have helped me so much I am so grateful to them.

My feet issues feel like they are ruining my life. It feels like I am walking on swollen bruises with knives jabbing deep into my heels every time I walk. I still walk, I do my stretches, and do physical therapy (thanks to Medicaid). I go to pain management doctors and to my general practitioner. I do my stretches every day, and I have had no improvement in the last 3 months. Coming from industries where you stand on your feet all day and trying to branch into a new industry is frustrating and taking too long financially. I am going to get help revamping my resume from a resume writer out of vocational rehabilitation on the 9th. That will help, I hope.

I am open to any, and all assistance. Tell me what I haven’t done, tell me what I can look into. Help me figure out how to pay these bills and not destroy my hard-fought credit score. Help me to pay these bills if you can. Before this happened, I had gotten my credit score up to “good” 690 from 355, it is now back down to “poor” 600. I can recover it easily right now; I just do not want to get back all the way to bad. I just need an at-home job that doesn’t require me to talk on the phone with people. Again, I do not know how people do this you are the true warriors. You who fight and struggle to make the bare minimum, are so strong... Do not let anyone tell you otherwise, especially yourself.