I'm Jae. I've been a social worker for a foster care agency for two years, a college student putting myself through school for five years, and a loving partner and doggie /kitty parent for six years.
My partner and I both work with kids in need of services for their mental health or past histories of trauma, and as much as we love our jobs and the kids and young adults we work with, it's not a job that helps you put together a rainy day fund. We do our best and have always paid our bills, donated to charity and to our religious community, and supported friends when we could.
But in December, we noticed that I was having a hard time staying awake. We thought maybe I was just stressed from work (I'd been doing over time for 6 months to cover cases after a coworker left her position), but I went to the doctor anyway.
The first bloodtest uncovered severe nutritional deficiencies, and my doctor had me come back for two more blood tests in the following three weeks, by which time my symptoms had worsened and I physically could not stay awake for an hour at a time. The day before my appointment to learn about the results, I fell on some ice and shattered the bones in my left ankle.
One reconstructive surgery and lots of metal implants later, I was told that I wouldn't be able to bear weight for three months, or walk for four months. This meant taking time off work unpaid because my agency has no short term disability options, it also meant a delay in learning about just how serious the results of my bloodtest were.
My doctor explained to me that I had several genetic mutations which were impacting my ability to absorb nutrients properly, and I showed signs of severe cellular damage. There is still no clear cause of that damage, and we don't know exactly what's wrong, but it's clear that it's been going on for years, and almost certainly contributed to how badly damaged my ankle was in my fall. I will need an intense treatment program to repair the damage already done and stabilize my health so it stays repaired. I will be seeing my surgeon monthly for my ankle, my doctor weekly to monitor my treatment, and a physical therapist multiple times per week to help me walk again. I may also require extensive genetic testing and further medical evaluations to find out what's really going on and how to fix it for good.
Around the same time that we learned this, we found out that my partner's employer was trying to illegally deny them family medical leave for the time they had to take off to be in the hospital with me during my surgery. They've worked with the same agency for five years and are a devoted and well respected member of staff, but when we needed support, they let us down.
We count our blessings and know this could have gone worse for us under different circumstances. But we still owe thousands of dollars in medical bills since December, and will owe thousands more by the end of this year, and I am unable to work due to the active nature of my job and the extensive damage to my leg. I've also had to take some time off from my classes in order to heal.
Our friends and loved ones help where they can, but most of them work in social service jobs like us and can't give more more than their time. We still need to pay bills, and our electricity and phone services have been threatening to cut off if we can't pay them, but I have no income until I can get back to work fulltime, and my partner can't take on anymore overtime than they already do (they work 50-60 hours per week and take on extra shifts on top of that whenever they can) without leaving me alone and unable to care for myself for extended periods of time.
If I'm honest, I'm not really sure how much we'll owe in medical expenses by the time this is over or how much I'll have lost in wages. Being able to start work again will help, but I'll still have to pay back all the medical debt I accrued while out of work, as well as any expenses I'm still taking on for my continued care.
Anything you can give would make a difference to us, and the sooner I can find out what has been causing my initial symptoms, the sooner I can get through my treatments and get back to the kids I work with. Please donate, and keep both my family and the families I support in your thoughts.
