[SPAM] to Aubrey Re: Re: Losing job? and update

[Guest guest]

Yes I have applied for SSDI but haven't heard anything from it yet. I hired the

attorney for being denied long term disability through my employer as they said

it was preexisting. I did get letters from my doctors and she said they needed

to write a much more detailed letter so she is going to request another letter

from them. This is from when I applied around Thanksgiving so it will not be to

much that she will get. I was just afraid I would be denied again and

financially I am in a fix, you know. I hope I am doing the right thing.

[sPAM] to Aubrey Re: Re: Losing job? and update

,

Have you applied for SSDI yet? Don't hire an attorney quite yet. I made the

mistake of hiring one too early. I filled out all my paperwork myself, got my

doctors to write letters for me, got my medical releases signed. And the

attorney didn't do anything other than give me a retainer agreement to sign

(which gave him 1/3 of my retroactive money).

Ask yourself what this lawyer is actually going to do for you right now? If

the answer is probably nothing until you get denied and assigned a hearing. And

you might NOT get denied (although the majority of people who are not on

dialysis or have terminal cancer DO get denied). And the SSDI process is backed

up and slow; I'm not sure how long the process takes these days, but I've heard

2-3 years. And this attorney is going to take a big chunk of your money.

I wrote letters to politicians after I was denied. Again, the attorney did

nothing. One of the politicians responded (a local Congressman). He wrote a note

to the Judge in my case. Within 2 weeks, my hearing was cancelled and I recieved

a notice saying I'd been granted SSDI!

And I still had to give this lawyer some of MY money despite the fact that he

did nothing.

In my experience, until the hearing, attorneys don't do much. I'd ask to

cancel the agreement with the attorney and let him know you'll come back if you

get to the hearing stage.

Has anyone else on the list found attorneys to be useful before this stage? Or

did I just have a crappy one?

[Guest guest]

Good luck keep me updated I applied on November 24, 2009 so we should hear

around the same time.

Heidi

_____

From: Stillsdisease [mailto:Stillsdisease ]

On Behalf Of

Sent: Sunday, January 24, 2010 4:40 PM

To: Stillsdisease

Subject: Re: [sPAM] to Aubrey Re: Re: Losing job? and

update

Yes I have applied for SSDI but haven't heard anything from it yet. I hired

the attorney for being denied long term disability through my employer as

they said it was preexisting. I did get letters from my doctors and she said

they needed to write a much more detailed letter so she is going to request

another letter from them. This is from when I applied around Thanksgiving so

it will not be to much that she will get. I was just afraid I would be

denied again and financially I am in a fix, you know. I hope I am doing the

right thing.

[sPAM] to Aubrey Re: Re: Losing job? and update

,

Have you applied for SSDI yet? Don't hire an attorney quite yet. I made the

mistake of hiring one too early. I filled out all my paperwork myself, got

my doctors to write letters for me, got my medical releases signed. And the

attorney didn't do anything other than give me a retainer agreement to sign

(which gave him 1/3 of my retroactive money).

Ask yourself what this lawyer is actually going to do for you right now? If

the answer is probably nothing until you get denied and assigned a hearing.

And you might NOT get denied (although the majority of people who are not on

dialysis or have terminal cancer DO get denied). And the SSDI process is

backed up and slow; I'm not sure how long the process takes these days, but

I've heard 2-3 years. And this attorney is going to take a big chunk of your

money.

I wrote letters to politicians after I was denied. Again, the attorney did

nothing. One of the politicians responded (a local Congressman). He wrote a

note to the Judge in my case. Within 2 weeks, my hearing was cancelled and I

recieved a notice saying I'd been granted SSDI!

And I still had to give this lawyer some of MY money despite the fact that

he did nothing.

In my experience, until the hearing, attorneys don't do much. I'd ask to

cancel the agreement with the attorney and let him know you'll come back if

you get to the hearing stage.

Has anyone else on the list found attorneys to be useful before this stage?

Or did I just have a crappy one?

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the encouragement Aubrey. I am glad the LFTs are coming down as well.

The only strange thing is that they usually do and within a week or so they are

back up close to 400. I am supposed to have them rechecked as well as a CBC the

end of this week so we shall see. I can't tell that I am feeling any better

yet. Still having fever and joint pain and severe fatigue and malaise, but maybe

it will help soon. Sorry your temp has came back. I hope your rheumy can help

and if he can't you can hopefully find one who can. Hope things go well for you

for Mainecare tomorrow. I will be thinking of you as well. You are right,

whatever happens it won't be the end of the world, we will get through it. we

will be working RNs again before you know it. Let me know how it goes. You know

I really miss talking with smoochRN. I know she is doing a lot better, but I

just miss her thoughts and opinions.

Thanks,

[sPAM] to Aubrey Re: Re: Losing job? and update

Hi ! I hope your meeting goes ok tomorrow. I know it's hard. I keep

trying to think that this isn't necessarily forever. That I will feel better at

least to the point where I can go back to work someday. It's hard though. Glad

to hear your LFTs are coming down! Is the Imuran helping you FEEL any better?

Any effect on the fevers, etc? I know you said it can take quite a while for it

to have full effect. Interesting about your thyroid. Was your level always good

before this? I hope that lawyer helps you get LTD. It's crazy that they are

denying you! Good luck with the SSDI too. As for me, I've had a fever every

night for at least the last 5 weeks, and now this past week and a half they are

coming in the morning and again at night. I had them twice a day at my onset

when I was the sickest I have ever been with this. But every flare since then

they have just been at night till now. Now today I have a fever in the afternoon

(2 hours after taking 800 mg Ibuprofen!)and they are getting higher then they

normally are these days too. I'm the worst I have been since 2 years ago. I see

my rheum. Thursday and I feel I am going to have to be pretty firm with him this

time. I can't just accept that he doesn't know what to do with me anymore. I'm

32 years old and my life is disintegrating. I want to at least try a new

medication because right now I'm on nothing and the pain is terrible. I am going

to Dept. of Health & Human Services tomorrow to apply for Mainecare (state

health insurance). I hope I qualify! I'm nervous about having a break in

coverage then this illness becoming a " pre-existing condition " in the future.

Anyway I'll be thinking of you and your meeting! Just try to remember that even

if you do lose your position that it is a temporary setback, not the end of the

world, not forever, even though it does feel like that sometimes. Good luck!

Aubrey

>

> Hey Aubrey and anyone else who will listen:

>

> Just wanted to let you know I may be in the same boat as you. I received a

call from my supervisor yesterday and she and the director of the surgery center

I work at want to speak with me on Monday. I know a lot of our situation has

sounded similar thus far and I wanted to share this with you as well. I am

concerned about this meeting, but I am trying to stay optimistic.

>

> Other updates: liver enzymes back down, still on Imuran. Now thyroid level

T3 is 6 something, more than double what it should be. Saw endocrinologist and

she is rechecking the thyroid labs that I had drawn at Duke as she thinks it may

possibly just be lab error. Anyway I read about how the T3 and the liver work

together and that hepatitis can cause this number to go up. So who knows. The

gastro doc thinks I may be having autoimmune hepatitis and some other mix of

autoimmune disease as well.

>

> Hired an attorney last week to help fight for long term disability through

my employer. She said she thought she could help me. Haven't heard anything

about SSDI yet.

>

> Hope you are OK Aubrey and all Stilligan's. This whole thing just seems to

get harder and more complicated, but I am determined to do my best to stay

positive.

>

> Thanks

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

Is your LTDI policy private insurance or through the state? Be aware that when

you eventually get your LTDI they may OFFSET the amount of SSDI you get. Most

of the LTDI promise you a percentage of your salary and consider SSDI as

fulfilling that.

I went on LTD with Prudential when I stopped working. Unfortunately, there was

an earthquake and I didn't get all of the paperwork that I needed to see.

Fastforward about 5 years, I had my daughter and was receiving SSDI Benificiary

payments for my daughter. (For some reason if you are disabled, they'll give

your child money.) What I didn't realize was that Prudential would be entitled

to offset THAT MONEY TOO against their payments. It was in the booklet I never

received. But how do you prove a negative? Their offices had been destroyed in

the earthquake so there was no proof that I hadn't been given it. Prudential

called me one day and said, " You owe us $31,000. Will that be a check or credit

card? " Can you imagine?? They ended up stopping my payments entirely (although

I still got SSDI, my daughter got her beneficiary payments, and my then husband

had a good job.)

I realize that insurance is a business, but sometimes it seems like they are

there just to screw you over. BTW, they got their $31,000 back and I'm now

receiving payments again. The moral: make sure you get the rule book and read

it. Even if you have to call them over and over to get it.