Hello,
I am a 46-year-old former Department of the Treasury (DOT) employee who was released from my position during the 2025 government shutdown. I have been unemployed since September 30, 2025, and I’m waiting to hear if a callback will be done. Without the pay and insurance from DOT, I am having so many problems with getting groceries, medications, and doctor visits paid for. My car was repossessed because I could no longer make the payment.
Before the shutdown, I was able to comfortably live on $3,000 a month, but now I just live on my social security income of $1,300 a month. With this income, I now must juggle rent, bills, groceries, and figure out which medicines I would be able to pay for, and pray I do not have an emergency because the emergency room’s copay is $200, which I cannot pay. I have asked my family, but they are unable to help. I thought I wouldn’t ever have to feel the same way as when I left my abusive ex-husband with my 3 young children and nothing else 10 years ago. I scraped and saved my money to get my family out of public housing, poverty, and debt. So, I’m desperately and shamelessly asking for financial help from completely gracious strangers; I know it’s a lot, but I am requesting silently for $8,000.
Unfortunately, the fear of an emergency has come to light, and I need to reassess my situation. Allow me to explain and try not to make it sound like a doctor’s office visit. Last month, I started spring cleaning my home, and I tried to flip my Queen-size mattress by myself. When I lifted it, there was a severe stabbing, stretching pain along my spine and across my lower back, and I was pretty sure I just pulled a muscle. However, I continued to use Tylenol and NSAIDs, ice, heat, and massages as well. The pain is getting worse, and I can actually rate the pain as 7/10, stabbing pain, made worse by movement and lying down. The pain radiates down my leg, down the middle of my back, and around to the sides of my back. I have never had back pain this bad before.
I could not see my primary doctor, so I was set up with another doctor on the team. He said it was a pulled muscle, gave me muscle relaxers, and exercises. But 4 days later, the home exercises I was given made the pain much worse. So, when I tried to get another appointment with this doctor, I was seen by a different doctor on the team. He ordered an X-ray of my spine. After my back was x-rayed, the doctor was very concerned, and I don’t mind sharing the radiologist’s findings from the back x-ray:
“Mild left thoracolumbar spinal curvature is seen. A moderate compression fracture deformity is seen at T10, a new finding since the prior chest x-ray. Remaining vertebral body heights are maintained. Significant bilateral facet arthropathies noted L4-S1 with moderate anterolisthesis L4/L5.”
Now, all this pain makes sense, but I must have an MRI for the surgeon I’m being sent for consideration of decompression surgery, or Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion (ALIF), because it may be necessary to stabilize the spine and relieve the nerve pressure. However, paying the copays and doctor visits is just depleting the little money I have left for food, medications, and transportation. Please understand that I do have insurance from a Social Security disability claim and Medicare. However, it does not cover everything, and I have not met the deductible for the year, so every charge and fee is out of pocket.
I’ve always been the type of person who, if someone is sick, in need of help, or passes away, I would bring them food, assist with whatever and wherever they needed help. I hate being vulnerable like this and not being able to do what I can do normally. I mean, I cried when my friend came to my apartment and made my family dinner because I could not do it myself.
I understand this pain is probably temporary, but it is still daunting and very frustrating to try to think about getting better when solving my money problems and paying for doctors, x-rays, and MRIs are so incredibly in my face.
As I stated earlier, I’m so desperately and shamelessly asking for financial help; I know it’s a lot, but I am requesting silently $8,000. Again, I know it’s so much to ask for, but I cannot be so brazen as to ask for more. With your help, I believe I can handle expenses like these and live only on Social Security now. I just want to LIVE, not just survive. I want to find a nice car and experience peace without the fear of abuse, and happiness once again without the fear of being stolen from us. I want to feel safe in my own home and not wonder if I’ll be alive the next day to see my children.
Thank you, truly, to whoever has taken the time to not only read this, hopefully, but to help me escape all I’ve known and reach for a better tomorrow for my children and me.
If anyone can help with any monetary amount, it would be greatly appreciated. Please use PAYPAL for all donations: http://paypal.me/leoscourage