My name is Leathian Trivonovich. I was born deaf and have Cerebral Palsy. Sometimes I have muscle spasms in my legs and have to wear leg braces. I also have arthritis which is very painful for me. I am not able to sit or stand too long. I need to go to therapy and have many medications I need to take. The medications I need are very expensive and I can not always pay for them.
I have applied for Social Security but have been refused. I do not have any health insurance. I was told I have to wait until I am 62 before I can be covered by SSI or SSD. That is in another 8 years.
I have found a few non-profit organizations that will help me with my health care needs but these organizations have small budgets and are not able to pay for a sign language interpreter for me. I have tried to write back and forth with the doctors and nurses but I do not always understand what they are saying to me. I do not feel they understand what I am trying to tell them about my health problems. I have left appointments with the doctor and am not sure of what exactly I am supposed to do or what medications I need to take.
My husband and I live on a fixed income. My husband is experiencing many health problems as well. He needs to take medication too. It is hard for us to afford the cost of all of our medications. I also feel the government should try to help provide the handicap with affordable housing. It is very difficult to find good housing. Many apartments my husband and I have looked into are too expensive for us. Many places add maintenance fees to the already high rent. It is also very difficult to find places to live that are handicap accessible. The doors and bathrooms are not wide enough to fit a wheelchair through. Sometimes it is very difficult to just take a shower.
I feel if I could go to see a doctor when I am having pain and other health problems that I would be able to feel better and move around on my own. Recently I have tried to see a doctor but could not afford it. The paperwork I needed to provide to a local health ministry was very confusing to me and has taken me over a month to get together. I was in so much pain and did not get the treatment I needed. I could not walk on my own and had to use my wheelchair for a few weeks. I feel if I could have seen a doctor earlier I would not have needed my wheelchair and would not have had to be in so much pain. This is not fair! Everyone should be able to see the doctor when they need one and get the medication they need for their health.
