Slipping into poverty

[berniesandersmittens]

Living only on SSDI, no retirement, no Ira, and going through savings, I now sell my blood plasma to make ends meet. It's a humbling experience.

How could I have fallen so far?

I have started bringing a journal when I donate and talk to people. These are the poorest, most vulnerable people in my area. I would like to share this experience in a real and honest way.

Maybe something good will come out of my situation. I'd like to not worry about food and meds. But this is my life now.

Others have it worse than I do. The $40 made from donating that day give them money for meds, debts, food, and substances for the addicted.

I come home, to my air conditioned house with electricity, water, and internet. I have become very grateful for these simple necessities.

Anyhow, I'll share the story if I ever finish it.

[XanaDUer2]

1. I get it

I only have ssdi now. Stuck living with abusive partner bc I can't afford to leave.

Have a masters degree and worked most of my life. Don't know what happened.

Wishing you the best

[berniesandersmittens]

6. Wishing you the best too

[Skittles]

2. hey

know that plasma donations are very important, you are doing a valuable service regardless of the reasons

[berniesandersmittens]

4. I like to call the donation area the "theater"

We're all hooked up to machines getting juiced in the same big room. The phlebotomists running around sticking people. The folks watching from the waiting area.

[Skittles]

9. I'm a 65 gallon platelet donor

we're all valuable

[berniesandersmittens]

17. You've really been juiced!

Were the machines in an open area like ours?

[Skittles]

19. I'm across from the blood donors

decades ago I made the mistake of asking, what are those people over there doing? LOL

seriously though, never feel shame for doing honorable work - it's all good

[irisblue]

3. I sold plasma back in the college years, considering it again.

[berniesandersmittens]

11. You're one of the good gals, irisblue

[SarcasticSatyr]

5. I did the plasma thing for the first time about 4 months ago . . .

it was not a good experience, ended up passing out and got a hematoma .. was bruised from my mid-forearm to my shoulder. I still have the pictures on my phone and I would post them if I knew how to do that. Haven't done it since, but I would not rule it out. You do what you have to do to survive.

[berniesandersmittens]

12. I did get sick once

I got really nauseous and sweaty all the sudden. Thank goodness I was almost done and ready for my IV bag. It went away pretty quickly but I was tired the rest of the day.

[berniesandersmittens]

13. Delete: Dupe

Oops

[Skittles]

20. you may do better next time now that you know what is in store

always make sure to have a good meal before donating

[Clouds Passing]

7. ...

[berniesandersmittens]

16. ...

[sheshe2]

8. 💙💙💙

[berniesandersmittens]

15. Hi sheshe : )

I'm trying to be grateful for 5 things every day. I have a roof over my head, running water, a/c, and the love of family.

Some days are hard to be grateful for. Wish we could have another Convention! I smiled for days.

[sheshe2]

18. Those things are important.

However the last one is the very best, bsm.

[Warpy]

10. I never slipped, I always fell with a resounding thud.

It was like having a freeloading relative show up with a sob story and who I couldn't manage to turn away. When I went back to work, usually against medical advice, things would get better, but I knew the sucker would always be back.

Health problems are not our fault, but you'll never get a Republican to admit that until they hit him, usually a him because he's got a wife to soothe his fevered brow and go out to work if necessary. They never get it until they're alone and disaster strikes, and disaster doesn't strike them nearly enough for them to get it and dump the cruel and idiotic neoliberalism.

It's my hope that SSDI is liberalized so that people who are too ill or injured to go out and work can afford to live without selling their blood and/or plasma. Trying to flog the sick into working by pushing them into dire poverty if they can't is not a policy any other rich country pursues. Ours shouldn't, either. It's a source of shame that it does.

[berniesandersmittens]

14. The plasma company makes alot of money

I wonder just how much. A company profiting from homelessness/severe poverty - it's actually disgusting.

At least they provide a place to get a bit of cash though. So there's that.

The donations are going to save people's lives, so that makes it worth it.