Basic Stuff

  • Name: Patte Wood
  • Country: United States
  • State: Virginia
  • City: Lexington
  • Gender: Female
  • Age: 74
  • Education: Masters Degree
  • Primary Illness: Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS)
  • Diagnosis:
    • Fibromyalgia (FM)
    • Postural Orthostatic Tachcycardia Syndrome (POTS)
  • Year Illness Began: 1992

Functioning Interrupted

Former Level of Functionality: 100
(No symptoms at rest; no symptoms with exercise; normal overall activity level; able to work full-time without difficulty.)
Current Level of Functionality: 60
(Mild to moderate symptoms at rest; daily activity limitation clearly noted. Overall functioning 70%-90%. Unable to work full-time in jobs requiring physical labor, but able to work full-time in light activity if hours flexible.)

Work Interrupted

  • Former Occupation: Administrative Director, Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics, Stanford University
  • Job Responsibilities at Former Occupation:

    Sole administrator for Interdisciplinary research and teaching center including budgeting, fund raising, PR, organization of concerts and conferences, building management, publications, office management.

  • Years of Work Lost: 8
  • Current Work Status: Retired

Income Interrupted

  • Year Retired: 2021
  • Yearly Income Before Becoming Ill:

    $60,000

  • Yearly Income When You Retired:

    $38,000

  • Minimum Annual Income Loss at Retirement:  

    $81,370

  • Total Projected Economic Losses For Years Not Worked:

    $879,056

Other Interruptions

Certified Disabled: No

Finances:
  • This illness has severely impacted my ability to financially prepare for retirement
  • I declared bankruptcy as a result of medical bills and/or loss of work
Work:
  • I took on jobs with less responsibilities than I otherwise would have
Relationships:
  • I decided not to have children (or have more children)
  • I believe this illness contributed significantly to a divorce or loss of an important relationship

Most Impactful Loss

The ability to work at my previous level which impacted the amount I was able to earn and was not able to get retirement benefits in the level of jobs I was able to take on.


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