I heard back from the judge! My age is working against me.
 

As you may know from previous posts, I had my hearing for Social Security back in November. I just received the letter with the decision. Denied. This was my 3rd time applying. I had applied the first two times by myself. Then on the third attempt I got an attorney.

The judge seemed compassionate towards my case and my attorney said I represented my case well enough that he felt he didn't need to add anything when the judge asked if he had anything to say.

The letter was pages and pages and pages long. I am so saddened. I don't even want to be in the system in the first place, but I don't have any other option. I have tried so many different occupations to try and keep a 40 hour work week and am not able to do so (horrible pain in my legs, back muscle spasms, extreme fatigue, pain behind the eyes accompanied with double vision towards the end of the work week). My neuro doesn't acknowledge this. He sees me once a year and it seems everytime I actually go to his office, I'm having a decent MS day. My neuro hasn't seen my on my worst days. My family and friends and coworkers have. And I don't have medical insurance so I can't just go see him whenever I need to. I don't have the funds. and I don't want to rack up even more debt.

I feel so doomed. Like I am never going to be able to make my ends meet. I won't have health coverage with this debilitating disease. I'm scared of my future. I don't even know what to do at this point. :(

I am so sorry to hear about your denial from SS my dd 31 years old anad her next step in in front of a law judge.

Well, that just sucks canel water, AnyaD..:mad:

You really need your Doc's cooperation. Next appt, don't have a good day..KWIM?;)

Anya - I'm so sorry to hear that. :hug: You have had such a hard time with MS so far. You did not need this stress. I think a new neuro is in order as well as applying for some state aide for insurance, if you qualify.

I am sorry. Some folks lawyer up and go in guns blazing. They take a percentage of your win, but its better than no benefits and keeping up the fight for years.

I wish you the best. ((hugs)) :hug:

i know it seems hopeless now but please don't give up.
perhaps you can find another neuro. one who will validate how you are really doing.

you might be able to try again after some time has passed. keep a sx journal for yourself and any drs you see. easier to document your condition.
i'm praying that things will change for you.

we're here to listen. keep us posted.

I too am sorry to hear your news.
I have went through that process once and denied at each step. When I got my denial from the ALJ, the attorney started a second claim right away. Well, I got denied again at the first two times and I am scheduled to see the ALJ in a week now.
My first claim is at the Federal court level....the attorney thought the first ALJ made some mistakes.
My credits have expired now, so it is now or never! and I think since the government has NO money, we are all being denied!

I was denied the first time I applied. Got approved on appeal.

My neuro, who's in Northbrook, told me there are only 2 reasons that SSDI is approved for the most part-back pain and cognitive dysfunction.
I was approved due to cognitive dysfunction. But after I got denied, he told me to write in very simple words how I am unable to work due to the issues with memory, organizing information, etc.
Did you have a neuropsych exam yet? If not, that should be on your list of things to get done. See if there are hospitals like Rush who will take your case for free...call around. If not, maybe U of Illiinois hospital will take your case...I know they took my sister's high risk pregnancy, even though she was poor.

Just keep trying. You need to tell your doc that you are trying for SSDI.
You need to tell your Doc why you feel you can no longer work. You need to tell him what your worst days and weeks are like. All that will then be in your records. Hang in there, sweetie :hug:

I got mine from cognitive dysfunction, but it was on the the third try. My lawyer was no help. She even missed deadlines, and when she was going to miss another one, I took over the did it all myself. They didn't even allow her her full payment,saying she had not done the work. She was herself disabled (not MS) and the MS Society recommended her.
I told them later when she was going to give a presentation that I objected, as she had not done it right for me. I am sympathetic with the disabled but she was trying to pretend she was not disabled enough to have to quit working as an attorney. I was disabled enough to have to quit working as a teacher.

I actually had much more serious problems than my mild cognitive dysfunction, but they paid little attention to those, as someone said. It has no relationship to reality.

I too had a test by a physiatrist and got my private disability the very day I applied. She wrote that I could do nothing. I could do nothing that day, as it was one of my worst days. She made a point of saying I was not faking. However, Social Security took another several years to award benefits. I fortunately had a husband and his medical plan.

I know the gov't is broke (more so now than then) and the situation is not easily solved.
But lying to make it work is a horrible way to do it. (them lying about what the actual disability is).