Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Story 5: A Layoff A Day...


By: Pink Lady, San Francisco, CA

Soon after my layoff I went to the doctor for my yearly checkup. I only have COBRA for a few weeks, so why not get it over with? When I filled my doctor in the latest news, she considered for a moment and then told me this story...

"You know, back in the days of the dot-com bubble, about eight years ago I guess, I had a lot of patients coming to me with stomach issues. I mean, a lot of patients... It seemed like I was diagnosing IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) at least three or four times a day, and refering others for more internal exams for possible ulcers.

Then, the bubble burst and the layoffs started to happen. All at once, the IBS and other issues seemed to fade away. It was all the stress and craziness going on in that economy that had created all of these stomach issues, and once it was over, all of that was gone.

I even had one of these patients tell me that she thought getting laid off was the best thing for her health. I remember her saying to me: 'I think getting laid off has actually saved me from myself.' "

2 comments:

  1. This makes perfect sense when you think about it, great story.
    tp

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  2. Hey! Check out the new COBRA stimulus that Obama passed
    http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20090309/NEWS03/903090314/1004/NEWS03
    Your previous employer is responsible for subsidizing 65% of COBRA costs to make it more affordable - in CA you are able to stay on COBRA for up to 36 months too. You can go to the IRS website for more information (their link is included in this article)

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