Ok, I had a L&I lawyer before, for the first claim. He didn't think I had a case, but I guess he could be mistaken. As for LTD, I did get my claim approved. I was thinking SSDI would help, in that I would have some sort of health insurance once I separate from my work place. Even though they will deduct any funds I get from SS - I know I can't net more than the amount I get now.

The staff at first told me that don't help with long term disability - but it's the only type of disability insurance my employer offers. The surgeons nurse said it's against their policy to assist with disability claims. I think much of their spiel is to try to get people to give up & go away. I didn't, I stood firm & told him that this was the policy I had payed into for years and now it is time I need it, it should be there for me. He had an assistant fill out the paperwork & it did get approved. I am mad at him but I know that much of the grief I've gone through is not from him personally being a jerk - he's operating under the policies of the clinic that employs him. It's a huge network & and they are just very pro-business.

I've worked with many of these neurosurgeons back when they were residents, I thought I knew who all was a jerk in the business - but have found that the ones who are nice to the nurses they work with may not be so nice once you are a patient. Seattle is a decent sized town. I will stay out of the surgeon's hospital system who did my 2nd surgery - would have gone back to surgeon #1 but moved thousands of miles away.