Hello all.. and again thank you for your replies!

Here is my update:

I was approved for the unemployment *thank God* with no problems or hearings or anything! I get my first check on the 23rd of this month. If they fought it I was going to use my aunt's best friend (who is a lawyer) to lay down the law for wrongful termination due to discrimination.. or something like that.. I am not very smart with legal stuff....

So, as far as the SSDI goes, I am still really afraid of someone saying "You are fine... Why are you applying for that?" For some reason I have this ginormous fear of them calling me a faker or liar...

Should I just fill out the form and worry about doctor proof later? I guess I don't understand the process......

I have to say.. I feel better without all that stress on me... still quite tired but definitely not nearly as bad as when I was worried about all that stuff.

Oh my God... Now another issue... I just got a call for a job with the State.. I have an interview Wednesday... I have been wanting a job with the State for a long time. Insurance would be free for me and my fiance once we get married. He works with the state as well...

I guess I should look at this as a sign as I am not supposed to go on SSDI yet... Either that or if I don't get the position maybe then I should apply... ugh.. More to stress about..

Try this website: http://www.ssa.gov/

It might help with some of your questions about SSDI. If and when you're ready to apply you can do it online. You can start and stop your application and it's saved online for you. They make it quite easy to do. Your doctor's records do need to be complete and thorough, though. And you need to list all the doctors you've seen. Hope this helps!

I hope you get the job with the state because at least they will treat you better if you have problems.
Getting fired because you couldn't do your job is the perfect reason to file for disability. Start keeping a journal about how you feel each day as SSDI needs to how you feel AND YOU DESCRIBE YOUR WORST DAY!

Stop worrying about looking as though you are "faking" disability. You are blaming yourself for your MS! It does different things to different people and if you ever do go on disability....you just tell people you retired.....its none of their business.

I ordered a book from Amazon called NOLOS GUIDE TO SOCIAL SECURITY.
It tells you everything you need to know about getting and keeping SSDI. It really helped me with some things I would have never thought about submitting.
One strike against you (and I judge by your photo) is that you are under age 50. For some reason that is a major strike against you according to NOLO.
Then they have to decide what kind of work you are qualified for (skilled/unskilled) and whether you can do work less skilled than you do now with your current complaints.

Well.....never under estimate FATIGUE. It is the number one disabler of MSers. and that plays major havoc no matter what job we do. And don't forget what the meds can do to us...one to help pain will put you to sleep etc.
Anyway.....if you do have problems working....get advice!! Going part time as some people do only lowers the amount SS pays you if you have to go out completely. Its advice like that you need.
Lots to think about...but I hope you get the state job and you feel better soon. Study up with a good SSDI book so that if the day comes you will be prepared.

We go through hard times with this disease, and then we may go through very long periods with no problems. How many difficulties have you had in the last while, i.e. is this the first time you've missed work because of MS (at least in a long while)?

I am not paralyzed, and can walk (not far, but I can). I was able to keep working for 14 yrs after I got MS, but the last two were from home. It got to the point where I was unreliable and they could not depend on me, so that was probably the main reason I was no longer "employable". What employer wants to have someone on the payroll that can't be counted on?

So, no . . . you do not have to be paralyzed or anything like that to get disability.

You don't want to try to do the application yourself, without at least getting experienced advice from the NMSS and/or a lawyer. You also need the full endorsement of your doctors. Those points are critical to the success of approval, from everything I've heard from others in the US.

Cherie

Thanks to all who have replied...

Some really great info! I appreciate it!!

Well I had my interview today and once I got in there and felt the enviroment and heard about the benefits I really started hoping that I would get the position. The good thing is, is a lot of people from the department know my fiance and he has had them put in a good word for me. I had a great interview... I had them all cutting up.

Ugh... I am about ready to go to bed... I have an MS seminar to go to tomorrow... I am really looking forward to it! It will be the first one Ive been to since being diagnosed. It is at the doctor's office I went and saw a couple weeks ago *(it's quite elaborate inside...)*

Anyone else in Tampa going to it tomorrow?