Re: SSDI benefit approvals

[Guest guest]

Teri,

I, too, was denied on my initial application for SSDI. When I got

the denial letter I immediately got a lawyer who was a member of the

NOSCCR. He filed all the paperwork for the appeals process.

However, I'm the one who did all the " leg " work. I gave him info

from the Social Security Blue Book of disabling conditions that

pertained to CMT and his secretary made up a form for me to have

my Dr. fill out.

I had to " educate " my lawyer on CMT and how it affected me. I took it to one of

my primary care physicians and she filled the formed out and sent it back to me.

The problem was... she answered all the questions unfavorably. The one that

really was a kicker was that my gait and station was not affected. To say the

least, I wanted to take my AFO's and well........

All the time I had been going to her I thought she understood

CMT, but obviously not. To make a long story short, I called my

other primary care provider and explained to him what had happened.

He filled the paperwork out and also wrote a page and a half about

CMT and how severely I am affected.

My lawyer then sent this to the S.S. Office of Hearings & Appeals. It had been

over 16 months since the denial letter and finally last week I received a letter

from the judge that he had approved my SSDI.

I was so relieved as I don't have to go to court. Besides that, what is awesome

is that God answered the prayers that were going out for me. My long term

disability (from my former job) is discontinuing in Jan. And there was no way

we could pay our bills on my husband's income. God has perfect timing. I

really didn't expect a hearing for several more months.

So, I guess my advice to you is to get a good supportive Dr. who

will be willing to help you and who understands CMT. Also, get a

good lawyer who is a member of the NOSSCCR. If you have any

questions, feel free to email me. I wish you the best on

your " fight " for SSDI. It's one fight that none of us should have

to endure. There needs to be more education to the public about

CMT.

Holly

[Guest guest]

This message is very timely for me. I just received a denial of my

reconsideration. It's like someone else just looked at my first request and

check a " denied " box somewhere and sent it back to

me. There was no new report, new additional medical information

requested...they didn't even bother to contact any of the references that they

had asked me to provide them.

What hurts the most is that their original report states that " ...your current

symptoms are not severe enough to be

considered disabling... " and " ...the evidence does not show that your ability to

perform basic work activities is as limited as you indicated. "

Basically, they are calling me a liar. Plus, my medical records indicate just

the opposite of what they are saying. Maybe they are going strictly on physical

measurements like my ability to flex my foot but they are not acknowledging my

level of fatigue and pain as a factor at all.

Now it is time for me to go the appeals route. Thank God, my company's

disability (Metlife) continues to pay my benefits and

they will help me with a legal referral. It is in their best interest for me to

win against SS because it reduces the amount that they pay out.

I also have a wonderful neurologist who lets me complete the paperwork and

letters and then she reviews them, adds or

changes, and signs them. It's truly a win-win situation. Less work for her and

her staff and I know better what needs to be said on the forms...I think

I'm going to try writing the separate letter like your doctor did. I think that

may help. We have to educate the judge, right? I hate to say this but if we

had MS or diabetes, I think we'd

have no problem getting SSDI, based on our individual conditions, of

course. People know what those diseases are. We have to educate

everyone we meet about CMT.

I just think that whoever reviewed my claim at Metlife

knew more about neuromuscular disorders so they approved my claim

within a week. The doctors with SS apparently are clueless.