Question please...?
 

Ssi
 

I believe it is do-able because some have done it, but it usually is a looong fight. At least it has been for me.

I did get a letter from them saying to update my medical files in march, and that they would be contacting me for the second ALJ hearing. Havent heard anything so far, and on pins and needles waiting. Im kinda getting used to the wait though, as have been waiting nearly 3 1/2 years.

I would say go for it, the sooner the better :)

Desi,

Yes, you can apply for SSD because of your RSD. As you've been told it is a long fight...who well I know :rolleyes: It took almost 2 years for me to get approved. I was denied twice and finally had a hearing before an ALJ. The hearing went very smoothly for me...I was prepared for a fight but within 20 minutes, I was approved.

I would suggest that you get a atty who specializes in SSD. I retained one after being denied the 1st time. I know if I hadn't had an atty I more likely than not wouldn't of been approved. I was told by the ALJ, that the reason that I had been denied was because of my age ( I was 46 when I applied). He also told me that if he had seen my medical records sooner ( he had been out of the office until the day of my hearing), that I never would have had to go through the hearing...he would of approved me just on my records.

Keep strong...They try to get you so discouraged, that you'll give up the fight...Be prepared for a lot of paperwork...it's all worth it in the end.

Will keep you in my thoughts and prayers

:hug: cjay

Desi,
I must be the strangest person here. I got it 1st time out and it took about 6 wks. Ok..let me explain. I had all the flesh from the top and bottom of my foot. , and was on a vacpac that sucked at my foot 24/7 for 2 months. that was after 11 days in the hospital. My pod doc sent all the records and all to ssd. I had had about 8-9 surgeries in 3 years. there are several things to know. One, they are very forgiving if you are over the age of 50...they think that 50 and over really can't be trained in a new job. also, I applied online. I always say not to lie on the application, but when you apply, think of the worse day and use that. if today you can do the laundry, but yesterday you couldn't, use yesterday. they determine the date you became disabled, count the first 5 months as waiting. you don't get paid for them. then on month 6, it starts. the other good thing is once you are considered disabled for 2 years you automatically get medicare. I'll get mine starting this Dec. Apply for it..you have nothing to lose.
Mary

Hi Desi,
Yes you can get ssd but be prepared for the fight of your life. Both my husband andi became disabled at the same time. it took 2 yrs to get it. during this time we had no money coming in and now we are losing our house. the best thing i can tell you is don't let them get to you. go in person and let them see how you are. when i did talk on the phone with then i had better luck with a man than a woman. they still give me a hard time saying i owe them 3 thousand dollars. i didn't fight it because i was afraid it would screw up my case, just don't give up you deserve it. i didn't use a lawyer, i just fought as hard as i could. good luck

love sue k.

HI DESI,
yes, you are elligible if you cannot work and you have medical doctors to say that. it is tricky. i got it first try also though. when you fill out forms, describe your worse possible days, don't describe the good days ... if you have any. and be very descriptive. use extra lines and paper if necessary. the more info they have, the better chance you have to get it.
good luck. Joan

http://www.rsdhope.org/Showpage.asp?...5&PGCT_ID=2621

I think you will find this document very helpful when filling out questionaires for SS. Try using the same terminology they use, it makes it less likely for them to misinterpret what you mean. Sometimes it's as simple at that, using the right words.

Best of luck! :Good-Luck:

Desi,
Let us know what the doc says. Hopefully he can come up with something to help...we will be waiting.
Mary

Hi desi,
 

I don't know if you deal with depression or not. But I noticed around here that what has helped most everyone to get it is depression. After all of my years of fighting for mine, the depression is what they put on my file. Also I got the governor involved with my fight and he got it for me in one week and as I said depression is what they used even though I had already been diagnosed with about 20 medical problems. At the time I was so bad off mentally that I couldn't help myself or I could have gotten it sooner.

Another thing, and you already have this but they told me that I needed to go to specialist for everything I had wrong with me and at the time I had no insurance so I couldn't. My PCP had helped me fight for it and because he was just a PCP they wouldn't take his word. But he never missed any of my diagnoses, he got them all right.

I have seen people around here get approved within 6 months, others it took over 2 to 3 years. My husband got his years ago on the first try. He went up in front of the judge and he ok'd it right on the spot with no lawyer. I've seen 3 people around here get it with no lawyer and sooner. I sometimes think it's the lawyers that delay the hearings because of their court dates for other things. The lawyer I had couldn't leave the golf course long enough to go for me.

Good luck and get to work on this right away. You can do it.

Ada

desi,
whatever you do just don't give up. there are so many people i know that faked an illness and got ssi without working a day in ther life. my doc got so mad when they denied me the 2nd time. she said she was so sick of people coming to her office asking her to fill out disabity paperwork for a cough. She was so mad she wrote many letters to them about me. yes some people really need it, but its the ones using the system that are hurting people like us. sorry to sound so bitter, but because they took so long to approve me, i lost my house. don't let them screw with you.
love sue k.

Mary, thank you, I will for sure let ya all know! Love, Desi:hug:
Ada, Yes, I dang well know what depression is! I have been on different anti depressents a long time now. It runs on my mom's and dad's side of the famly!I am on EffexorXR 75 mg. and xanan 0.5 mg. I had a baby sis. and a twin brother who passed away in 1998. It was hard to get out of that pit! I thank God for antidepressents! It got so bad, I didn't want to do nothing but stare at the wall. Thank God I'm on them now also before I got this RSD.
Anyway, Ada.. I'm very happy that your Governor was involved with your fight for SSI and got it for you! "Yea"! I will do a little jig for ya, hun :D That's just "Great"! And telling you .. ya had to go to a specialist is down right awful.. makes me so :mad: It's just plain wrong! At least your PCP helped you fight for your SSI They never took his word?? Total idiots and jerks!! bah humbug on them!!:mad:
I am, however, am so very, very happy that you won Ada!:hug: Oh, and your right about "some" lawyers staying so long on their stupid golf courses!:D Thanks again, Ada Love, Desi :hug:

Hey Sue, That is awful I think too, about some people faking it to get on SSI. How in the hell-o can they sleep at night?? :mad: Geeeezzzzz!!
I do agree with you about "The one's using the system" That are hurting people like us! I am so sorry that you lost your home, Sue.. how sad!:(
Thank you for your reply my friend. Love, Desi :hug:

I could never understand faking to get SSI????

You have more chance of making more money at minimum wage!!!
Sometimes I think the government just uses that excuse to make us think we might be faking. I know there are some that get away with faking it, but im willing to bet that you dont have to take your shoes off to count how many that is every year. Judging by how many on here post about turn downs any ways.

I hope this isn't thread hijacking?!?
 

this story reminded me of when i had to be seen by the dreaded long termed disability doctors ... and they sent me to an ortho doc and a psychiatrist! i said ... what about a neuro doc or pain doc? ... but no they said. the psychiatrist wrote that i was no more depressed than anyone else with pain 24/7. the ortho doc said ... my goodness, what are we doing to you, you poor thing? ... and they still dumped me and i had to get a lawyer! i am not that crazy though, i fought and i won! joan

Hi - I applied 3 months ago and was told to wait. I know this could take a long time. I have RSD in both hands, so I wait. For me, it will be worth the fight. I tried to look at a number of jobs, but not one was handless. If I fail the 1st time through, I will keep on trying.

It's just like RSD, it just keeps going and going and going! But, we can win!

Hi All,
 

Hi Allen,

I do see a lot of people that I feel shouldn't be on disability around here. I do believe that we get mixed in with those sometimes and they can't distingish between the ones that are and the ones that aren't especially when some of us look so normal.

With me, I got beat out of my SS and ended up on SSI because of a lazy lawyer and I was so mentally distraught, I couldn't do what I needed to do to help myself.

My Dr. filled out my paperwork constantly and would have went to court with me if he'd had to but I honestly believe my lawyer was assing around on the golf course and just didn't care to go to court for people until he felt like it. I think it's important to find out what kind of lawyer you are getting. I didn't. I have seen so many people that won't go to him and he is actually known for being a good SS lawyer.

I like you would rather be able to work then sat here and do nothing. I haven't worked since 91. Even though I was sick in 87 I hung on until I got Susan through school. Bill was disabled already so I had to make sure that she got through school and had what she needed.

They put me down on my paperwork as obese. At the time we didn't know also that I was full of tumors. My Dr. is always giving me praise on how I got my weight down and kept it down. I always tell him it's because they took all of those tumors out of me that I lost the weight. LOL

I do look normal though to people. I do have cuts on my neck and they know by those that I have some medical problems but I have still had people ask me why I don't go to work since Bill passed. I actually tried going back to work 3 times before I got my disability and had to have surgery everytime. The 4th time I tried volenteer work and had to have surgery so my PCP finally said no more. I hate it because I can't work.

I see people though that actually do work while on disability and I know of 2 that just got caught at it last year and lost there disability. I see people going on trips everytime you turn around and out running around 18 hours a day. I do wonder about some people and how they get the disability.

It makes me angry that we are put into that catagory with them and I do understand why we are sometimes because some of us are normal looking.

It also makes me mad that we have Drs. out there that think even though we are so messed up that we might be able to hold down some kind of job. I haven't ran into that but I know a lot of people do.

I do get papers in the mail every year that I have to fill out to keep my disability but they pretty much leave me alone anymore because of all of my diagnoses.

It also made me mad that the depression was the only thing that they went by to give me my disability but I have heard that from so many around here, I think it's the most important thing to list on your SS paperwork and make sure you have the documents to back it up.

When you get your SS paperwork started, make sure you ask for copies of all of the paperwork from them, try to keep up with them and what is going on at all times, make sure you have a good lawyer if you get one. It's imperative that you stay on top of how it is going because they lose paperwork, send it to the wrong places and seem to misplace your case often. I see that a lot.

I was sent to a Psychatrist one day and turned down the next day by letter. I called and asked them how I got turned down one day after they sent me to a Psychatrist and she couldn't find where I had even been sent to one. It evidently came out of another state or office.

Do try for it though and don't give up.

Ada