Re: Those of you on Disability

June 20, 2002

When I applied I had Hepatitis, Cirrhosis and was listed on the liver

transplant list, aches and pains and Depression. The one that finally did it

was the Depression so if you apply list that first. It took me 20 months at

that time till I figured it out and was able to talk to a judge. My daughter

has applied because of Bipolar, she's 19 and they turned her down the lst

time because they said she was too young and should be able to do something.

She appealed and even went to Voc. Rehab to help her find job. They tested

her there and sent her to Pychiatrist and decided she was too sick to work.

She originally applied in May/2000, we got word by phone they were going to

approve her, but its been 2 weeks now and still waiting to get letter in the

mail. Once you are approved its ok to go out and try and work if you make

under a certain amount, but you can't be working at all while you're waiting

on their decision. Main thing is you have to sweat it out and keep

appealing and you will eventually get it, and then they pay you back pay

starting with 6 months after you originally applied.

Peace/Love

Randi

> Hi Ali

> I understand your reluctance to apply. I am a registered Nurse. I was

> assaulted and had spinal surgery and was denied SS even though I was in

> a full body brace for 6 months. I appealed and luckily had a judge wh

> told them they were crazy for suggesting that I could work in any

> meaningful way at that time. Funny enough, but when I applied for SS

> when dx with PA, I was approved first request. Good luck to you and

> don't be afraid to apply for what is rightfully yours.

>

June 20, 2002

Hi Ali

I understand your reluctance to apply. I am a registered Nurse. I was

assaulted and had spinal surgery and was denied SS even though I was in

a full body brace for 6 months. I appealed and luckily had a judge wh

told them they were crazy for suggesting that I could work in any

meaningful way at that time. Funny enough, but when I applied for SS

when dx with PA, I was approved first request. Good luck to you and

don't be afraid to apply for what is rightfully yours.

June 20, 2002

Hi Ali,

I think you should apply for disability if you need it--the most they

can do is turn you down and then you aren't out anything but your time to

fill out the application form. Ali, if you are in that bad of shape--fill

it out and let the chips fall where they may. You must go 6 months without

working to even fill out the application if I remember right, and if I also

remember correctly, your info goes back to when you first got your symptoms

as long as you give them the correct Dr.'s name and the correct clinic and

where they are located. You may be pleasantly surprised about their

response to your application.

I know that they sent me info to check up on whether or not I still

needed the disability and it came with questions such as list all your meds

and the last 5 doctor's appointments. I had had 5 appointments with my

rhuemologist in less than 6 weeks, and after filling out the info, they sent

me a letter saying that they would not be looking at my claim at this time.

My doctor said that was because of the pain medication I am taking as well

as all the doctor appointments in that short period of time.

I heard recently on the Boob Tube (the TV) that it can take up to 3

years for your disability claim to be approved because so many people are

filing and they have such a limited staff to investigate your claim. I

would definately file today Ali, as if this statement I heard on the news is

anywheres near what is really going on and you must be unemployed that whole

time (at least that is my understanding about applying for disability) to

collect Social Security Disability then file today Girl and hang in there

and keep your fingers crossed. You can only get what you apply for and if

you think you do deserve it and they made a mistake, get a lawyer who

specializes in Social Security Disability and let him do the fighting for

you. You know Ali if you deserve disability, so do what you know in your

heart and don't worry about anything else.

Take good care of yourself Ali and make sure you make copies of your

application and date it as to when it is sent out. Be very specific on what

you can and can not do--like can not always brush your own teeth, need help

putting your bra on, can not work without coming home in tears, can not

drive the car without someone else turning it over for you, need someone to

clean the house for you, if someone else is filling out the application for

you as you can not write that long, or how long it has taken you to do it if

your hands are involved with arthur and they are too mangled and painful to

do it in any decent amount of time, etc. Be very specific about how this

rotten disease has mangled your life and who you have seen to help you live

with it--include all those early doctors who's records can back up the

lenght of your disease.

Good luck Ali. Hope you are having a good day and that you find the

courage to help yourself--it just takes filling in the app. YOU know if you

need it, so fight for it!!!! Good luck. Please let me know how it goes.

Care

-- [ ] Those of you on Disability

I was wondering how disabled you were when you got approved, what type of

work you were doing previous to this, and your education level. I am

tempted to apply...been thinking about it for quite some time. My rheumy

thinks I should but I am scared too. I am tired of being rejected for most

everything I apply for. I mean I managed to Remicade from the drug company

and now Voc Rehab is willing to help me out as well but I just don't know if

I could face going back to work again. I don't know if Remicade is a cure

all or how much it will end up helping or for how long. I don't know when I

will have another major flare...the one I am on now (flare wise) has been

going strong since November of last year. Most jobs I did have I would

often come home from work crying because I hurt so bad.

But I have a college education and think that this will play a big part in

the decision process. They will say I can do mind work even though it hurts

to work and my hands hurt after typing for a bit. It is so stressful....I

have college loans to pay for a degree that isn't getting me anywhere...

major other expenses and am currently on unemployment. I know people that

are better off than I am that have qualified for disability but I question

if some fraud was used there too. I am 25 years old and have worked since

just before turning 16. Even my first job where I was on my feet for only 4

or 5 hours a day two days a week would send me home crying and in severe

pain. Every job I have had since has done the same including the one year I

taught in the public school system.

My mother and I figured out that I could probably get medical records from

previous doctors that would show my pains started by the time I was 15 or 16

and just got progeressively worse. I have always been so independent and

full of life, always doing something but now it feels like I can't. I have

to lean on a cart in a store just to walk. I mean I could get better I

could not, I could even get worse (heaven forbid). I just don't know what

to do anymore. I get so depressed over this horrible horrible disease. I

just know they would say that I could work.

I know I could probably work part time and be ok but I think a full time job

would kill me. I know you can get disability and work some on the side but

fear due to my age and educational level that they would turn me down.

Supposedly if my disease is on their list of approved diseases the

application would be approved there and then stop but I feel they will

continue to the last question that asks if applicant could do other work

based on educational level or the like. I really don't know what to do.

Please somebody give me some sort of advice or at least moral support?

Sorry to sound so pathetic but I am having a bad day. Thanks for your time.

I hope everyone else is having a much better day.

hugs,

ali

June 20, 2002

In a message dated 06/19/2002 6:38:21 PM Eastern Daylight Time,

alicat1976@... writes:

> But I have a college education and think that this will play a big part in

> the decision process. They will say I can do mind work even though it

> hurts to work and my hands hurt after typing for a bit. It is so stressful

Ali - I don't know if this applies, but my husband's ex-wife worked a desk

job and got disability for diabetic neuropothy (numbness of the feet and

hands). Seems to me that PA is at least that bad - so I wouldn't say that

just because your degree lends itself to a desk job that disability is out of

the question.

June 21, 2002

Ali,

Here is my experience with applying for disability approx 3 yrs ago. There

are numerous forms to fill out. You fill one out and a month later you get

another one. Similar questions, just worded a bit differently. I think they

are trying to see if your answers are consistent... i.e., you're not

lying... from form to form. I think I filled out 3 or 4. They require

releases to get medical records directly from your doctors.... and

eventually you do have to see one of " their " doctors. Wasn't any big deal

for me... I have enough joint damage that it was kind of a no-brainer.

The amount you receive in benefits depends on your wages at the time of

disability. I was making $12 an hour when I became disabled and I can just

live on my SSDI benefit, but there is barely any left over for even simple

extras. I'm not sure what they give if you were unemployed, but they must

have some minimum base amount. You also automatically become eligible for

Medicare. They don't pay for Rx's (they do pay for Remicade and other IV

drugs) and Rx insurance can be impossible to find. Some states have a

Health Insurance Pool. This is the coverage I have and I pay a $5-10

co-pay. It's spendy insurance, but going on Enbrel it will be a lifesaver.

Check with your State Insurance Commissioner to see if there's one

available. At your age I would really try to work as long as possible at

some sort of job.

Hang in there as things will get better. I'm in a flare-up right now... but

I've had worse. I'm on a lot of drugs right now which only sort of dull the

pain. I just push through each day ignoring the pain. I refuse to

acknowledge it is there. I know I'll get better and I am looking forward to

having at least one pain-free day.

Melinda

> Date: Wed, 19 Jun 2002 20:08:24 -0000

> From: " jrnytthpst " <alicat1976@...>

>Subject: Those of you on Disability

>

>I was wondering how disabled you were when you got approved, what type of

>work you were doing previous to this, and your education level. I am

>tempted to apply...been thinking about it for quite some time. My rheumy

>thinks I should but I am scared too. I am tired of being rejected for

>most everything I apply for. I mean I managed to Remicade from the drug

>company and now Voc Rehab is willing to help me out as well but I just

>don't know if I could face going back to work again. I don't know if

>Remicade is a cure all or how much it will end up helping or for how

>long. I don't know when I will have another major flare...the one I am on

>now (flare wise) has been going strong since November of last year. Most

>jobs I did have I would often come home from work crying because I hurt so

>bad.

>

>But I have a college education and think that this will play a big part in

>the decision process. They will say I can do mind work even though it

>hurts to work and my hands hurt after typing for a bit. It is so

>stressful....I have college loans to pay for a degree that isn't getting

>me anywhere....major other expenses and am currently on unemployment. I

>know people that are better off than I am that have qualified for

>disability but I question if some fraud was used there too. I am 25 years

>old and have worked since just before turning 16. Even my first job where

>I was on my feet for only 4 or 5 hours a day two days a week would send me

>home crying and in severe pain. Every job I have had since has done the

>same including the one year I taught in the public school system.

>

>My mother and I figured out that I could probably get medical records from

>previous doctors that would show my pains started by the time I was 15 or

>16 and just got progeressively worse. I have always been so independent

>and full of life, always doing something but now it feels like I can't. I

>have to lean on a cart in a store just to walk. I mean I could get better

>I could not, I could even get worse (heaven forbid). I just don't know

>what to do anymore. I get so depressed over this horrible horrible

>disease. I just know they would say that I could work.

>

>I know I could probably work part time and be ok but I think a full time

>job would kill me. I know you can get disability and work some on the

>side but fear due to my age and educational level that they would turn me

>down. Supposedly if my disease is on their list of approved diseases the

>application would be approved there and then stop but I feel they will

>continue to the last question that asks if applicant could do other work

>based on educational level or the like. I really don't know what to

>do. Please somebody give me some sort of advice or at least moral

>support? Sorry to sound so pathetic but I am having a bad day. Thanks

>for your time. I hope everyone else is having a much better day.

>hugs,

>ali

>

June 21, 2002

Ali and Melinda,

My SS experience is a little different from yours. I never saw one of their

drs. Maybe because I was approved the first time and never had to appeal?

Also, I was unemployed at the time of my disability and had been for a couple of

years. It was by choice that I was not working and I had not drawn

unemployment. I think what you draw could be based on what you have paid in. I

am not sure about that. I know the SS lady had a print out of all the SS I had

paid since I started working in 1984. The main thing is not to give up. I

think they make it a daunting task on purpose to discourage people.

Hope yall's (Arkansas for you guys) flares are over soon.

BTW, I saw my rhuemy yesterday and he said everyone is having trouble getting

their enbrel. I have not yet. I order in 3 month supplies so he told me to

order as far in advance as I can.

Eva

Melinda <trujoy@...> wrote: Ali,