since you might be closer than further from applying for ssdi let me tell you another of my experiences.

someone at my neuro's office told me to approach the application for ssdi like a thesis. he said to be detailed and to not approach the questions like you were having your best day, but your worst.

when i had it filled out and my drs said they mailed in their info about me i waited......only to get a denial letter (common, right?) which amoung other things said they were missing info from my pcp. i called their office and they said they sent it in. ????? too late, i'd already been denied. so had to pay thru the nose for COBRA for 18 mos. then i hired an attorney and applied again. i was approved. a very expensive and stressful wait.

that's why i always suggest that we get copies of reports, tests, dr notes etc.
i would have done that had i been smarter. then i make a copy of the copies and mail it to them return receipt requested.

also, when i told my neuro that i couldn't work anymore he ordered some other tests, functional capacity studies, to document my weaknesses. so get your drs to document, document, document.

and, ps....if you're taking any meds or even OTC meds get your dr to write an Rx and put it in your medical file. you can write these of on your taxes.

sorry this is so long. i wish someone had told me these things when i was first dx'd.

NurseNancy - Thanks for sharing your experience and tips!

I followed Nurse Nancy's advice and kept a 3 inch binder with separated sections for my different doctors. I had first applied for SSDI in 8/2013 with no documentation. Of course, I was denied. I did not appeal for reconsideration. My son was able to carry me on health insurance beginning 1/1/2014. My document trail begins again. I reapplied 7/31/2014. I was denied again, and I made an appointment with a local attorney. She filed the reconsideration. I was denied again and we appealed for an ALJ hearing in person. In March, we were notified that my hearing date was set for 8/12/2016. My attorney's paralegal called me on 7/21/2016 to tell me that she had received a call from the ODAR office and that the ALJ had ruled OTR in my case. I have received the letter and it is a fully favorable decision. My neuro only diagnosed my MS on 4/26/2016. We made sure that everything was added to my record.

good for you! i'm glad you didn't give up.
in the medical field it's document, document, document.

i worked many yrs in NICU's. i always kept good written notes. and, left out the emotional but always tried to chart the objective, not the subjective.
one day i was told that it was my good charting that kept a family from suing us. we made no mistakes.

that's what the court looks for too. notes from md's etc.
and an extra added bonus is that you may learn interesting things from reading your dr's notes. i've found many with inaccurate charting. some were so wrong that i called the office & had them changed. like; one dr said i had coronary artery disease and i don't. didn't want that in my records. i made him change it.

your description of a notebook is a great idea to keep organized.

Wow!!! You got your SSDI quickly. I know for some people it is years. I am sure all the documentation helped, as NurseNancy suggested. I don't remember how long it took me to get mine. It was less than a year. I was denied the 1st time and appealed using a lawyer and was approved right away after that. They lawyer didn't even do much.

They're reluctantly forcing me out at work. They like me because of my ability to handle customer service situations and my expertise with our systems in helping new employees fix problems, but they are forced to coach me on my lack of sales of new products.

I requested a copy of our company long term disability policy but I don't know if they will provide it to me. I called Met Life asking for it and they said I needed to get it from HR. My manager requested it for me yesterday via email.

I will actually get more from SSDI now than waiting until I'm 62. There is no way I could wait until then. If my own company doesn't want me, no other one would at my age and with my health issues.

Once I get the policy I'm going to have it translated with a disability attorney. With my tenure at work I should get 4-6 months of 100% pay on STD, then it reverts to LTD. I really need to know if they cover pre-existing conditions. It's interesting that we are not able to download the policy from the company website.

We are seriously short handed at work. They want me, but they don't. It's such a strange situation. They terminated hundreds of people a week ago when they cut out customer service positions in the retail stores nationwide. I almost feel fortunate that I have a way out now. I feel sorry for those others that have lost their jobs or that must apply in different parts of the company.

i'm sorry wiz.

when i left my job i was so sad. i grieved for the loss of my job, part of myself & my future.

if that happens to you try to be gentle with yourself. you have provided a great service in the workplace for most of your life. be proud of that.

PM me if you need to talk.
judy

Wiz

I didn't want to leave my job either. And they didn't want me to go but we both knew it was time.

It takes a while to get used to the fact that you're not working anymore. It was strange....I felt almost guilty. But having the LTD was a Godsend and still is.

I was awarded SSDI almost immediately. I applied online.....by myself with no help.....and a few weeks later got my award letter in the mail! I was shocked and while I know that isn't the case for some folks it was most appreciated by me.

I hope things go smoothly for you. You've hung in there a lot longer than most.