You mentioned fast food manager not working out. Do you think you could hold down a full time job as a fast food worker ?

That is what SSA means by substantial gainful employment.....they wouldn't consider you totally disabled because you couldn't do the manager job as long as you could do the entry level job at the fast food place.

If you could work the entry level fast food job full time for $7.25 an hour (x 40 hours per week and 4 weeks per month) = $1160 a month. That's more than SSA's cutoff so they would find you don't meet the criteria or being totally disabled.

I TOTALLY agree that I don't know how the heck anyone could live on that amount, but I don't think SSA feels that is their concern.

What I meant in my first post was that if you had tried working a minimum wage job that seemed physically possible for you to do and the employer felt that you could not fulfill the job requirements and gave documentation of that, maybe that would have help your case.

From what you said, it sounds like you may be physically able to perform some tasks, but it's the 'brain fog' issues that keep you from being successful. That is a really tough one to prove for SSA. My case was similar in that some days I look and feel pretty normal......it does look like I should be able to work. Unfortunately, those days are very rare Our cases are not as obvious as, say, someone who was totally paralyzed after an accident. That person, it would be obvious to anyone, could not work. Try to look at it from SSA's point of view.....they can't just give away cash to someone who could be 'faking' their complaints. We have to prove to them that we can't work. Was the tumor benign ? Are your seizures well controlled now ? Have you read the SSA stuff on epilepsy ? Any chance that you are on their list of recognized diagnoses ?

Especially because concentration is an issue for you, I would really recommend getting a lawyer to apply for SSDI. The process is likely to be a long one, so don't lose hope !

Best Wishes. If you have any specific questions, you might want to start your own thread so it's 'all about you' and doesn't have everyone else's approval/denial comments mixed in.