Has anyone here had experience getting disability for Parkinson's? I will welcome any advice you might give.

Welcome Leah..I have been on SSDI for 2 yrs..I was dx with pd in 2004..I hired a disability attorney from the git go, and its important to have all your medical documentation in order..If you have a dx of pd related depression it will work in your benefit to push your claim through, or any other disabling illness plus Parkinsons..If you have depression see a psychiatrist..(if you havent already)..and get documentation

Lawyers usually work on a precentage of the settlement..Mine requested 25%, but only if the claim went through the appeals process..My claim went right through on the first shot, so the lawyer didnt charge me anything

Thanks. It's nice to know we have some support out there. Just to be clear, my husband is the pt. His dx came in 2005.

How long did the process take, from getting the info from the doctors until the court process was finished?

First of all, I had wonderful letters from my neurologist and my neuropsychiatrist stating what my symptoms were at the time and that they were unpredictable. On the application form I answered any question about what i could do with the qualification that it depended on how my meds were working, which was, of course, unpredictable. The fact that my cognitive slowness made my work less than excellent was a factor in re-triggering my major depression, which was itself an adjunct of PD. To back up my claims of depression, executive function loss and so forth, I referred to and attached a couple of lengthy descriptions of PD, such as one written by the head doc at the National Parkinson Foundation. A scientific article by my own neuropsychiatrist outlined the cognitive effects. These made my application very informative for anyone processing it who might not be a PD expert; they also made the package, all stapled together, very thick. I had trouble getting the whole thing done, though, until I asked my husband to actually fill out the darn thing for me. That didn't hurt.

The most difficult part was to have to face that all of the above was really true. I had to be strict with myself about keeping pity parties down to one hour.

Someone told me that Parkinson's was reclassified as a terminal illness by the government, and since that it seems like it hasn't been so ridiculously difficult to get approved. There's no formula to it, and for many people the lawyer route is the way to go, especially if their doctors don't take the time to do an A+ writeup.

I'm sorry we have to do this. Best of luck,
Jaye

Hi Leah,
I've been on SSDI since January 2001. I applied for it on my own and got it on the first try. At that time, I was told to make sure that my answers made it clear that even with medication I was unreliable for work.
Make sure you have all the proper documentation from your doctor. Mine willingly sent in all the needed documentation then gave me a copy. Also, make sure you document any conversations or contact with SS.

GregD

Leah, I applied for SSDI in Feb 2005, and got my first check in June 2005

There wasnt any court process

You all have been very helpful. I truly appreciate this. We will see the neurologist tomorrow to begin this conversation.

Hi Leah,
My husband is the PWP and also diagnosed in 2005. We just returned from the disability lawyer this afternoon and next week we begin the process of filing for ssdi. He told us it can take 6 months to a year and the he receives a percentage of what my husband will receive retroactively from social security. The judge sets a cap of $5,300 as the most the attorney can get. I wanted to file myself; however, I have enough going on in my life right now and while we could surely use the money, I have decided to let the attorney process the paperwork for us. I hope it won't be $5,300!
Good Luck and welcome to this great forum, you will not find a finer group of people.

Kindly, Maureen

Leah,

My story is similar to Steve's - I got a lawyer. He did a great job and I was approved the first time. My doctors were VERY cooperative.

The lawyer got no money for his work.

Kevin was diagnosed in 2000. We filed in 2004. No lawyer and no problems. He was approved first time. SS required an IME so we just made sure he was off his drugs and that was that.
Save your money and try it without a lawyer first.