I left America in 2009. I was a college graduate at that point and had part/full-time jobs to live as I was earning my education.
Here is an insight of my health. I have had migraines since I was a child. These migraines affected my vision as in sensitivity to light, and the need to put something heavy over my eyes like my hands. They also affected my stomach making me vomit if I stood for a long time. A doctor diagnosed me with frontal left sinusitis. No amount of Advil, Tylenol, etc could make me feel better. I just had to sleep on my bed with my hands pushing down on my eyes which helped a lot. Taking hot showers also helped, but that was if I could leave my bed.
In general, I had to call in sick a lot. Sometimes 4xs a month, and other times 0xs a month. Usually, I could feel employers hating me for my call ins. They liked me as an employee for hard work, but call ins were my downfall.
I had a job once in Louisiana at a casino. I could only work on the barge because I was under 21. The barge is were the buffet was, so I was a host/cashier. One year, on the Fourth of July, every employee had to work or face termination. I showed up and within 2 hours, my migraine kicked in. I asked to take my break early to sit and put my head on a table to rest. That is what I did. I sat in the employee cafeteria and rested my eyes. 30 minutes later, I felt so bad that I had to go home. I was told the same day that I was fired.
I cannot imagine working there for 20 years and then feeling sick one day, like that day, just to be fired the next day. It seems like a nightmare. As a college student, I did not care about losing work so much, but now I do. I do not know what the mentality is like there in USA now, but before everyone was replaceable. I was earning 7.25$USD which was not that bad for 40 hours a week and 15 hours for school.
I now live in Taiwan and have ever since 2011. I am now contractual, and healthcare at 20$ a month is affordable. These two aspects protect or make it easier for people like me aka people who are often sick with non-threatening effects. Even for foreigners who have no insurance and go to the ER, here in Taiwan, pay 33$USD at almost every hospital. Taiwan also has a great healthcare system. Not run down at all. Prices are fair to match the economy.
For those who are often sick, how to do you handle?