The bubonic plague was a painful disease, with black buboes, or swellings, in the groin and armpits, which lasted up to a week. There was some chance of surviving if the buboes burst.
As of 2015, full retirement age is 67 if you were born after 1960. The amount you receive doesn't change because disability benefits were calculated based on what you would receive at retirement age. However, you may see an increase if Social Security provides a cost of living increase.
(This maximum gets you to 12 months before your application date, plus five months for the waiting period, so your earliest your effective onset date can be is 17 months before the application date.) In this case, the earliest that you can become eligible for Medicare is one year after you apply for Social Security disability.