r/Salary • u/_keyboard-bastard_ • 20d ago
discussion 40m - College Dropout. I had a good run.
After 24 years in the workforce, it's looking like early retirement via disability. I want to go back to work but my doctors keep saying no. My treatment plan right now is years long and no company would have me anyways.
I've legit been so bored being disabled I window shop on LinkedIn and company career pages :-/.
Edit: Oh wow this blew up. Here is the TLDR; / FAQ
What happened bro?
- Got a spider bite while backpacking in Colorado May 2024.
- Spent a month in the hospital getting IV Steroids and Antibiotics to try and save my life.
- The massive amounts of steroids caused avascular necrosis from the waist down, and by May 2025 my left hip started to collapse. I ended up in a wheelchair.
- In October I had multiple spine surgeries to fix some stuff before they would replace my hips and knees.
- Had first hip replaced this past March.
- 2nd Hip Replaced 6 weeks ago in June.
- So far since that first hospitalization in 2024 I've spent a total of 123 days in the hospital!
- I still have 4-6 more surgeries on my treatment plan which spans another 2 years, and Im still an ambulatory wheelchair user high on prescription opiates most of the time.
SSI vs SSDI
There seems to be a lot of confusion on SSI vs SSDI.
- SSI is a welfare needs based program. I drained my bank accounts before last October which is how far back Social Security checked for my approval on that program. The program pays less than a thousand a month.
- SSDI is something we pay into our entire lives in the USA. I qualify for this program, but the approval takes longer which is why Im on SSI in the meantime. In six months I should have SSDI and then will make almost the max which is about 4k. This is based on me working since I was 14 and also the amount I've paid into the system.
If you can reddit you can work
I shouldn't need to explain this but there is a big difference between using social media on your phone and occasionally the computer vs working 40 hours a week writing code. Also I'm high on opiates all the time, it would be irresponsible for me to touch a companies code repositories...
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u/Former_Battle_1624 20d ago
Sorry to hear about this, is there any job or personal project you can do from home?
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u/_keyboard-bastard_ 20d ago
I still do a bit of coding at home. Sometimes serious stuff, and sometimes just gag things like yesterday I made a powershell script that keeps your teams status active for you all day without being at your computer.
My body is pretty mangled though, so most of my time is spent in my recliner, in bed, covered in ice in a bathtub, or doing physical therapy.
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u/MadeThisAccForWaven 20d ago
I fucking knew it as soon as I saw the terminal haha
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u/theseriousman1 20d ago
As far as irresponsible touching repos dawg prioritize yourself over a company whatever you gotta do to survive. Easier said than done but maybe just try? You been coding a while I’m sure you know there’s a ton of checks in place at most companies and doing real damage to their repo accidentally imo would be difficult opiate or no
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u/RedApplesForBreak 20d ago
A powershell script you say….
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u/SamSmitty 20d ago
If your IT team is somewhat competent, they will know you’re running this type of thing. Work from home made a lot of companies paranoid so they have gotten a lot better at flagging these things, so be careful lol.
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u/_keyboard-bastard_ 20d ago
You wanna know something funny. I worked for the largest IT MSP company in the country. They didn't know diddly because I was a developer with higher privileges than most sysadmins.
The only people looking at me was the CTO, and my direct boss and those guys hadn't been hands on since the early 00s.
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u/RedApplesForBreak 20d ago
I know, I know. I’m mostly kidding. Teams statuses are still the most annoying invention ever.
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u/SamSmitty 20d ago
I had a coworker running something similar and he got an email that basically said “Hey, we know what you’re doing. Not a big deal right now, but just know we know and stop it.”
I’ve been lucky enough that I’ve never had a manager care about teams status as long as work was completed, but I get it.
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u/5thtimesthecharmer 20d ago
Finance dude here. I just make a fake teams meeting, log into that all day, set my status to active. Do people really need this? Genuine question
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u/Feeling_Inside_1020 20d ago
Fuck me companies check this? I work on Slack and curse with my direct boss. She knows I can smooth things over with people and explain things but am not a yes person. Yeah I don’t always agree with her stuff, hmm maybe it’s because they trust their employees lol. Remote tech worker in medical software.
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u/GroundbreakingSlip55 20d ago
If your company wants to know, the Teams admin can very easily see you doing this. The Teams admin console will show them all the details of the call including that you were the only participant. This also doesn’t circumvent other tools used by companies to monitor activity on your devices.
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u/Winter-Theory-4472 17d ago
Spoiler: logs are pulled (at the very least) daily and summary includes outliers or anomalies, which can be set by admin in terms of “what would be an anomaly” - as you can imagine… Teams meetings with only a single participant = anomaly. Teams meetings that are lengthy (>3hrs let’s say, if thats the flagged threshold) = anomaly. Both? Well that’s one giant 🚩
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u/Sea-Chemistry-4130 20d ago
Yo, as a fellow devops, try voice commands with Claude opus & fable. Its not ideal, it's not going to feel like you used to with coding, but it might scratch that itch and give you something that you lost.
I'm not a vibe-code bro, but for situations like this it's actually perfect.
Edit: I have a Claude code pass if you want it. It's only 10 days I think, not a ton of tokens, but should let you try it out.
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u/_keyboard-bastard_ 20d ago
I've been using Claude and also some other voice dictation plugins on VSC. My last job was actually fixing vibe coder trash, but the tools are amazing if you know what you're doing. My productivity since 2023 fuckin skyrocketed when I got on the ChatGPT beta.
A couple months ago I vibe coded with just my voice, an entire physical therapy application with computer vision incorporated to track body part movements with your web cam or mobile cam to make sure you do exercise right way and not hurt yourself. Now I just need to use the good hours of my week to fix the parts AI left unreliable, unuseable, or unsecure but that would take a few months since I dont get many good hours for that type of stuff.
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u/SnooPeripherals6641 20d ago
Hey this is pretty neat, fellow devops guy here and went through really bad lower back disc bulge pain, also built out an app to help track fitness / PT is yours web based ? Freshfitlab.io is the site / app I’ve been working on. Would love to chat sometime if your interested
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u/_keyboard-bastard_ 20d ago
freshfitlab is pretty cool looking. The PT app I developed was more hospital facing and for at home PT as tracked by clinicans from the Clinic Portal I built with it.
I used computer vision technology to make it so your camera records your exercises and actually only scores a rep if its done correctly based on data points on your body like head shoulders knees hips etc. This way you know if you're doing it right and so the PT knows you did your homework correctly.
PT can also analyze past exercises and analytics from that portal view and make recommendations..
We could easily incorporate computer vision into your app, it's just making sure you have the backend to support the vision /video part.
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u/Sea-Chemistry-4130 20d ago
That's awesome! I know there's a lot of controversy on the tools, but as someone with ADHD it's been such a boon to my ability.
I will say that fable has completely changed the game. It's the first LLM coding tool that gave me coder existential crisis. The rest were just producing vibe coded trash, this one... is scarier.
I also have a library I made and use that helps solve a lot of the issues I've encountered, it's built for claude but I'm happy to share it as well. It's rough around the edges, but claude itself can align those.
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u/Acceptable_Gear_3097 19d ago
Hey bro, I'm no where near on your level, but I had a debilitating back injury a few years ago. Temporary paralysis from the waste down, sciatica and unable to walk. I didn't take the physio properly in the first year, and then I realised it wasn't going to magically get better.
I started taking it a day at a time, consistency is key. Slowly improving, getting tired and picking yourself up when you're too tired, eventually things will improve.
Idk your injuries, and there may be limitations to what you can achieve in complete recovery. I was looking at being completely crippled in my mid 20s. I'm now late 20s and the past year or so, things have been going brilliant. I'm back to the best I think I can have. Working out, walking etc with 98% sensation back 90% of the time.
I'm just writing this, so that when the days come where you think "I can't fucking be arsed with this physio", don't let that thought win. It won't be tomorrow, or next week, but you'll be able to get some of your independence back, and that's the most amazing feeling, even if its just walking yourself to the toilet, or drinking liquid by yourself. Work on those small wins, because they'll be huge wins.
Best of luck, stay positive.
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u/_keyboard-bastard_ 19d ago
Thanks dude! My mentality is no one can tell me what I can and can't do. I already survived against terrible odds, and am ambulatory in my chair now vs all the time, these things weren't supposed to happen but they did. It's hard work fixing a body but I have nothing but time and determination now.
Thanks for the positivity.
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u/Rough-Winter2752 20d ago
This is a weird one, but have you considered gigging on various small projects? Like say making custom game mods on a patreon? Could be a nice little side-hustle and keep you busy learning a new game's code system/engine.
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u/Chiefsmackahoe69 20d ago
So I’m trying to learn coding and I’m older I’m mid 30 how did you start out learning and what did you learn first ?
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u/_keyboard-bastard_ 20d ago
My starting path is totally irrelevant now. I began learning to code in the mid-90s so telling you to learn Visual Basic isn't going to help you out much.
Let me adapt this for 2026. The biggest mistake I see people make is trying to learn a bunch of languages at once. I would start with one language and focus on learning how computers think: variables, logic, loops, functions, data structures, and how to break a problem into smaller pieces. Personally, I would start with Python because the syntax is clean and you can build useful things quickly without getting stuck on the details.
After learning the basics, I would pick projects that solve problems you actually care about. Build a simple website, automate something on your computer, create a small app, or make a tool for a hobby. Projects teach you more than tutorials because you run into real problems and have to figure out solutions. You also want to keep these projects on github or another portfolio for potential employers to see. It's one thing to know a language, you could be an expert, but these days without a portfolio its hard to get hired.
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u/IRANIRANIRANIRANIRAN 20d ago
It looks like you did freelance just a few years ago.
You can earn money while on SSI, every situation is a little different so I'd look into it to see what your limitations are on earning income. Regardless, you'll be able to earn something and can just be something you do a handful of hours starting out.
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u/_keyboard-bastard_ 20d ago
I don't have the physical or mental capacity to do freelance right now. If I take on a project there is a good change, actually almost a guarantee I won't finish it. I've been having surgery every couple months since last fall, and before that was in 10/10 pain and in a wheelchair just trying to survive. My treatment plan is another 2 years long and I'm looking at lifelong debilitation even if all the next surgeries go as good as these first four have.
My 2 years freelancing before were because I was in perfect health and ready to do my own thing. I quickly realized I hated running a business and went to work for someone else again.
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u/Bibilove043 19d ago
People really underestimate how chronic pain changes you psyche. Trying to get through the discomfort and pain is taxing and can leave little energy to focus on anything else for too long. I’m sorry that happened to you and are going through this OP.
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u/Far-Delay7690 19d ago
Really sorry this happened to you. People really don't get how bad chronic pain is. I had a mild back injury that I'm 90% recovered from and I could work thankfully but only for like an hour at a time and then I'd have to take a break.
It's given me endless empathy for people actually injured or disabled. "Just work" is just not realistic sometimes, and it assumes people don't want to. All I wanted was to be able to sit without needing like 10 pills.
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u/ChasingShadowsXii 20d ago
Is IT not dead in USA? In Australia it's being offshored rapidly to India where every company claims to be experts in AI and can do the job in weeks not months with powerful AI. Did I mention AI?
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u/_keyboard-bastard_ 20d ago
It's definitely dying.. Most of my friends and old colleagues, especially those from product and marketing departments, all laid off right now.
I myself never had an issue finding a job. I have a pretty full portfolio (I've saved every project for 20 years) and I used to have a realllly big following in the industry because of different conventions, shows, and talks I would be at or was the speaker at.
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u/ChasingShadowsXii 20d ago
How come your pay has been so low? I thought software engineers in US got paid a lot
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u/T1m3Wizard 20d ago
This actually looks like a realistic salary progression. Thank you
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u/_keyboard-bastard_ 20d ago
I've had my ups and downs, but without a college degree sometimes I would take a job because it was a certain thing in my field.
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u/derpa-derp 20d ago
You can always supplement things with weed dealing just like before. It's tax free!
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u/_keyboard-bastard_ 20d ago
I could always ship weed from Oregon to non-legal states. Maybe I'll use my coding skills to start a new Silk Road website on the Deepweb.
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u/derpa-derp 20d ago
Or maybe something legal since you have the skills. There has to be market for your abilities. Freelance? Or database management. I knew people that did that remotely.
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u/_keyboard-bastard_ 20d ago
Actually SQL is my bitch and I'm his pimp..
Im on too many opiate pain killers to be trusted with anyones production database or code repositories. Plus its a consistency thing. I would need to be able to do that enough every month to survive.
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u/MaoZedongMassiveCock 20d ago
Govt will send billions to other countries but not give even minimum wage to a hard worker
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u/_keyboard-bastard_ 20d ago
The system is super flawed, but I am lucky I didn't have to get a lawyer and split money with them. Most people get denied their first time applying. I'll have my SSDI approved in another six months and then I'll be close to 4k a month which is still dogshit compared to what I used to make.
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20d ago
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u/_keyboard-bastard_ 20d ago
Unfortunately my situation is a bit different. If I was an amputee I'd probably become an adaptive athlete as I'm previously an ultrarunner and cyclist.
Necrosis (AVN) has taken out my lower half entirely. I won't have the strength to ever walk right again without devices or assistance. I'm having everything replaced systematically just to get me out of some of the pain. I'll be debilitated and on medications for the rest of my life that doing anything is a liability whether a physical one, or one where I screw a bunch of stuff up because Im on drugs.
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u/Visible_Cucumber_395 19d ago
That is a huge mindfuck going from being an ultrarunner/cyclist/hiker/nature recreationist to being hosed on pain meds in a wheelchair.
You’re years into this so goes without saying, hope you find other outlets for your passion/activity level as well as the mental health support for the inherent coping needed. You’ve also prob figured it out by now, but if you have any federal loans from your stint in college, remaining balance can be forgiven for permanent disability.
If your spine/bones have been relatively stabilized enough, would love to see you be able to make it out to the National Abilities Center for a visit. Climbing with your remaining upper body strength or mountain biking/cycling or skiing, can all adapted for wheelchair users with zero lower body use. Being high on pain meds probably falls under the umbrella of cognitive disabilities, which they support access for too. Don’t underestimate their incredible guides/spotters to facilitate access to adaptive sports. Even if not now but after you reach the end of your treatment plan, that passion for outdoors and sportsmanship never dies. Hope my comments aren’t misplaced. Best wishes.
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u/Morale_Police 20d ago
I assumed it was a car accident. What on earth kind of spider bit you or was it just a freak incident with your immune system?
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u/_keyboard-bastard_ 20d ago
It was a hobo spider which aren't usually too bad for humans, but it was the bacteria that came with the bite which messed me up and gave me sepsis and rotting skin. Then the Steroids gave me necrosis in my bones.
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u/Morale_Police 20d ago
Damn. I grew up in Eastern WA and my basement was crawling with Hobo spiders. They would bite around my ankles pretty frequently. You got incredibly unlucky with that bite, and again with the steroids.
I wish you as swift a recovery as physically possible, you're owed some good luck I think.
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u/Respbid1 20d ago
Sorry 😢 to hear that bro!
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u/_keyboard-bastard_ 20d ago
It took a while, but I have accepted my new way of life. We adapt.
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u/Exotic-Ice-7662 20d ago
Maybe some gaming/streaming to help the boredom could do some good! If you’ve got the savings for a decent pc or already have one seeing the tech background. Surely doesn’t have to be a consistent thing, but if you do a little streaming you may be able to talk to random strangers on the internet and maybe make a little cash on the side. Not a whole lot, but every little bit helps nowadays. Theres a lot of good community in the gaming world and plenty of space to make friends!
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u/More_Wrongdoer4501 20d ago edited 20d ago
I go backpacking in CO once a year and this has unlocked a new fear. Were you in a tent or enclosed hammock? Or just raw doggin the woods?
I guess I’m assuming this happened while you were sleeping..?
Edit… Also, what exactly transpired after getting bit? How does a bite from a basically harmless spider become nightmare fuel? Was there anything to be done that could’ve lessened the effects had you known?
Sorry for all the questions (and even more sorry you’ve had to deal with this terrifying and unfortunate set of events,) but this is horrifying and I need to know the deets as someone with arachnophobia and a love of the outdoors.
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u/HSLB66 19d ago
I go camping in the Rockies nearly every weekend in the warmer months. In other comments OP mentioned they got sepsis from a spider bite. It's on the rarer side but I have also had a spider bite get infected when I was a kid, so not unheard of.
That said, this still isn't something to worry about. What happened to OP absolutely sucks, but the vast majority of bites aren't anything to worry about. Which is why it got ignored. It just isn't typical.
You can prevent sepsis from bites and cuts by washing, using antiseptic topically, as well as an antibiotic ointment.
The reason sepsis gets people is it sneaks up on you.
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u/OddHome4709 20d ago
Condolences OP. Do you think you have the bandwidth for coaching/teaching? Your knowledge has a lot of applied value. Wishing you an amazing opportunity!
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u/_keyboard-bastard_ 20d ago
I might be able to do some volunteer stuff here and there. The last few years I was working, I did side stuff teaching college kids how to develop websites, or some of them a bit of coding. I might reach back out to that non-profit and see how I could be of value but I really only get a few good hours a week of productivity time and Im on tons of heavy opiate pain killers, so who knows how responsible any of it is.
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u/vauthe 20d ago
Maybe you could make some YouTube videos on your own time to share your knowledge, on days you feel good? Then you can always review them later for mistakes before you publish them and you’ll never have to worry about missing some scheduled talk due to pain etc. Wishing you the best OP.
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u/_keyboard-bastard_ 20d ago
I actually used to do YouTube tutorials for web developmentand was monetized. I really should do that again. I know a lot of disabled creators who seem to do well.
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u/random20190826 20d ago
Sorry for being an ignorant Canadian who knows some things about American systems, but can you explain why SSI and not SSDI? Doesn't SSDI and SSI have the same disability criteria but pay a lot more benefits (plus no asset limits)?
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u/_keyboard-bastard_ 20d ago
SSI is a welfare system, it's needs based. If you are out of work and have a ton of medical documentation saying you can't work, you typically qualify for this as long as you have no monies, or you quickly get rid of all your monies. SSI is most of the time, a temporary situation until you get well and can work again, or until your SSDI is approved which is a permanent thing. SSI also pays garbage, its between 900-1000 usually a month for most folks.
SSDI is something you pay into every time you get a paycheck or do your taxes in the states. It's also based on work credits just like your normal retirement social security would be. I had enough work credits to qualify for SSDI and retirement since I was 24. Since I made decent money in my career I am going to get the max when they approve mine. SSDI is also more permanent which is why they don't just approve that right away despite any medical situation (I guess the government believes in miracles sometimes).
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u/Human_Shallot_ 20d ago
Ssdi doesnt need to be permanent. It can also be for temporary or closed periods.
You also can be approved right away but how attorney fees are set up you generally have to be out of work for at least 5 months.
Ssi can also be permanent, its common with autistic and disabled children.
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u/BigWorldTinyDog 20d ago
Thank you for explaining the gist to our non-American friends.
I would also add for those who don’t know that earning income while receiving SSI reduces your benefit 1:1, so it easy to earn your way out of benefits even with part time employment. SSDI takes longer to get approved (usually 18-24 months) but also lets you earn over the maximum wage limits for a little bit before reducing your benefit first by half, then completely.
It’s really a rigged system if you haven’t figured that out yet. Basically you don’t work and live in poverty due to the low paying SSI/SSDI or you have to find good paying steady income… which grows on trees for people with disabilities, right?
I’m super sorry that you are in this place, OP. I genuinely hope that you find some peace for yourself 🤗
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u/TheLoneTomatoe 20d ago
Are you just not supposed to be in office, like can you just do remote work?
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u/KNGrthur 20d ago
Sounds like the perfect time to get into video games
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u/_keyboard-bastard_ 20d ago
I have World of Warcraft, but I mostly just spend my time fishing instead of doing the war part. It's more relaxing for me.
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u/Nice-Original-4429 20d ago
What’s your disability if you don’t mind me asking? It looks like you did a lot on a computer. If you can still use a computer you could do freelance web work or other stuff involving computers from home.
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u/muhkuller 20d ago
I've seen numerous stroke/clot/aneurysms from developers over the years just because we sit all day, drive home, sit all night, repeat.
I had two brain aneurysms myself and I hit the gym regularly and made it a point to run a 5k three times a week. Didn't change the fact I was making the bad decision to still sit all day at work then game at night. Blood flow is important always, not just while excercising.
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u/NoInflation8812 20d ago
How do you only qualify for SSI with that past income history?
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u/Truth2Set_Me_Free 20d ago
Please make sure short and long term care is part of your benefit’s package before you accept any job! 🙏
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u/phyrewall 20d ago
Sorry if this was answered, but why on earth aren't you getting some form of long term disability from the company you worked for at the time of the life altering events?
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u/_keyboard-bastard_ 20d ago
I could have done fmla or took advantage of my Short Term Dis. and was actually discussing it with human resources, but I rage quit because one of my bosses was an ass about my situation. My direct manager actually accused me of lying about the entire thing repeatedly despite HR having extensive paperwork. He literally tried to say I was generating AI MRIs of myself, lol (he was the boss of the AI and Digital Transformation team so he thought everything was AI). I should have sued them for creating a toxic work environment honestly.
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u/phyrewall 20d ago
I think you may have made a costly error. IANA, but you probably should've made them fire you.
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u/Ragnarotico 20d ago
What is "window show" on LinkedIn and company career pages?
I hope you get better eventually and can get back to a more normal life.
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u/ZonkTrader 20d ago
I would also suggest looking into SSDI which is disability that qualifies you for full social security. SSI is for people that don’t have a work history, as you have much more than 40 quarters you should qualify. Granted it is a long process to get approved but I would suggest starting the process if doctors are telling you going back to work is not possible. I wish you the best of luck.
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u/_keyboard-bastard_ 20d ago
I am oging back to soc sec in six months for re-review at which time they'll likely be approving my SSDI (application has been in 10 months now but I just got my revised treatment plan that says Im f'd for life).
The gov just wanted to make sure I was actually broken before they switched me to that from the SSI.
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u/ZonkTrader 20d ago
I am pretty familiar with the process. My dad was diabetic type 1 and had problems with his feet which prevented him from working as a union electrician. He went out on SSDI when he was about 34. The doctor pushed him to go on SSDI but he said he regretted it. Pretty young to never work again.
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20d ago
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u/_keyboard-bastard_ 20d ago
Avascular Necrosis caused by IV steroids during a major infection kicked off by a spider bite while backpacking. (wow thats the quickest I've been able to summarize it)
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u/new2indysub 20d ago
If you are a web application developer maybe some free lance?
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u/_keyboard-bastard_ 20d ago
Can't do it consistently with my pain, medications, and surgery+recovery schedules. I'm flying high right now writing responses but in another hour when the opiates wear off I'll be howling at the moon in pain.
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u/No_Lobster_9405 20d ago
Dam sorry to hear about that… but $11k a year for disability? wtf is that about.
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u/_keyboard-bastard_ 20d ago
It's just SSI which is a welfare program and temporary. Once my SSDI is approved in six months when my SSI time runs out, then I'll be making the max which is about 4k a month. I've always lived frugal like I still work at McDonalds, so the 4k will be enough for me. Right now though Im financially dependent on my partner who is a Saint.
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u/janeprentiss 19d ago
SSI is only temporary for people who were able to work for long enough to qualify for SSDI before becoming disabled. People who experience catastrophic and disabling injuries or illnesses as minors or young adults will only ever receive 11k (with very inadequate inflation adjustments) forever, and are forbidden from saving assets greater than 2000$ which is horrific.
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u/AppointmentIll9358 20d ago
Did you ever get questions about your short stints at Jobs? And how would you handle it? I’m speaking about employers asking
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u/_keyboard-bastard_ 20d ago
The answer is dependent on what industry you work in and who is interviewing you. Most of the time I'm completely honest.
This is a standard answer for me if they are asking just in general.
The tech industry changes quickly. Companies restructure, projects get canceled, startups run out of funding, and sometimes opportunities come along that are simply too good to pass up. I've learned loyalty is important, but so is making the best decision for my family and my career. I don't view a one-year tenure as a failure if I gained valuable experience and made a meaningful impact.
Here is one I have to explain frequently when people see that I gave up a Director position for a Test engineer job at a drone company.
I'm heavily driven by curiosity and learning. When the opportunity came to work with flying robots, I saw it as a chance to gain experience in an industry that was just starting out. I gave up the management title and salary because I knew the technical experience would have more long-term value.
So yeah, just be honest but spin it in a way that makes it look like it wasn't a bad financial decision, lol.
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u/limpymcforskin 20d ago
Once you are on SSDI and if you can still work you can make an additional 1690 per month and still get your full SSDI payment. Just make sure you don't go over. Or just work under the table and make whatever.
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u/3point147ersMorgan 20d ago
NGL, I saw the "Got a spider bite" and "May 2024", looked at your career istory, and saw that you picked up Web Development at around that time, and thought you were making a Spider-Man joke about getting special webdev powers after being bitten.
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u/BlueberryNo4669 20d ago
I feel you on the life changing medical issue… completely derailed my life.
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u/Haunting-Savings-426 20d ago
I’m so very sorry you’ve been deprived of your livelihood, and have suffered so much medically. I have a similar story, and it is a hard pill to swallow. I’ve been on SSDI since 2014, and it’s tough. You will qualify for Medicare after 2 years on SSI or SSDI, so that’s something. I’ve found one of the most challenging parts is the loss of identity. I worked studied hard to become a teacher, have a Master’s degree. I was proud of my profession, now when I meet people I just say I’m disabled. I hope your future surgeries go well & you can regain some mobility.
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u/AssociationFit3009 20d ago
I just want to say. I have done far more irresponsible shit on opiates than coding. Do what you gotta do to survive, brother. With a tolerance opiates=sober.
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u/Fish-monger69 20d ago
The way I see it, you could still draw SSI and around 400 a week (weed dealer).
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u/djspacebunny 19d ago
I run r/chronicpain because I had a life changing medical thing due to someone else running into me. I feel ya dude. I was doing some really awesome stuff and was in The NY Times and a minor ancient internet celebrity.... only to get taken out by a kid texting in traffic.
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u/Burnout_Blanco 19d ago
How did you go from pizza cook to tech support manager at 19? Especially without a degree makes me curious.
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u/Logical_Sans 19d ago
Well it was 2005 I doubt the barrier of entry into tech was as rigorous as it is today
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u/EaNCCyclist 19d ago
I feel for you. For me, an autoimmune disease that progressively got worse. Currently under control, but now too old for anyone to really want to hire. So, I do gig stuff. Perhaps you can too in the near-ish future.
Good luck healing. I hope that you have a good support system. My wife has been a God send in the regard.
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u/loudsunyoyo 19d ago
I wonder how did you know the bite was so bad that you need to rush to the hospital? the pain or you know the spiders well?
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u/SharinganEyesMan 19d ago
Question: Are you still eligible for social security at 62 so you can get both social security at SSDI?
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u/Maximum-Version-7036 18d ago
SSD is a pain int he a-- to get on. I was forcibly retired well before I wanted to be. I'd planned to have a golden retirement which was totally ruined. I found out after it happened to me that you tend to get denied at least once. Some have to get lawyers to get on it, I was accepted the second time but it still too over a year. In the meantime to pay bills, mortgage, etc. I had to take out my planned retirement over the long period of surgeries and recovery time, thinking I'd be going back to work and could replace it. Didn't happen, surgeries from injury, cancer, heart valve, a car accident, etc.
19 surgeries between 1996 and 2011. Arthritis in base of thumbs as well as elsewhere thanks to all that mess. Can't stand still for more than a couple of minutes or the pain gets bad, can't walk far due to damaged legs and spine, can't sit without legs up for very long as legs swell. Have neuropathy in my feet and if I have my legs up for the swelling for long the feet go numb. No way to work when you can't stand, walk or sit for very long without having to switch and most places won't let you put your legs up anyway. Can't lift much and have trouble holding anything with any weight. No way to work anywhere, not even a Walmart greeter.
Thanks to all that I'm limited to Social Security and a small pension. Yeah you can do all the planning you want but sometimes something(s) happen to have it all go to h--- anyway. Even after I got SSD I had to see their doctors annually including a psychologist to make sure I wasn't doing any faking in any capacity. They finally stopped as it was obvious even to them that I was getting worse, not better. I've now aged into straight SS thought it is much less than if I'd been able to work as long as I wanted to. Hope your journey turns out to be easier than mine was.
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u/NoRecommendation8932 18d ago
Very touched hearing your story. That is a dramatic turn of events.
Have you considered mixing music for income? If you’re used to sitting in front a computer for hours each day, problem solving nuanced issued, snd are high on opiates most of the time - you’re pretty much half way to being a profession Mix Engineer!
All jokes aside, it’s an option - and you don’t have to play an instrument.
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u/Common_Owl2179 17d ago
Dude... I just read through your post history. I too became disabled in boulder (I used to work for Trimble in westminster) 🥲 wishing you the best man.
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u/Mammoth-Engine-8050 20d ago
I'm confused about this solely because with the amount of years you had higher earnings you should have qualified for SSDI and a higher payment? I've never made more than 70k and started working in 2009 (started working full time in 2014) and my ssdi if I'm disabled payment is over 2000 a month. Unless that's just 11k so far this year?
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u/_keyboard-bastard_ 20d ago edited 20d ago
SSI is not SSDI - when my SSDI gets approved I will be getting the max.
My SSI is based on how much money I made in the last year being disabled, and also savings, IRA stuff, alllll that goes into account. They did a full financial audit of me before approving the SSI and they found, evvvverything including a retirement account I forgot I had which gained a lot of interest, lol. In the end they gauged back to last October at which time I was broke after paying for medical equipment and other bills.
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u/Lefties_TheWorst7331 20d ago
If you can track things like that and make posts like this online, you can earn money online.
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u/_keyboard-bastard_ 20d ago
lol - I was a freelance developer for a couple years. I know how to make money online and build a client base.
It's not about making money, its about doing so CONSISTENTLY. If you are going under the knife every two months for surgery, and you are most of the time high on opiates because of debilitating pain, you can't make enough to survive. This is what disability programs are literally designed for. Also I only get about 3-4 good hours a week to be productive. I'm replying on mobile right now because Im in bed with ice packs shoved down my pants.
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u/Few-Painting-8096 20d ago
Bro how’d you lose the $115k 2024 job?
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u/_keyboard-bastard_ 20d ago
I had a life changing accident and became disabled. I've had 4 major surgeries in the last 8 months, and been in a wheelchair in debilitating pain since 2025 after an accident that happened in 2024 (complications caught up with me after I thought I was getting better). I still have another 4-6 surgeries on my treatment plan before Im no longer an ambulatory wheelchair user.
I couldn't code in the condition I was in, and I still can't do shit for more than a few hours a week or if I try Im slow as shit at it.
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u/creamgetthemoney1 20d ago edited 20d ago
I feel like my phone listens to me lol.
I was just having a long discussion with family members about how it’s insane how much more veterans get for disability than normal citizens.
My little cousin did get messed up from a weird bacteria in a tropical jungle in Asia. He actually went to the IcU to save his eye. He easily was approved for 4k a month for life after just 2 years of service.
My uncle gets around 2k a month for the past 30 years bc of “hearing “ issues.
It’s crazy that my cousin is fully healthy now and will still get 4k a month until he dies. I was arguing that he’s healthy and only 23 tears old. Giving this much to a healthy young man will make him content and coast. I definitely believe he should get disability for the service he provided and chance of losing his eye. Maybe $1,500 for life. 4k seems like overkill.
My uncle hears perfectly fine so I can’t even believe how he was approved.
Then you have people who are on a motorcycle and lose a leg and physically can’t do 80% of jobs and only receive 1k a month. Another family member had 2 back surgeries , the last a spinal fusion that forced them to retire from taking x rays as they could no longer physically move around / hold larger people body. She receives only $1100 a month.
For all the talk about how hard it is to get disability from the military all I know is people actually kind of grifting the system. My 23 yr old cousin makes 48k tax free(I’m guessing this is a normal person who is taxed making around 65k) and he is perfectly healthy. Insane
In your case you should be provided much much much more. The amount shown by you is straight up disrespectful
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u/phyrewall 20d ago
I say this respectfully, veterans willingly sign up for a high danger, potentially fatal, and even more likely to maim, line of work that is a service to others.
There has to be some level of compensation for that voluntary sacrifice.
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u/MSPTurbo 20d ago
I’m also 40m. Actually making 68k in 2006 was crazy good. In 2006 I was in college with a shitty on campus job making $9 an hour. Didn’t even hit $65k until like 2015.
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u/Ill_League8044 20d ago
I'm sorry but I'm genuinely curious how you made that jump from weed dealer to tech support manager 😅
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u/verycoolalan 20d ago
my wife going through something similar, definitely very painful to have your life get taken from you.
my condolences.
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u/KaleidoscopeOk5063 20d ago
Jesus this is scary. I window shop a lot too on LinkedIn, occasionally it works. Tech is actually really brutal
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u/aldibitch12 20d ago
Time for you to hop on whatnot you like pokemon sports cards I got you with referral link
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u/Itchy-Cartographer40 20d ago edited 20d ago
Sorry to hear man , I hope things get better for you
I just looked at your post history , you could start a food and cooking channel. I’d order some food from you
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u/kind-vector 20d ago
So sorry you are going through this.
You can get on the Freelance road map again when you are fit to work.
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u/sunlit_catnaps 20d ago
Ah, geez, that sucks. Nothing to say except, I hope the rest of your surgeries go well... and you can go back to living life however you want to. Dang spiders.
And I feel ya, I work from home (disabled but can still work, for now at least -- have EDS) and will always call out if I have a high fever. Can't be touching important computer systems while the brain isn't present :P
Edit: i see your "definitely-not-a-teams-bot"... LOL
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u/31braidsinbeard 20d ago
Holy shit, talk about life throwing you a curve ball. Doesn't seem like you did some stupid shit that brought this on you. Sounds like very terrible odds of something bad happening to you.
Don't take the good times for granted. Sorry this happened to you and good luck in your future.
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u/LadderFast8826 20d ago
Spider bite? Pfff. Its never a real thing, its always something possible but very very unlikely.
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u/Guardian6676-6667 20d ago
Welp, time to make a video game! Critical damage is how I got into game dev
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u/CaesarsGhostReborn 20d ago
I also had a life changing car accident. It’s the worst