I've been mostly resting since early afternoon. By 1100, I was spent from just a couple of phone calls. This was one of the biggest days of my adult life-- a major rite of passage.
This is Day 4 AFTER Chemo Camp. Overall, I'm feeling better. I managed to drive the truck today.
Let me back up a bit.
This whole thing with the Seminoma coming back was a bit of a hurried hot mess. No complaints; they hopped on the problem and got me on chemo right away, but there was a lot to be done.
The day before I went in to have the port installed, I finally dragged myself out to Social Security and got my official record straightened out. That was kind of a last-freaking-minute deal. The record had been munged up since the 70's. I found out about the problem maybe 10 years ago, and I knew if I ever went to retire, I was going to have to deal with it. I set off for the SS office with less than 24hours before going under the knife and got 'er done. My main concern as I was leaving was that, if something happened to me, KYHillChick might never get the mess straightened out to collect a survivor benefit.
I also set up a phone appointment for today to talk to someone about getting on SS. That occurred at 1000. It took over an hour. What I found out is that it's flat done. I get my first check this Month. The surprise came when the guy asked, given my circumstances, why I wasn't applying for Disability as well. Dang! I hadn't thought of that.
Bottom line: After a bit more talking, they're going to go about approving me for the full monthly benefit I'd have had if I'd stayed out until full retirement. That's about $500/month more.
But wait! There's more. Like a Ginsu Knife Commercial, the guy asked me if I had any more questions. I said: "What questions haven't I asked?" His answer was to offer #1 Son, Junior, a bump in his disability payment due to my going on Disability. Remember that question next time somebody asks you if there are any questions. I don't know how much it'll be, but it'll keep Junior in Amazon gift cards. You don't hear much about Junior, but he's out there. He's autistic. Well, what I mean to say is. . . yeah, he's out there.
I was already losing my voice when I called State UnEmployment and told the very nice lady (Azalia was her name) that I was faced with a conundrum, and although I could never really say I was not willing to work, the chances of me getting hired with a good case of Seminoma running around in me, the chances of ever getting hired to do what I do was damn slim. If I was going on Disability, I could n't stay on Unemployment. She was very conciliatory.
As a result, I walked out through the back door of my career. My first actual Data Processing job with a W2 started July of 1982. I now walk among you an Old Retired Fart.
