Hi

I'm new to the site and to the process of SSD so please bear with me. My husband is 42 years old and was diagnosed approx. 3 or 4 years ago with several things. He has 4 severely herniated discs, mild/moderate Rheumatoid Arthritis in his spine, compression in his tail bone, as well as slight scoliosis.

He has continued to work through all of the pain he's in, his Dr. has been prescribing a narcotic pain med. for the last several years all the while telling my husband that his job was like hitting a broken bone with a hammer over and over again.

Two weeks ago he went back to the Dr. and is scheduled for another MRI as the Dr. feels his conditions have worsened. He now has almost no reflex in his left leg and has nerve pain that shoots all the way through the leg from the hip downward. Added to the back problems his blood pressure was sky high and his heart rate was very concerning to the Dr. So he was put on meds for both the high b/p and the racing heart.

My husband worked in the printing/bindery business as a multi machine operator and has been hiding his condition from his employers basically because we could not afford for him NOT to work. Now it makes no difference. His company had a major reduction in work force due to the economy and as of Friday my husband is out of a job. I am currently unemployed as well... not sure what we will do but anyway.

My husband was thinking of going ahead and applying for SSD. It's a slim to none chance that he'll find work again in his field, he only knows the bindery/printing biz, has been in it nearly 20 years now. Even if he does it will be hard in his worsening condition to hide it. Starting a new job he couldn't try for LTD.

Our problem is we are still so very unsure about the process not to mention the financial problems. Our health insurance ended, when I called the insurance company the day he was laid off they told me "last day worked, last day covered". Even with the reduction of Cobra premiums to 35% I'm not sure we will be able to afford it. As I said I'm also unemployed and we have 3 small kids. My oldest is just 10.

We don't know what to do. The more I read about the process of filing and being approved the more discouraging it all sounds. Especially with back problems and pain. Do those conditions ever get approved anymore?

I'm applying for work myself everywhere and hoping to find something with insurance benefits so that both he and I can go to the Dr. for our medications. I've had some extreme high blood pressure issues that thankfully seem to be somewhat under control with medication.

I'm sorry I'm not even sure what it is I'm asking here. I guess I'm just scared. We have talked and at first were going to cancel the MRI (scheduled for this coming Friday) and his follow up office visit with the Dr. as we now have no heath insurance but then we decided that he really should go. They can't garnish wages we don't have for payment of that MRI! Maybe we can afford a month or 2 of the Cobra? sigh...

I guess in the end I'm asking if it's worth it for him to even try to apply for SSD? With a mortgage and little kids after his unemployment ends I'm not at all sure just me working will be enough. I've never been the bread winner.

Sorry this is so long I'm just so scared and unsure and so is my husband. Oh and I'm in the state of Kentucky if that makes any difference.

TIA
M.J.