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Nicole Lee Schroeder, PhD

17 Sep, 10 tweets, 2 min read

I was only able to move to my postdoc because I lived with my parents, rent free, for the past year. Having a job lined up in April didn't help me get through the summer, having a home did. I worked a side job all summer but still wouldn't have been able to make rent 1/10

And medical costs. Instead, living at home allowed me to pay off about 10K in undergrad loans. And it allowed me to pay for my medical costs, which under student health cap at 11K a year. 2/10

Over the summer I had to buy secondary health insurance to cover a two week gap btw plans - two weeks cost $400. Bc you can't buy short term insurance if you're disabled, and you have to buy a full month of coverage. 3/10

Then I had moving costs, which my family helped with. My dad drove a uhaul and my brother packed the truck. So I only had to hire people to unpack. I had to pay security on my apartment. Luckily my fellowship gave me a few months rent free. I had to get renters insurance. 4/10

The move, healthcare costs, and security deposit was well over $3000. Plus like buying some ok capsule wardrobe pieces because I didn't have workwear. Plus changing over medical plans and getting scripts filled before leaving MA 5/10

Which cost $525 because each script is $65 for a 30 day supply and I have 5 scripts and needed them filled for August and September. Which my healthcare plan refused to reimburse me for, because apparently I've cost them too much and maxed out my care.

Plus my HR team couldn't get me my healthcare details, despite plans kicking in on September 1st, they still couldn't pull my member ID or give me pics of my cards by my first appt with an allergist here Sept 7. And of course still no real cards.

So I had to pay out of pocket and will hopefully be reimbursed. That's another $350 to beg someone in the area to write the same scripts as my previous doctor. Plus getting to/from the doctors $65 in Ubers.

Just to move for my postdoc, I spent well over $5000. I had to borrow money from my parents. I had to take on a part time job. I had to pick and choose when to buy groceries. I had to just put way too much on my credit cards.

To be disabled and move for work is to pay to survive. Again and again. It'd be nice if the academy would acknowledge that new hires constantly deal with this every year, and somehow no solutions are ever implemented.

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More from @Nicole_Lee_Sch

Nicole Lee Schroeder, PhD

@Nicole_Lee_Sch

10 Sep

This term I'm realizing a lot of students in the liberal arts aren't sure how to/aren't comfortable with reading academic articles, books, etc. But this is vital! So here's a thread. 1/10

I just want to start by saying I remember crying over my workload at Colgate because as a first generation student, and a chronically ill/disabled student, I was totally overwhelmed by the page counts I was expected to read. 2/10

Now I know that I should have been skimming. And I should have been taking thoughtful notes, using notetaking software, that I could use to build a personal archive of content. 3/10

Read 10 tweets

Nicole Lee Schroeder, PhD

@Nicole_Lee_Sch

2 Aug

I've been getting a lot of media outreach lately from journalists, which is wonderful, but I want to be explicitly clear about my background and my advocacy work. 1/5

I am happy to talk about my particular disabilities (EDS, MCAS, Arnold Chiari Malformation, orthostatic intolerance) and all that comes with being disabled/chronically ill. 2/5

I'm also happy to talk about the history of medicine and disability history. And always delighted to discuss accessibility in higher ed, disability community building, and what measures we can take to ensure equitable access to college. 3/5

Read 5 tweets

Nicole Lee Schroeder, PhD

@Nicole_Lee_Sch

29 Jul

My mom couldn't believe that I haven't met the work credits for Disability (SSDI) despite working for over a decade in the US. I logged onto my Social Security portal to show her I'm short on credits. 1/4

My five and a half years in graduate school don't count as "work" because I wasn't an "employee." This is something that grad school robs away from graduate student workers. I worked 60 hours most weeks, taking on multiple part time jobs just to supplement my stipend. 2/4

Regardless, in the eyes of the govt I didn't work full time during that period, and apparently I didn't work nearly enough. This is why student unions matter. This is why labor negotiations matter. This is why higher ed reform matters. 3/4

Read 4 tweets

Nicole Lee Schroeder, PhD

@Nicole_Lee_Sch

17 Jul

My parents were checking their retirement benefits today so I signed onto the Social Security website to check my own benefits. I don't even have enough work credits to apply for disability, all because I chose to do a PhD. 1/8

I've worked at least 2 jobs, oftentimes 3 at a time, since I turned 16. I've made myself so much more sick than I would be, just to scrape by. And I'm faced with the fact that I can give and give and give to the academy and it will give nothing back. 2/8

I worked at McDonalds at age 18 because I thought I "needed" to do an unpaid internship to get into grad school. I couldn't afford my car or my professional work wear, so I worked 40 hours a week at the American Antiquarian Society, and 20 at McDonalds. 3/8

Read 8 tweets

Nicole Lee Schroeder, PhD

@Nicole_Lee_Sch

16 Jul

In less than a month I'm moving to start my new postdoc. And I'm just not ready to be visibly disabled in public again. For years I struggled with my cane and my neck brace and the unrelenting stares and nosy questions of strangers. 1/7

During the pandemic I could brace at home without the weight of those looks. I could accommodate myself well enough that I didn't need my cane and I could rest my hypermobile joints more throughout the workday. 2/7

It is crushing to be stared at all the time when you're in public. And I know people don't even realize they're doing it, but it makes me feel so unsafe. As a woman, I already feel unsafe in the wider world. But my mobility devices add another layer of paranoia. 3/7

Read 7 tweets

Nicole Lee Schroeder, PhD

@Nicole_Lee_Sch

21 Jun

The good news: my symptoms of fatigue, fainting, low BP, GI issues, and brain fog aren't due to blood flow issues to my brain. And my nerves are mostly intact. 1/5

The bad news: this means all the above symptoms are secondary, not primary issues. Aka they're not caused by primary POTS, but they're secondary symptoms bc of #MCAS. 2/5

And there are no approved treatments for #MCAS specifically for the disorder. And the top specialists don't take insurance. And there is a whole lack of research. So I've essentially exhausted all the treatments I can afford. 3/5

Read 5 tweets

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