Mini Life Update 2: Vertigo, Patrice: The Movie, and Some Other Stuff

[00:00:00] Welcome to the Wheel With It Podcast with your host Devon at Wheel With It. No matter who you are or where you come from, there's a place for you. On this show, we have real conversations with fascinating people. Let's get into the episode.

[00:00:12] Hey guys, welcome to another episode of Wheel With It. Today is going to be a solo podcast because I have some things to talk about. So as you guys know, these are usually really short, but I'll try to make it longer.

[00:00:28] But these are usually really short. So the first thing I want to talk about is something a lot of you guys know about, which is my Vertigo episode, which was crazy.

[00:00:42] I have never felt anything like that in my life and I'm usually not a hypochondriac when it comes to medical stuff or at least I thought I wasn't before this, but I felt like I was like dying.

[00:00:54] And to be clear, I wasn't even close to dying. The doctors didn't think I was going to die, but holy cow!

[00:01:01] And it just ended up being like best to be your Vertigo, which it basically is, there is, in addition to all the hairs and fluid in your ear that keep you balanced, there is a, there are crystals that keep you balanced.

[00:01:19] And the crystals get knocked out of place. And when the crystals get knocked out of place, you don't know where you are in space, like you feel like you're on a roller coaster.

[00:01:30] Or like, in my case, the chair feels like it was about to throw me out of it, even though I was buckled in and sitting perfectly still. It was crazy.

[00:01:39] I got more testing than I've gotten in a while. So yeah, that was really scary. And that lasted for about six weeks. So I was pretty much like down and out with this like unexpected out of the blue.

[00:01:54] So I was a little nauseous the night before, but I didn't think anything of it because it went away with some crackers and ginger ale. And it was during the summer, it was in like August.

[00:02:03] And I usually get nausea spells because it's so hot. So I didn't think anything of it. And because we were in coastal Virginia.

[00:02:11] And then also the day before the vertigo started, I got the Botox injections that I get to keep my muscles loose, not like cosmetic Botox, but they also use Botox for people with like excessively tight muscles to keep them loose.

[00:02:25] And I had just gotten those. And then I had went to a wine tasting and they were pouring extra wine.

[00:02:34] Almost nobody showed up and they thought they were going to have more people, but they didn't. So they gave everybody extra wine.

[00:02:40] So I thought, oh, and I drank like way more than I normally drink. And I was very sensitive to that cause.

[00:02:47] I was like, oh, maybe this is not hangover. No, it was vestibular vertigo.

[00:02:53] So the second time we went into the emergency room, they gave us all this testing and I got more testing than I have ever had.

[00:03:01] And that was like really scary. And it was really scary because it lasted for six weeks, the vertigo.

[00:03:08] And then I had PT for three weeks and it went away. That was just really scary.

[00:03:15] And I was like, literally, because the exercises are you literally, they evaluate you and they go, okay, when you turn, do you get more dizzy when you turn your head to the right or to the left?

[00:03:31] And if you say to the left, like I did, you turn your head to the left and then you fall over to the right.

[00:03:39] And that's literally the exercise. I'm like, are you kidding me?

[00:03:43] So my parents have to push me over to the right while I was to the left.

[00:03:47] I'm like, are you kidding me? Are you serious?

[00:03:50] That's the exercise, but it worked and it went away.

[00:03:52] Okay. The second thing I want to talk about is I am still unemployed and I am still looking for a job, which is frustrating because how many times do you have to look for a job and apply and get rejected and apply and get rejected and apply and get rejected before you actually get one?

[00:04:14] So the only appointment I've had is that six months internship, that idea with my mom.

[00:04:22] And so that's frustrating.

[00:04:24] So if anybody knows of anybody hiring remotely or hybrid, preferably in the Chesapeake, Virginia area, then that would be amazing.

[00:04:37] You can email me at hello at wheelwithit.com.

[00:04:42] I'll put that email address in the show notes.

[00:04:46] And yeah, so if anybody knows of anything, email me at hello at wheelwithit.com.

[00:04:52] Just taking a quick break from the show to remind you to subscribe to this podcast wherever you're listening to this or go to wheelwithit.com slash subscribe.

[00:05:02] And if you subscribe on YouTube or Spotify, hit the bell.

[00:05:06] It really helps us out.

[00:05:07] So subscribe to this podcast wherever you're listening by hitting the subscribe or follow button or go to wheelwithit.com slash subscribe.

[00:05:17] Now back to the show.

[00:05:18] Which brings me to the third thing I want to talk about, which is Patrice the movie.

[00:05:24] And I know you may think about what does working have to do with the movie?

[00:05:29] Let me explain.

[00:05:30] Patrice the movie is about these two people that are in a dating relationship and they both have disabilities.

[00:05:36] And they want to get married, but they can't because of the way the asset and income limits are set up.

[00:05:45] So what happens is in all 50 states, if you get married or even live with your partner, in a lot of cases, they count the partner's assets against you and they reduce you.

[00:05:56] Or in most cases, they completely eliminate your payment.

[00:06:00] It's about them trying to navigate that system while being in love with each other.

[00:06:04] And you may think this movie is going to be well with me.

[00:06:07] I don't see another one with me.

[00:06:09] It is not well with me at all.

[00:06:11] Patrice is Hulu.

[00:06:13] And so it is moving, but it is also hysterical.

[00:06:17] And it is on Hulu.

[00:06:19] So if you have a Hulu subscription, I would highly recommend watching that.

[00:06:25] So anyway, if you do have Hulu, I highly recommend you watch that movie because it is hilarious.

[00:06:32] And again, that's on Hulu right now.

[00:06:34] You can go watch it.

[00:06:36] And to that end, there are two acts that are in Congress right now that have gotten renewed publicity because of Patrice the movie.

[00:06:45] And they are the SSI Restoration Act and the SS Savings Penalty Act.

[00:06:52] The SSI Savings Penalty Act would simply raise the salary and asset limits to qualify for SSI and the Medicaid waivers.

[00:07:00] Because in most cases, you have to be receiving SSI or SSDI to qualify for a Medicaid waiver.

[00:07:08] And that's why most disabled people can't get married is because they need the Medicaid waivers to pay for things like caregivers, wheelchairs that they need to read.

[00:07:18] So basically what the SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act would do is only raise the asset limits for the Medicaid and the SSI and SSDI, which would be a start.

[00:07:32] But what would be even better is the SSI Restoration Act, which would do what the SSI Savings Penalty Act does, plus get rid of the marriage penalty.

[00:07:44] If you want more about that, I'll put links to stuff in the description show notes that would better explain it.

[00:07:53] And I also have a representative to put that you can use to write to your representatives.

[00:07:59] And I will put a website where you can write to your representatives and the representative to put in the show notes.

[00:08:08] Because Patrice, the movie, the website has a great page where you just click the take action button and fill out your email and address.

[00:08:23] And it'll take you right to where you can write to your representatives.

[00:08:26] It's really cool.

[00:08:27] So I'll put that link in the show notes of whatever you're watching or listening to this on.

[00:08:34] And yeah, that's so that's about it for that.

[00:08:38] And the last thing is, I'm still thinking about grad school.

[00:08:43] I don't know whether it's going to be worth the money or not, but I'm still thinking about it.

[00:08:49] So yeah, I'm hoping that the pod will take off.

[00:08:53] But if the pod doesn't take off, then I'm going to have a backup plan.

[00:08:57] That's about it for today.

[00:09:00] Follow me on social media.

[00:09:01] I'll put the links in the show notes and we will see you guys next episode.

[00:09:07] Bye, guys.

[00:09:08] Thank you for joining us.

[00:09:09] We hope you enjoyed the show.

[00:09:10] Remember to follow the show and our guests on social media and subscribe to the show on YouTube or in your favorite podcast app using the links in the show notes.

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[00:09:22] See you next time.